Chapter 5: The UK Government, the Law and Your Role

The Government: PM, Cabinet, Opposition, Parties and Civil Service

آخری جانچ: 15 July 2026

• 1The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party in power.
• 2The PM appoints the members of the cabinet and controls many important public appointments.
• 3The PM's official residence is 10 Downing Street, in central London near the Houses of Parliament; the PM also has a country house called Chequers.
• 4A PM can be changed if their party decides on a new leader or if they lose a general election; PMs usually resign when their party loses an election.
• 5The cabinet is a committee of about 20 senior MPs (ministers) chosen by the PM to be responsible for major areas of government; it usually meets weekly and makes big decisions, many of which must then be debated or approved by Parliament.
• 6Key cabinet posts: Chancellor of the Exchequer — responsible for the economy; Home Secretary — crime, policing and immigration; Foreign Secretary — managing relationships with foreign countries; other ministers ("Secretaries of State") head departments such as education, health and defence; the Lord Chancellor is responsible for legal affairs.
• 7The second-largest party in the House of Commons is the official Opposition.
• 8The Leader of the Opposition leads their party's challenge to the government, points out its failures and weaknesses, and hopes to become PM after the next election.
• 9At Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), held every week while Parliament is sitting, the Leader of the Opposition and other MPs question the PM.
• 10The Leader of the Opposition appoints senior opposition MPs as a "shadow cabinet" — spokespeople who shadow cabinet ministers' policy areas.
• 11Anyone over 18 can stand for election as an MP, but candidates realistically need a major party's nomination; major parties have local branches (constituency associations) that select candidates and campaign.
• 12Pressure and lobby groups try to influence government policy — examples: the CBI (Confederation of British Industry, representing business) and Greenpeace or Liberty (campaigning organisations).
• 13Some MPs stand as independents, not representing any party — they usually campaign on local issues.
• 14Civil servants support the government in developing and implementing policies and delivering public services.
• 15Civil servants are accountable to ministers, chosen on merit, and politically neutral — they are professionals who keep their jobs when governments change, and they must follow a code of conduct.
• 16The media and government: the free press means newspapers may run their own opinions (they are not controlled by the state), but by law TV and radio coverage of political parties must be balanced, with equal time for rival viewpoints.