The document summarizes how the UK Parliament works. It is made up of three parts: the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarch. Members of Parliament are elected by constituents to represent their local areas as either members of a political party or independents. The House of Lords is made up of both hereditary and life peers who review bills passed by the Commons. A general election determines the governing party whose leader will become Prime Minister and form the government.

1. Parliament’s Education Service

2. Who represents me? Gravesham Borough Council United Kingdom Europe M.E.P. M.P. Councillor

3. The Houses of Parliament Parliament is made up of three parts:

4. Parliament The House of Commons The House of Lords The Monarch

5. How do you become an MP? Variety of backgrounds Can belong to a political party Stand in a constituency Pay £500 (which you get back if you get at least 5% of the vote) Campaign!!! (from 6 weeks before) General Election: get the most amount of votes from the people that live in the area

6. House of Commons Members of Parliament Green Elected Paid 646 Prime Minister

7. Your MP Paul Truswell MP Constituency: Pudsey Political Party: Labour

8. Pudsey General Election 2005 In the Pudsey constituency there were approx 66,444 people who were eligible to vote. In total 46,444 voted (66%). This means approx 20,000 did not. The voting split: Labour 21,261 (45.8%) Conservative 15,391 (33.1%) Liberal Democrat 8,551 (18.4%) UKIP 1241 (2.7%) The Labour candidate won by a majority of 5,870 votes

9. Work of an MP Represent all their constituents Split their time between London (Mon – Th.) and their constituency (Fri –Sun) Attend debates, meetings, committees and events Make and amend laws Deal with enquiries from their constituents

10. How do you become a Lord? The people who sit in the House of Lords are known as Peers Inherited their title (Hereditary Peer) Nominated (Life Peer) Bishops/ Archbishops Law Lords (Judges)

11. House of Lords Lords/ Peers Life Peers 739 Hereditary Peers No salary*

12. What do they do? belong to a political party or are independent some are chosen by the Government to work in one of their departments look at the bills that have been made in the House of Commons, and makes changes to them come up with suggestions for new laws themselves take part in Committees

13. 646 Members of Parliament Independent 7 MPs Labour 349 MPs Democratic Unionist Party 9 MPs Social Democratic & Labour Party 3 MPs Sinn Fein: 5 MPs Ulster Unionist 1 MP Plaid Cymru 3 MPs Scottish National Party 7 MPs Respect 1 MP Conservatives 193 MPs Liberal Democrats 63 MPs

14. Parliament v Government? Political Party Political Party Political Party

15. Political Party Political Party Political Party MPs Party Leaders

16. General Election

17. Election Results Governing Party

18. Party Leader Prime Minister

19. The Government Lords Backbenchers

20. Government Cabinet

21. Government

22. The Monarch Constitutional Head of State State Opening of Parliament

23. The Work of Parliament Parliament does many things, including: Looking at suggestions for new laws (bills) Checking to see how the government is spending public money and making sure that they keep to the promises they made in the election Monitoring the work of government departments Debating national issues Making sure that MPs represent the views of the people

24. What do you think? At the last election, only 37% of people aged 18 – 24 voted. Will you vote at the next election you are able to vote in?

25. The Big Issue… The Recession? Climate change? The Middle East? Something else?

26. Parliament’s Education Service