The Role of Parliament -- A Beginners Guide to UK Politics

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Parliament is the highest legislative authority in the United Kingdom, and is made up of three constituent parts: The House of Lords, The House of Commons and the Monarch.

UK Youth Parliament 300x180 The Role of Parliament A Beginners Guide to UK Politics

UK Youth Parliament takes to green benches of House of Commons.

Parliament has gradually taken control over many of the powers previously exercised by the Monarch, and although the Queen acts as the head of Parliament, in practice, this role is merely ceremonial. The Crown will always act on the advice of the Prime Minister and other ministers, who are in turn accountable to the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Duration

Parliament has a maximum duration of five years. At any time up to the end of this period, a general election can be held for a new House of Commons.

Functions

The major functions of Parliament are:

To make all UK law (legislation). All three constituent parts of Parliament must agree before a new law can be passed.
To scrutinise Government policy and administration. This work is carried out in debates, parliamentary questions and through Select Committees. These procedures compel the Government to publicly explain and justify their policies.
To control finance. The House of Commons grants the Government permission to control taxes, decide what taxes are collected, and how this money should be spent.
To protect the public and safeguard the rights of individuals. Parliament safeguards the interests of the public as a whole, and MPs can also help to protect the rights of the individual.
To examine European proposals before they become law. The House of Lords and House of Commons both have committees that examine European proposals, which allows Parliament to prepare and alter its laws to bring the UK into line.
To hear criminal and civil appeals in the House of Lords, the highest Court of Appeal in Britain.
To debate the major issues of the day. Both Houses of Parliament hold general debates on matters of national and international importance.

Get Involved

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better. Run by young people for young people, UKYP provides opportunities for 11-18 year-olds to use their voice in creative ways to bring about social change. Follow the UK Youth Parliament on Facebook or Twitter

The best way to get involved in politics in the UK, if you’re not so young, is to join one of the political parties. These all operate at the grass roots levels and welcome junior members, or indeed, not so junior.

By getting involved in the local party, you get exposed to the more mundane elements of politics, but more importantly, build a profile and a network of contacts, which is really what politics is all about. Never think that it is about what you know as much as who you know, getting on with the right people, and being savvy about managing your profile and career.

If you have no particular political affiliations, the party political system can make it hard to get that involved with politics, but there are a few independents out there, however, these usually start with one of the main parties then branch out when they have the profile to sustain it, or simply, when they get disillusioned.

However, the best start is to definitely get involved with the running of a party at local level, become a councillor eventually, and then, hope to get through a selection process to be a candidate for selection as a member of parliament (MP)–then hope to have a safe or swing seat and run a good campaign.

Your opinion is appreciated. Please leave a comment below with any practical suggestions on how young (and not so young) people can get involved in politics.

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Jack Dee

I’ve been an IT consultant for over 15 years. Strange to get paid for doing what you love. May be in danger of being called a geek… but who cares? I actually enjoy every opportunity to drive through the concepts, design, and creative framework on even personal web-based projects. My other passion is travel: 72 cities in 35 countries at the last count.

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Jack Dee

Use examples, like Amnesty, they don't just say 'women being stoned' or 'gay men being persecuted' is a terrible thing, they use examples of real people, and then all of a sudden, you see the humanity in the situation. You think, I may not be able to change the system but I might be able to help this individual. And then, if everyone thinks that, you suddenly reach critical mass and you realise you can change the system…

Politics concentrates on the big picture but human beings don't – by nature, we look at what affects us and ours and that is a much smaller view. So humanise it, connect with it, and know you can make a difference.