Government

Basic System of Government & Democratic Ideals
The UK is a hereditary monarchy, with the actual power these days in the hands of the Prime Minister and his or her ruling party. The major political parties are Labour and the Conservatives (or Tories).

National government consists of two ‘Houses’ or chambers, the House of Lords, which is a curious mix of hereditary peers, lords, bishops and so on, and the House of Commons. Whichever political party wins the most votes in the House of Commons becomes the national government at election time. The leading political figure, the Prime Minister, is not voted for directly as in the United States, but attains that position by virtue of the fact they are the head of the winning political party.

Founding Documents
The UK is unusual on the world stage for its lack of a written constitution. That is not to say that there is not one. On the contrary, British constitutional experts will argue that they have one, however, it remains unwritten and as a result, is far more accommodating to change than countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, whose constitutions are written down but centuries later must have changes not envisioned by founding fathers ‘read in’ to their respective constitutions.

Other founding documents that can be traced through UK history include the ‘magna carta’, an early 13th century document of great historical significance for the reason that King John bound himself and all his future heirs to the rule of law. In other words, from that time, the monarchy was not a law unto itself, rather, became subject to the laws of the people.

Voting
Elections are held every 5 years; the exact timing is at the discretion of the Prime Minister. Citizens are eligible to vote after the age of 18 years. Voting is not compulsory.

Legal System
The law in the UK is a mix of common law (inherited precedent or past judgments) and statute (that is, acts of parliament). Early Roman and modern continental influences are evident. The UK has judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998 and accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, albeit with reservations. Above all, the UK legal system operates on the concept of the rule of law and strives to provide justice, equality and procedural fairness to all.