Politics in plain English A - I
We all know following politics is important, but it's not easy when no one bothers to explain what all the terms mean. TheSite unravels the mystery.
Often, the British political system can seem as though it's deliberately making things difficult for those outside it, with its own set of words and confusing rules and regulations. So to help we've put together a guide to some of the key facts and ideas.
Absentee ballot: If, for any reason, someone is unable to vote in person, they can apply for a postal vote. In the UK, no reason has to be given. Absentee ballots can be used by students away at university, people who happen to be abroad at the time of the election, and the housebound.
Backbencher: Members of Parliament (MPs) who don't have an official ministerial role in government. The term is taken from the seating arrangements in Parliament, as ministers sit on the front benches of their party's side.
Ballot: The card voters are given in polling stations listing all the party candidates standing in their constituency. In British general elections, voters must put a cross in the box of their choice, though this can differ in local elections where voters may be able to number candidates in order of preference.
Budget: The annual legal statement that sets out the Government's planned income (from taxes) and expenditure (on services, investments, benefits and so on) for the forthcoming year. Since 1998, it has been announced every spring. Since 1997, it has been preceded by the Pre-Budget Report.
By-election: If a political office becomes vacant between elections, a by-election is held to fill it. The reason is usually death or resignation. Serious criminal convictions and elections being ruled invalid in retrospect can also trigger by-elections.
Cabinet: A group comprising the Prime Minister and the most senior government ministers, including the Chancellor, the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary. Currently, it's composed of 22 ministers, although this number can change.
Candidate: Each party puts forward candidates for election in each constituency; only one emerges as the constituency's MP.
Constituency: A geographic area whose voters elect a candidate to represent them. The UK is currently divided into 650 constituencies to elect MPs to the House of Commons, and 12 constituencies to elect Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
Constitution: A set of rules setting out the powers and limitations of political bodies and governments. Normally this is a written document, but the British constitution is famously unwritten and instead comes from a variety of sources and traditions.
Devolution: The creation of parliaments or law-making bodies at lower levels than the central Westminster hub. The Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly are two examples.
Dissolution of Parliament: Effectively, the closing down of Parliament for a general election. By law, this must happen after a five-year term, though it can happen at any time. The formal process in the UK is for the Prime Minister to seek permission from the monarch. After Parliament has been dissolved, MPs cease being MPs until they are re-elected.
Electoral register: A list of everyone able to vote in a particular constituency. Your name must be on the electoral register to be able to vote. This can be done by either filling out the annual form sent to each household, or by registering yourself.
Exit poll: A poll of voters taken as they leave polling stations asking who they have voted for. They can be used as an early, unofficial indication of results, as a check against electoral fraud, and as a means of getting demographic information. In the UK, it's illegal to release exit poll results before polling stations have closed due to fears they could influence voters.
First-past-the-post: The name given to the current electoral system in UK general elections, whereby the candidate with the highest number of votes wins outright. It has the advantage of simplicity and results in a stronger one-party government. However, it's been criticised for being unrepresentative of minority parties.
General election: An election in which voters can vote on all - or most - seats in a nation's primary political body (as opposed to local elections or by-elections).
House of Commons: The 'lower house' of Parliament, consisting of 646 democratically elected MPs who introduce, debate, alter and either pass or reject laws. It's the more important and powerful of the two houses.
House of Lords: Usually referred to as just 'the Lords', it's the 'upper house' of Parliament. Its membership is a mixture of hereditary peers, who have inherited family titles; 'Lords Spiritual' (mostly Anglican bishops, though rabbis have also sat in the Lords); and life peers. The House of Lords has substantially less power than the House of Commons: it can debate law and policy, and has some powers to change or reject bills, but these are limited. The composition of the House of Lords is controversial, and reform is a hot topic due to its unelected nature.
Hung parliament: One where no party has an overall majority, or more than half of the MPs in the House of Commons. In these cases, the Government will need the support of other parties to pass any bills. There have been just a handful in the UK in recent history, and the situation can be resolved in a number of ways.
Read Politics in plain English J - Z
Written by Alex Macpherson, picture by Natalie Cullen.
