MPs and Lords

MPs and Lords work in and outside of Parliament - this section explains their different roles and responsibilities to the public.

What MPs do
The UK public elects Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent their interests and concerns in the House of Commons.

How MPs are elected
During an election everyone eligible to cast a vote in a constituency (constituents) selects one candidate to be their MP.

Who can stand as an MP?
People wishing to stand as an MP must be over 18 years of age, and a British citizen, or citizen of a Commonwealth country or the Republic of Ireland.

Contacting your MP
MPs have public contact details so their constituents can get in touch.

When to contact your MP
Everyone has the right to contact their local MP to discuss issues affecting them.

What your MP can do for you
MPs can assist their constituents in a variety of ways, from making private enquiries on your behalf, to raising matters publicly in the House of Commons.

Pay and allowances for MPs
Find out the current annual salary for an MP and the additional allowances they are entitled to.

Raising matters in the House
By raising an issue in the House of Commons, MPs can bring it to the attention of the press and public.

What Lords do
The Lords work in Parliament's second chamber - the House of Lords - and complement and operate alongside the business of the House of Commons.

Different types of Lords
The Lords currently has around 740 Members, and there are three different types: life Peers, bishops and elected hereditary Peers.

How do you become a Member of the House of Lords?
There are now a number of routes by which Members can join the House of Lords.

Contacting a Lord
The public are welcome to contact Members of the House of Lords.

Members of the Lords: allowances
Members of the Lords are not paid salaries but may claim allowances based on attendance.

Political Parties in Parliament
The UK has many political parties, the main three being Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat. These three work in both Houses.

The party system
Nearly all MPs represent political parties. Members of the Lords are also organised on a party basis; however, Members of the Lords do not represent constituencies and many are not members of a political party.

Standards
MPs and Members of the House of Lords are expected to adhere to high standards in their public life.

All-Party Groups
All-Party Groups (APGs) are informal cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament. They are essentially run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords.