How Much Do You Know About the British Government?

A shadow minister is part of the shadow cabinet, a team of spokespeople chosen by the opposition party to mirror the cabinet ministers in government and present alternatives to their policies. The term first appeared in the press in the 1910s and became common by the 1960s as parties became able to present themselves to voters on television.

The House of Lords is the upper house of Parliament, and its role is largely ceremonial. Its members are called “peers,” and they include lords spiritual — which include the archbishops of Canterbury and York, and 24 other bishops — as well as 92 hereditary peers who get their titles by birth, and life peers who get their titles from the monarch. At one time there were also law lords, but they were replaced by the Supreme Court in 2009.

A general election has to be held when Parliament is dissolved. That can be done by the monarch, but in practice, it is only ever done on the advice of the prime minister. The elections have to happen at least every five years, but they can be more frequent. A 2011 law gave the power to call an early election to Parliament, but a 2022 law gave it back to the prime minister.

The Exchequer is an ancient institution, dating back to the reign of Henry I (1100 to 1135). It was named for the checkered cloth that was used to help count the sums owed to the crown. The chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for the treasury and is a senior cabinet member. By tradition, they pose with a battered, red briefcase before presenting the budget to Parliament.

When Robert Walpole held the office from 1721 to 1742, the term “prime minister” did not exist. While he held the same responsibilities as a prime minister and scholars consider him the first prime minister, Walpole’s title was technically “the first lord of the treasury.” The influential parliamentarian also became known as the “screen-master general” for his ability to manipulate all political strings. Serving for 21 years — longer than any other British prime minister — Walpole was influential in creating the practical position that is now known as prime minister.

The last reigning monarch to enter the House of Commons — the elected home of Parliament — was Charles I in 1642. He brought troops with him to arrest five members of Parliament for disobeying him, an action that led to the English Civil War. Since then, a reigning monarch cannot enter the House of Commons unless they are invited, which has yet to happen.

The Conservative Party was officially formed in 1832 as a successor to the Tory Party, which took shape in the 1670s. Today, its supporters are still referred to as “Tories.” It is the rival of the Labour Party, which formed in 1906 and became officially socialist in 1918. The third-largest party is the Liberal Democrats. Founded in 1988, the party advocates libertarian center-left policies.

Born in 849, Alfred the Great inherited the throne of Wessex in 871. During his reign, he fought off an invasion of Britain by Danish Vikings and united the Anglo-Saxons around the common enemy. Alfred also enacted a uniform law code and encouraged the flourishing of historical records and Latin literacy.

Historically, the prime minister was chosen and dismissed by the monarch. Today, the prime minister is the leader of the party that wins the most seats in Parliament. Parties can set their own rules for leadership elections to choose who will head them. In 2022, the prime minister was chosen by 160,000 dues-paying members — less than .3% of the U.K. population.

England and Scotland were unofficially united in 1603 when King James VI of Scotland also became James I of England. But in the early 1700s, tensions between the two lands grew high amid legislative conflicts. In 1707, Queen Anne appointed commissioners to negotiate the Act of Union, a treaty to legalize their union under the name Great Britain.

Born in 1874, Winston Churchill held many positions in the British government, but he is best known for his time as prime minister. He assumed this role in 1940, when he led the U.K. as part of the Allied powers, withstanding Nazi bombing and defeating the Axis powers in World War II. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed a resolution that made him the first honorary citizen in U.S. history.

The phrase “magna carta” means “great charter” in Latin. In the 1210s, King John took money from barons to fight a losing war in France. In 1215, the angered barons rebelled against him. John was forced to sign the charter, which guaranteed justice and the process of law. The movement to limit the king’s power eventually led to the formation of Parliament.

The Church of England is the original church of the Anglican Communion, which also includes Episcopalianism. It split off from Roman Catholicism in 1534, when Pope Clement VII declined to annul the marriage of King Henry VIII. The monarch must legally be Protestant and is the head of the church, carrying the title of defender of the faith. The Book of Common Prayer of 1662 is used in the liturgy.

Former research chemist Margaret Thatcher first won a seat in Parliament in 1959. Twenty years later, she became prime minister, making her the first woman to hold that position. Thatcher kept the position through the 1980s, overseeing a war in the Falkland Islands and a conservative economic policy that became known as “Thatcherism.” She also had a strong anti-communism stance, which earned her the nickname “the Iron Lady.” She lost party leadership in 1990 but remained an MP until 1992.

While the front of 10 Downing St. in London looks like a modest terraced house, it actually has more than 100 rooms. In 1682, government official George Downing had a series of houses designed by Christopher Wren, and in the 1730s, King George II declared it the residence of the prime minister.