‘Parliament’ is the collective name given to the three bodies who together make all the laws for the United Kingdom:

• The House of Commons is the most important ‘chamber’, composed of 646 MPs (Members of Parliament) from all over the country.  Martin Horwood MP is Cheltenham’s voice in Parliament.  Our MPs are elected by popular vote in a General Election which has to happen at least every five years.  The largest political party in the Commons forms the government of the country (led by the Prime Minister, currently Labour’s Gordon Brown)

• The House of Lords, appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister includes many party political representatives, eminent experts and still includes some hereditary peers and bishops.  Plans for reforming the House of Lords have been under discussion for about 100 years.

• The Queen still has to give her Royal Assent to all acts of Parliament, although this is now a purely ceremonial role.

On this part of the website you can find out more about what’s on in Parliament, how Parliament works, how our laws are made and when Parliament operates.  There’s even a section on the sensitive subject of MPs’ expenses.