How laws are made

Your journey to becoming a how-laws-are-made-politico whiz starts here.

-- Harold Lasswell

Where do laws come from? How are they passed, amended or even defeated? This is a guide to how Parliament and government create and shape UK laws.

The process: How (most) laws are made

An overview - from origin to Act - of the process of making UK laws.

A comprehensive guide to decisionmakers, influences and documents in the UK's legislative process.

Who's in government?

At the centre of government is the prime minister and the cabinet. Cabinet ministers lead departments such as education and defence, with help from junior ministers. It is convention that members of the government are drawn from the ranks of MPs and peers.
Who's in Parliament?

MPs and peers (and the Queen). While MPs are elected to the House of Commons, members of the House of Lords - also called peers - are appointed by the prime minister. The monarch is represented as well. The Palace of Westminster is home to the Houses of Parliament.