Parliament of the United Kingdom

Lore & Background

The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Treaty of Union by Acts of Union passed by the Parliament of England (established 1215) and the Parliament of Scotland (c. 1235). At the start of the 19th century, it was further enlarged by Acts of Union with Ireland, creating the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 formally amended the name to its current form after the secession of the Irish Free State. Parliament has met at the Palace of Westminster continuously, except after the 1834 fire and 1941 bombing during the Blitz, which destroyed large parts of the chambers; during reconstruction, the Lords and Commons used alternative chambers.

Reader's Guide

The Parliament of the United Kingdom holds legislative supremacy, meaning ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and Overseas Territories. It is composed of three parts: the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons, acting together as the King-in-Parliament. The House of Commons is the elected lower chamber, with 650 MPs elected from single-member constituencies under first-past-the-post. The House of Lords is the upper chamber, consisting of life peers appointed by the sovereign on the advice of the prime minister and up to 26 bishops of the Church of England. Since 1999, varying degrees of powers have been devolved to the national parliaments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, with Scotland being the most powerful among them. The central UK Parliament retains power over reserved matters such as broadcasting, defence, and currency. The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 restricted the Lords' powers, preventing them from blocking money bills and limiting their ability to delay other bills, though the Lords retain an unrestricted veto over any bill attempting to extend the life of a parliament.

Did You Know?

• The House of Lords performed judicial functions through law lords until the establishment of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009.
• The Reform Act 1832 began the progressive regularization of the House of Commons electoral system, which had included rotten boroughs like Old Sarum with only seven voters.
• The Chartist movement presented the People's Charter to Parliament in 1838, 1842, and 1848, demanding universal male suffrage, secret ballots, and other reforms.
• The Parliament Act 1911 was passed after the House of Lords rejected the People's Budget, and the threat of creating several hundred Liberal peers forced the Lords to pass the bill.