2. 1 THE HOUSE OF COMMONS THE HOUSE OF LORDS THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM THE UNITED KINGDOM ACTIVITIES

3. 2 THE HOUSE OF COMMONS In the House of Commons there are 650 Members of Parliament (MPs). The people elect the Members of Parliament directly. New laws are introduced, discussed, and passed here. Then they go to The House of LordsThe House of Lords

4. 3 THE HOUSE OF LORDS There are more than 1,000 members in The House of Lords, but only 250 are active members. The people do not elect the members of The House of Lords. Some members are ‘hereditary peers’ and others are ‘life peers’.

5. 4 THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM You must be 18 years old to vote in the UK. There are local elections every four years. These elections decide which political party will administer the local government. The leader of this party becomes Prime Minister and he or she forms a Cabinet of about 16 Ministers. There are three main parties in the UK at the moment:the Labour Party,the Liberal and Social Democrat Party and the Conservative Party.

6. 5 THE UNITED KINGDOM The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Her Majesty (the King or Queen) must have the support of Parliament. H.M. signs all the laws passed in Parliament.

7. 6 Find the following information Complete the sentences Answer the questions