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Most people will have seen the House of Commons on Television. Many will recognise the Prime Minister and other well-known political figures debating and sometimes forcefully arguing over any number of issues. There are 659 MPs in the House of Commons. This section seeks to provide an outline of how our system of government works and how MPs are elected.

It will hopefully guide the reader to answer a number of questions such as:-

• How did the MPs get there?
  
• What are they doing?
  
• Why are they doing what theyre doing?
  
• How does the system work?
  
• Do all countries have the same system?

What is the role of political parties in the system and how do ordinary people choose their Member of Parliament and the government of this country?

In the UK there are 659 areas known as constituencies. I represent the constituency of Barrow and Furness. This includes the towns of Barrow, Dalton and Ulverston and surrounding villages. Residents in the area of Barrow and Furness over the age of 18 have the right to vote in Parliamentary and local elections. These are known as the electorate or electors or voters. In most constituencies there are about 68.000 to 70,000 people entitled to vote in a Parliamentary or General election.

The political party that has the largest number of Members elected to the House of Commons forms the Government.

Once having taken office a Government does not have to call another election for five years from the date of that General election, although they can call another election earlier. Most government will stay in office for four or five years before calling a General Election.

Once the date of a General election is called political parties or indeed individuals can nominate people who become candidates to stand at the General Election. If someone is standing on behalf of a political party they must first be selected by that party as their candidate.

The ballot paper (or voting slip) on which people will mark their votes will indicate for which party a person has been nominated. In my case I was selected by the Labour Party and so on the ballot paper it will have John Hutton on behalf of The Labour Party.

Candidates seek the votes of the electors. They will use leaflets to outline what they think should be done on issues such as taxation, the health service, law and order and many other matters. They may also use newspaper advertisements or the political parties can use Party Political Broadcasts on television. These are just some of the means through which those seeking to be elected try to get the message across to voters about what they stand for and what they would do were they to be elected to office.

All votes cast on voting day are counted at a central location within each constituency. In the case of Barrow and Furness the ballot boxes are returned to Barrow Town Hall where the count takes place. These can take many hours and it is not until the early hours of the following morning that the results are announced.

As mentioned earlier, the Party with the largest number of Members elected then forms the Government. The leader of the winning party is invited to Buckingham Palace by the Queen and invited to form a government. The leader of the party with the second largest number of Members elected represents the Opposition within the House of Commons.

Newly elected Members and those being elected for a further term then sit in the House of Commons as Members of Parliament. The House of Commons is the place where laws and regulations are made on behalf of the people of this country.

When you see the House of Commons on the television you will notice the Speaker (the person who calls people to contribute to debates) sits in the Centre of the Chamber of the House of Commons. As you look at the Speaker, the Government Members are on the left with the opposition Members on the right.

Not all countries have a system where the people elect their government. Our democracy is very precious to us and it is worth recalling that people have sacrificed their lives to ensure we have the right to elect our government and, if we should so choose, remove a government from office.

There are many facts sheets on the history of the House of Commons and The House of Lords. I recommend the Parliamentary website for anyone who is interested in learning more about how the system works and the long history of our Parliamentary democracy. For me personally sitting as the Member of Parliament representing Barrow and Furness is the most tremendous honour and I am very privileged to have been given that opportunity.