Politics Ledger · Europe
United Kingdom
Liberal democracyConstitutional monarchyUnitary with devolution
LightDark
In charge
Andy Burnham
Prime Minister
Time in power
0.3 yrs
since 2026
Government seats
61%
majority
Next national vote
2029-08
General (latest legal date)
Governance score
83/100
composite of five indices
Britain built representative government gradually, without a written constitution, through struggles between Crown and Parliament. It became the centre of a global empire, then a welfare state and EU member, and has since been reshaped by Brexit and the rise of insurgent parties.
Leadership
Who Governs United Kingdom
Head of state
Charles III
King
Since 8 September 2022 · 4.1 years
Age 78 (born 1948)ManRoute to power: hereditary
Head of government
Holds executive powerAndy Burnham
Prime Minister · Labour Party
Since 20 July 2026 · 0.3 years
Age 56 (born 1970)ManRoute to power: chosen by party
Ruling coalition
Labour majority government
Main opposition
Conservative Party (official opposition), with Reform UK leading many national polls
Last national election
4 July 2024
General
Labour won a landslide of 411 seats on 34% of the vote; the Conservatives fell to 121.
Next national election
By August 2029
General (latest legal date)
Burnham succeeded Keir Starmer after Starmer resigned in June 2026; he won the Labour leadership on 16 July.
Recent changes (last 12 months)
Parliament
House of Commons
Seat distribution (Approximate standing, October 2026), ordered from economic left to right.
| Party | Ideology | Seats | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (LAB) | Social democracy | 398 | governing |
| Conservative Party (CON) | Conservatism | 119 | opposition |
| Liberal Democrats (LD) | Liberalism | 72 | opposition |
| Independents and others (OTH) | Various | 24 | opposition |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | Scottish nationalism, Social democracy | 9 | opposition |
| Reform UK (REF) | Right-wing populism | 8 | opposition |
| Sinn Féin (abstentionist) (SF) | Irish republicanism | 7 | opposition |
| Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) | Unionism, Conservatism | 5 | opposition |
| Green Party (GRN) | Green politics | 4 | opposition |
| Plaid Cymru (PC) | Welsh nationalism | 4 | opposition |
Ideology
Party Landscape
Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.
Institutions
The System
- Official name
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Capital
- London
- Population
- 69 million
- Statehood
- Union of England and Scotland 1707; with Ireland 1801; current form 1922
- System
- Constitutional monarchy
- Structure
- Unitary with devolution
- Current constitution
- 1689
- Legislature
- Parliament
- Lower / sole chamber
- House of Commons (650 seats)
- Upper chamber
- House of Lords (appointed and hereditary)
- Electoral system
- First-past-the-post in 650 single-member constituencies.
- Term limits
- None for the prime minister; Parliament lasts at most five years.
Sources
- UK Parliament, State of the parties
- Electoral Commission
- EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)
Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.
Data as of 2026-10-29.