The UK Government
The prime minister
The prime minister is the head of the government, while the sovereign (the king or queen) is the head of state. The prime minister has weekly meetings with the sovereign where they discuss government matters.
Since 1901, it has been the rule that the prime minister is also a member of the House of Commons. They must meet regularly in Parliament to answer questions about the way the government runs the country. The Parliament may also remove the government by passing a vote of no confidence with two-thirds majority.
The prime minister is the leader of a political party, and they must retain the support of the party members in order to remain prime minister. If someone steps down as leader of the party, or is asked to step down, they also step down as prime minister.
The cabinet
The cabinet is the senior decision-making body in the UK government. It is made up of the prime minister and the cabinet ministers. They are all appointed by the prime minister, and each minister is given a department to lead. The chancellor of the exchequer, the foreign secretary, and the home secretary are considered the most important ministers apart from the prime minister. Another important office is that of the lord chancellor, who is appointed as advisor to the prime minister by the sovereign. There are usually between 20 and 22 cabinet ministers.
What are the ministers called in Norwegian?
| English | Nynorsk | Bokmål | |
|---|---|---|---|
| home secretary | innanriksminister | innenriksminister | |
| chancellor of the exchequer | finansminister | finansminister | |
| the foreign secretary | utanriksminister | utenriksminister | |
| the lord chancellor | lordkanslar | lordkansler |
What does the government do?
The government sets taxes, makes the country's budget, and presents the budget to Parliament for approval. The government decides how best to provide important services such as:
the National Health Service
the police and armed forces
welfare benefits such as state pensions
the UK's energy supply
Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have their own governments that have been given power over many different areas of government. But only the UK government can speak on behalf of the UK when it comes to foreign affairs, and only the UK government can make international trade deals.
What do you remember?
Work with two or more partners and answer the questions below.
Is the prime minister the head of state?
Does the prime minister have to be an MP?
Is the prime minister elected directly by the people, in the same way as the president of the United States?
What is the cabinet?
Can the Parliament remove the government?
What does the government do?
Learn more about the UK government:
The gov.uk website is the official website of the UK government. Here you will find information about ministers, departments, and also about the work they do.