 "UK elections 2024: Here’s what the political structure of Britain looks like")
Within hours, the United Kingdom is set to get a new government and it is most likely to be of the Labour party as predicted by most exit polls. Soon after the voting ends at 10 pm (local time) on Thursday, the ballots will be counted and the fate of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party and incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak-led Conservative party will be unravelled.
As the UK votes for the new government, here is a look at what the political structure of the country looks like.
How the UK government works?
In the UK, the government is led by the Prime Minister who gets support of the Cabinet and ministers.
Who runs government in the UK?
The UK is a parliamentary democracy where the elected British Government, headed by the Prime Minister, holds executive power.
Being the leader of the government, the UK Prime Minister is responsible for all policy and decisions.
The Prime Minister also oversees the operation of the Civil Service and government agencies. He/she also appoints members of the government and is the principal government figure in the House of Commons.
The UK Cabinet
The UK Cabinet is made up of the senior members of government who, every week during Parliament, meet to discuss the most important issues of the government.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMinisters in the UK government
In total, the UK government has 126 ministers, including the Prime Minister.
The ministers in the UK government is chosen by the Prime Minister from the members of the House of Commons and House of Lords.
The House of Commons, which is the lower chamber – is made up of 650 elected regional Members of Parliament. The upper chamber is the House of Lords which is made up of a mixture of appointed and hereditary peers.
Unlike with elected MPs, the number of members in the House of Lords is not fixed.
These appointed ministers are responsible for the actions, successes and failure of their departments.
Prime Minister - 1
Cabinet ministers - 23
Other ministers - 102
What does the King in the UK do?
The UK is a constitutional monarchy, which means that a monarch acts as Head of State.
The British government has central power, however, a certain amount of political power has been devolved to the regional governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The UK runs a first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system with elections every five years.
Main political parties in the UK
Currently, there are 11 political parties with seats in the House of Commons.
About the UK Parliament
The UK parliament is separate from government made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The role of the UK parliament includes looking at what the government is doing, debating on issues and passing new laws. They also set taxes.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
