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Glossary Helpful A-Z glossary listing key parliamentary terms and their definition.
House of CommonsThe UK public elects 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent their interests and concerns in the House of Commons. MPs consider and propose new laws, and can scrutinise government policies by asking ministers questions about current issues either in the Commons Chamber or in Committees.House of LordsThe House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. It is independent from, and complements the work of, the elected House of Commons. The Lords shares the task of making and shaping laws and checking and challenging the work of the government.
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is an MP and head of the government. The leader of the party elected to govern the country in a general election automatically becomes Prime Minister (unless a coalition government is formed). The current Prime Minister is David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party.
The Prime Minister chooses the other members of the government.
The Prime Minister used to be able to set the date for the next General Election. Since the passing of the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 this is no longer the case.
The Prime Minister answers questions every Wednesday in the House of Commons from midday to 12.30pm. Questions can come from any MP and on any subject.
Prime Minister David Cameron's biography
The Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader
David Cameron became Prime Minister after the General Election in May 2010. He leads a Conservative / Liberal Democrat Coalition Government inspired by the values of freedom, fairness and responsibility.
Prior to becoming Prime Minister, David Cameron was elected Leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005 on a mandate to change and modernise his Party. During his time as Leader of the Opposition he promoted social justice and social action; advanced the green agenda; set protecting the NHS as a top priority; and was proud to see a significant increase in the number of women and ethnic minority candidates standing for the Conservative Party.
As a Member of Parliament, David Cameron held a number of positions on the Opposition Front Bench prior to becoming Party Leader. After the 2005 General Election, he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills. He had previously held the positions of Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (2003), Front Bench Spokesman for Local Government Finance (2004), and Head of Policy Co-ordination in the run-up to the General Election of May 2005. He was also a member of the influential House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee between 2001 and 2003.
Before he became an MP, David Cameron worked in business and government. He was educated at Eton College and Oxford University, studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics and gaining a first class honours degree. After graduating he worked for the Conservative Party Research Department and then as a Special Adviser in government, first to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and then to the Home Secretary. Afterwards, he spent seven years at Carlton Communications, one of the UK’s leading media companies, and served on the management board.
David, his wife Samantha, and their three young children, Nancy, Elwen, and Florence, live in London and West Oxfordshire, where he has been MP for Witney since 2001. Very sadly their much loved eldest child, Ivan, six, who suffered from cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy, died in February 2009.
Deputy Prime Minister's Biography
Business, Innovation and Skills
Communities and Local Government
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Work and Pensions
