Structure of parliament

• Explain what Parliamentary Sovereignty means. 

It is the most important part of the UK constitution and it makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, because they can create or end any law.

• What is the role of the House of Commons in British politics?

The most important role of the House of Commons is to represent the people of the UK. The members are direktly elected by the people of the country, and on a day-to-day basis the House of Commons is largely bill making.

They will debate the bills which pass through, and they either pass them or send them back. If a bill reach a second reading it has a much better chance of becoming a law.

• What is the role of the House of Lords?

If the House of Commons wants to make law, they have to get the green light from the House of Lords. This is their most important historically role. They has also a function in which they sits as the highest appeal court in the country.

• What role does the Queen have in parliamentary affairs?

The time has reduced the power of the monarchy, but the queen still plays a role in the institution of Parliament.
After a general election, she invites the «winner» to become the prime minister and to form the government.
She is also the one who opens Parliament, to mark the beginning of the Parliamentary Year. When a new government is set, she held a speech to inform the people in the country what the government are supposed to work with in their period. The speech is written by the government, but is preformed by the queen. She also approves bills together with the House of Commons and the House of Lords to make it a law.