Government

Her Majesty's Government (or Executive) is the institution that runs the country, formulating policy and introducing legislation in Parliament. The most senior members of the Government are known as the Cabinet, and are chosen by the Prime Minister. Whilst members of the House of Commons make up the majority of the Cabinet, there are always a few members from the House of Lords.

The current Labour Party Government, led by Tony Blair, was voted in at the General Election on 5 May 2005. This is the Labour Party's third consecutive term; they were initially voted in on 1 May 1997, winning by a landslide victory and bringing the first change in UK Government for 18 years. On 10 May 2007, Tony Blair announced that he would stand down as Prime Minister, and on 27 June 2007, Gordon Brown, the long serving Chancellor of the Exchequer, took over the post.

In this section, we take a look at the workings of HM Government, from the Cabinet members to the role of each Whitehall department. We also have a guide to all the UK Prime Ministers, past and present; from 1721 to the present day.