The House of Commons

The House of Commons has 651 members — 524 from England, 38 from Wales, 72 from Scotland, and 17 from Northern Ireland. The prime minister and most Cabinet ministers are members of the Commons. Each member represents a voting district called a constituency. Members are not required to live in the constituency they represent. Clergy of the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Church of Ireland, and the Roman Catholic Church cannot be elected to the Commons.

Members of the nobility — except peers of Ireland — and certain government officials also are ineligible. Members of the House of Commons receive an annual salary. They also get travel and administrative expenses. Members of the Commons are chosen in a general election, in which all voters may participate. If a member dies or resigns, the constituency chooses a new representative in a by-election.

Members of the House of Commons are elected to a maximum term of five years, after which Parliament must be dissolved and another election held. However, an election may be called at any time, and most Parliaments

sit (are in session) for less than five years. The prime minister may call for a new election if Parliament refuses to support the policies of the Cabinet.

The prime minister also may call for a vote if he or she believes the political climate of the country favors another victory by his or her party.

The House of Commons sits for about 160 days annually from November to October. Most sessions last from mid-afternoon to evening, though some sessions continue through the night. The Commons meets in a long room with rows of benches running along two sides. The Speaker of the House of Commons sits at one end of the chamber.

The members of the House of Commons take their seats on the green leather benches according to their party and position. From this we get the terms 'frontbencher, 'backbenches' and 'crossbenches'. The two sides, the Government and the Opposition, sit facing one another. If, for example, you sit in the Public gallery of the House of Commons, you would see the Government sitting to the left of the table.

The leaders of the Government and the Opposition are known as the frontbench because they sit on the benches nearest the center of the chamber. Other members sit behind them and are known as the backbench. The Government and the Opposition debate most proposed legislation. Other discussion between the two

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sides takes place at the question periods at the opening of the order of business. Members of the Opposition question the prime minister and other members of the Government about their policies.

The Opposition parties would be seated to the right. Government ministers sit on the frontbench on the Government side of the Chamber. They are therefore known as Government frontbenches. Those MPs who belong to the same party as the Government but who do not hold a Government post are known as Government backbenches. The Official Opposition is divided in the same way.

The Opposition consists of all those parties, which, as a result of the last general election are not part of the Government. It is made up of the official opposition, the largest opposition party, and a number of smaller parties.

The Labour Party has the largest number of MPs in the House of Commons, having won the most seats in the general election of 1997. The party winning most seats in a general election will form a government and the party leader becomes Prime Minister.

The Speaker presides over the sessions, grants members the right to speak, and keeps order during debates. Members of the prime minister's party, representing the Government, sit on the benches to the Speaker's right. Members of other political parties supporting the Government also sit on that side of the room. Members of the second largest party, called the Opposition, and their supporters sit to the left of the Speaker.

As the Conservatives won the general elections of 1979,1983 and 1992, we had a Conservative Government for eighteen years with the party leader, firstly Mrs. Thatcher, and from November 1990 Mr. Major, as Prime Minister. There were Labour Governments from 1964-1970,1974-1979 and since their election victory in 1997, 2001, 2005 Mr. Blair has chosen a team of ministers to help him, drawn from members of his own party in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Together they make up the Government.

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