How a country actually runs

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The king is head of state, but the role is largely ceremonial. Real legislative power sits in Parliament.

Charles III. Since September 2022, when his mother Queen Elizabeth II died.

Two chambers. The House of Commons has six hundred and fifty Members of Parliament, MPs, each representing a constituency. The House of Lords is unelected, life peers, hereditary peers, senior bishops of the Church of England.

The leader of the party with most MPs in the Commons. The PM lives at 10 Downing Street, chooses the Cabinet, runs the government. The leader of the largest opposition party is the Leader of the Opposition.

Three more places that govern parts of the UK.

Yes. Since the late 1990s, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own bodies for many local matters.

Foreign affairs. Defence. Immigration. Most taxation. These are 'reserved matters', only Westminster handles them.

General elections must happen at least every five years. The country is divided into 650 constituencies, one MP each. The candidate with the most votes wins. That system is called 'first past the post'.

You must be on the electoral register, eighteen or over, a British citizen, or an Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen, and resident in the UK.

Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, Northern Ireland Assembly, the London Assembly, local councils. They use various systems. The test mostly cares about the general election system.

Everyone in the UK is equal under the law. The police are independent of government. Their job is to keep order, prevent and detect crime, and bring offenders to justice.

Civil law is disputes between individuals or organisations, divorce, housing, contracts. Criminal law is when the state prosecutes for actions it has decided are crimes. The most serious criminal cases are tried by jury in the Crown Court, High Court in Scotland. Less serious cases go to magistrates.

Adults aged 18 or over may be called to serve. It is a civic duty. You decide whether someone is guilty or not guilty in serious criminal cases.

Drive at 17, with a valid licence and insurance. Wear a seatbelt. Buy alcohol or vote at 18. Do not carry a weapon. Do not use illegal drugs. Do not drive over the alcohol limit.

Last thing. Living here is more than obeying the law. Vote. Volunteer. Help your local school's PTA. Support a charity. Look after your neighbours. The fifth value, participation, is the one most people forget after the test, and it is the one that actually keeps the country together.

Right. Now go home, write out the five values from memory, then practise on PathCert. Come back Wednesday and I will quiz you on history.