House of Commons of the United Kingdom facts for kids

Quick facts for kids House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
58th UK Parliament
Flag of the House of Commons
Type
Type	Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Leadership
Speaker	Lindsay Hoyle Since 4 November 2019
Chairman of Ways and Means	Eleanor Laing, Conservative Since 8 January 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson, Conservative Since 24 July 2019
Leader of the House	Mark Spencer, Conservative Since 8 February 2022
Government Chief Whip	Chris Heaton-Harris, Conservative Since 8 February 2022
Leader of the Opposition	Keir Starmer, Labour Since 4 April 2020
Shadow Leader of the House	Thangam Debbonaire, Labour Since 9 May 2021
Structure
Seats	650
Political groups	HM Government (358)      Conservative Party (358) HM Most Loyal Opposition (199)      Labour Party (199)      Labour and Co-operative (25) Other opposition (84)      Scottish National Party (45)      Liberal Democrats (13)      Democratic Unionist Party (8)      Plaid Cymru (3)      Social Democratic and Labour Party (2)      Alba Party (2)      Alliance Party (1)      Green Party (1)      Independent (9) Abstentionist (7)      Sinn Féin (7) Presiding officers      Speaker (1)
Length of term	Up to 5 years
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
Last election	12 December 2019
Next election	No later than 24 January 2025
Redistricting	Recommendations by the boundary commissions; confirmation by Queen-in-Council.
Meeting place
House of Commons chamber Palace of Westminster City of Westminster London, England United Kingdom

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster located in London, England.

The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs). MPs are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved.

The House of Commons of England started to evolve in the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1707 it became the House of Commons of Great Britain after the political union with Scotland. It assumed the title of "House of Commons of Great Britain and Ireland" after the political union with Ireland at the start of the 19th century. From 1800, the "United Kingdom" referred to was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and in 1922 became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland after the independence of the Irish Free State. Accordingly, the House of Commons assumed its current title.

Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, the Lords' power to reject legislation was reduced to a delaying power. The government is solely responsible to the House of Commons and the prime minister stays in office only as long as they retain the confidence of a majority of the Commons.

Election Results Since 1945

Images for kids

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  William Pitt the Younger addressing the Commons on the outbreak of the war with France (1793); painting by Anton Hickel.

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  The House of Commons in the early 19th century by Augustus Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson.

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  The old Chamber of the House of Commons built by Sir Charles Barry was destroyed by German bombs during the Second World War. The essential features of Barry's design were preserved when the chamber was rebuilt.

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  The modern chamber, which opened following post-war reconstruction in 1950.

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  The old House of Commons chamber, showing dark veneer on the wood, which was purposely made much brighter in the new chamber.

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  The Speaker presides over debates in the House of Commons, as depicted in the above print commemorating the destruction of the Commons Chamber by fire in 1834.

See also

In Spanish: Cámara de los Comunes del Reino Unido para niños