England's politics are the bulk of the wider politics of the United Kingdom. Given that England has a larger population than all of the other constituent countries in the United Kingdom combined. In 1066, William of Normandy brought the concepts which would one day morph into the parliamentary system. He secured the advice of what was essentially a council of his tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before he made any laws. In 1215, King John of England agreed to the Magna Carta, which gave the people freedoms and protections which were to be implemented through a council of 25 barons. The first elected Parliament was convened in 1265, and the so-called "Model Parliament" was adopted in 1295. And by 1284, the beginning of King Edward II, Parliament had been broken in to two houses.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of the government of the UK. He or she is ex officio the First Lord of the Treasury as well as the Minister for the Civil Service, chairs Cabinet meetings, and acts as the public face as well as the voice of the Monarch's government at home as well as abroad.The office of the Prime Minister was not established by the constitution or by statute. Instead, it is a long-established tradition which dictates that he Monarch appoints the Prime Minister, and that he or she must be the person who is most likely to garner the confidence of the House of Commons. Typically, this is the leader of a political party or a coalition of various parties. Along with the Cabinet members, the Prime Minister are collectively accountable to the Monarch, to Parliament, to their parties, and finally to the electorate for both their actions and policies. The Prime Minister lives in the residence at 10 Downing Street during the term in office.
The Parliament of the United Kingdom, which is also called either the UK Parliament or British Parliament, is situated at Westminster in London. It is the highest legislature of the United Kingdom, overseas territories, and Crown dependencies and as such, it has power over all other political bodies in the United Kingdom and the territories. The head of Parliament is the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, meaning the reigning British monarch. So, at this time, Queen Elizabeth II is the Sovereign of the UK. Its seat is in the Palace of Westminster in London.
Parliament is bicameral, meaning there are two houses which make up the body. The first is the upper house, called the House of Lords. The House of Lords has two different kinds of members: the Lords Spiritual, which consists of the Church of England's most senior bishops, and the Lords Temporal, which is made up of life peers, members of the peerage who, rather than inheriting their titles, are appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. The second kind of Lords Temporal are 92 hereditary peers who either hold royal office or are elected by their fellow hereditary peers. Until the establishment of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the House of Lords performed many of the judicial tasks which are now covered by the Supreme Court. Although these functions were technically borne by the Queen-in-Parliament and delegated to the lords who were legally qualified. Among these tasks were impeachment cases, being the court of first instance for trials of peers, and functioning as the court of last resort in the United Kingdom.
The second house is the lower house, called the House of Commons. This house is made up of 650 elected members. Elections for seats in the House of Commons are held at least every five years. The Parliament is dissolved 25 business days before election day. (Until 2015, the length of time prior to election day was 17 days.) Once Parliament is dissolved, members cease to be members, and once the Prime Minister announces the dissolution, now-former members of Parliament may not enter the Palace of Westminster.
Recommended Resources
The Arts Council of England is a British government agency that provides funding and support to writers and other artists. You can find out how to apply for funding here. The website also has publications that explain how arts funding helps British society.
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk
The Charity Commission is established by law as the regulator and registrar for charities in England and Wales. On this site, you can find a charity, access contact forms, or complain about a charity. Additionally, if it is your charity, you can update details about it.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
DEFRA is an agency of the British government that supports sustainable living in the UK. Provides information on regulations regarding farming, plants and other aspects of rural life. Also includes information on Foot and Mouth disease.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
Provides information on efforts to preserve the natural heritage of England and all its biodiversity. Farmers, researchers, local authorities and others can find information for their needs from this website. The site also provides details on how to volunteer with Natural England.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
The official website of the Green Party allows people to sign petitions, join the party, and donate to causes espoused by the party, including environmental concerns, Brexit, and freedom of movement. There is a page which lays out the party's mission, which is "to end the system that keeps hurting the environment and all of us who rely on it," and a section which contains the Green Party in the news.
https://campaigns.greenparty.org.uk
The Liberal Party's official website prominently displays the slogan "Real Liberals (not the LibDems) Fighting for Liberalism" explains their mission and why it is needed. There is a section about campaigns they have fought and still do fight, and information about some of the members. Further, it allows those who are interested to join, donate, join the forum, and/or subscribe to the party's newsletter.
http://liberal.org.uk
