The UK Government

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 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.

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.