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Parliament of the United Kingdom

Governs United Kingdom

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Source: members-api.parliament.uk, checked

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House of Commons

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House of Lords

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What it can do

  • Make and repeal any law

    Parliament is sovereign: an Act of Parliament can make or unmake any law (constitutional convention; Bill of Rights 1689 art 9, Acts of Union 1707). Since 2022, devolved legislatures may legislate on devolved matters (Scotland Act 1998, Government of Wales Act 2006, Northern Ireland Act 1998).

  • Authorise taxation and public spending

    No taxation without consent of Parliament (Bill of Rights 1689 art 4); the Commons has financial primacy (Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949).

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Sources

  • members-api.parliament.uk · checked UK Parliament Members API, Members/Search House=1 and House=2 IsCurrentMember=true, read 2026-10-12: current MPs and Lords with constituency, party, membership start date. MPs whose membership began before 2024-07-04 get the 2024 general election date as the start of this term. Disqualified peers (2) excluded; peers on leave of absence or suspended are kept and marked in the term note. For: Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of Parliament, Lord Spiritual
  • legislation.gov.uk · checked legislation.gov.uk Acts cited in each power description, from general knowledge of the statutes, not re-read 2026-10-12. For: Make and repeal any law, Authorise taxation and public spending
  • members-api.parliament.uk · checked UK Parliament Members API (Speaker party flag; Lord Speaker party flag), read 2026-10-12: Sir Lindsay Hoyle as Speaker (start 2024-07-09 = first sitting of the Parliament, per Wikipedia Next UK general election); Lord Forsyth of Drumlean as Lord Speaker, start date not verified. For: Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Speaker
  • en.wikipedia.org · checked Wikipedia, House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026, read 2026-10-12: Royal Assent 18 March 2026, hereditary peers removed 29 April 2026. Fallback: legislation.gov.uk not read; cross-checked against the Members API, which lists no hereditary peers. For: Life Peer
  • en.wikipedia.org · checked Wikipedia, Next United Kingdom general election, read 2026-10-12: latest polling day 15 August 2029 under the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022; no early election called. Fallback because no official page states the computed date. For: General election, August 15, 2029

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