Inside Government and Parliament: How do they work?

Inside Government and Parliament: An introduction to how they work. People often confuse Parliament and government. Both have important powers, but each is responsible for different areas of our democracy. Government: running the country The government is in charge of managing the country and deciding how our taxes are spent. Different government departments run different things. For example, there is a department in charge of health and another in charge of transport. Led by the Prime Minister, the UK government is formed by the political party (or coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister selects a team of MPs and members of the House of Lords to help run the country. He or she doesn't select every member of the Commons or Lords to join the government. All the other MPs and members of the House of Lords carry out the work of Parliament. Parliament: lawmaking ... and more Parliament doesn't get into the business of running the country, but it is responsible for approving and changing the country's laws. Most new laws presented to Parliament are suggested by the government. To pass a new law both the House of Commons and the House of Lords must agree it is a good idea. Members of Parliament are also responsible for keeping an eye on the work of the government, to make sure it's doing a good job. For example, members of both the Commons and the Lords will look at how the government is spending the money it receives from people when they pay tax.