What is the UK Parliament?
The UK Parliament meets in Westminster, London. It has two parts:
- The House of Commons - made up of Members of Parliament (MPs)
- The House of Lords - made up of Lords (also known as peers)
Watch this video explaining the two parts of the UK Parliament: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The UK Parliament
What is the House of Commons?
Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected every five years at a general election.
For the purposes of the general election, the country is divided into 650 constituencies or areas. Each constituency elects one MP to Parliament. The last general election was in 2019.
At the 2024 general election, Scotland returned 57 MPs:
- 37 Labour
- 9 SNP
- 6 Scottish Liberal Democrats
- 5 Conservative
How governments are held to account
Watch this video explaining how MPs and MSPs represent their constituents and how our governments are held to account.
Find out more about holding our governments to account.
What is the role of MPs in the UK Parliament?
One role of MPs in the UK Parliament is to represent their constituents in areas where the UK Parliament takes decisions eg immigration or defence. MPs either debate or ask questions in the House of Commons or they work in smaller groups known as committees.
Other important roles of MPs in Parliament are to help make laws and to scrutinise (check-up on) the work of the government or investigate issues. The most senior MPs in the governing party (or parties, if there is a coalition) form the Cabinet, of which the Prime Minister is the leader.