Getting started in parliament as a new MP
What you need to know to hit the ground running in the House of Commons.
The first few weeks
What happens at the beginning of a new parliament?
A parliament lasts between one general election and the next. Following the election, a new parliament begins.
How is the Speaker of the House of Commons elected?
What is the process for electing a Speaker of the House of Commons?
King's Speech
The King's Speech is part of the State Opening of Parliament, the formal beginning of each new session of parliament.
Standards, ethics and practical matters
What support are MPs given to do their jobs?
For MPs elected to parliament for the first time the task ahead can seem daunting.
MPs’ code of conduct
The MPs’ code of conduct sets out the standards of behaviour expected of MPs when carrying out their work.
MPs' register of interests
All financial interests which might be reasonably regarded as influencing the actions, words or votes of MPs must be registered.
MPs' security
Increasing levels of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have seen a rise in threats made to MPs. So what security do they receive and how is this funded?
Understanding who is who in the Commons
Speaker of the House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons occupies a pivotal role in shaping how parliament debates issues and passes legislation.
Official opposition
As the second largest party in the House of Commons, the Conservative party is the current official opposition.
Payroll vote
The 'payroll vote' is the body of MPs who hold offices that require them to support the government.
Whips: what is their role?
Whips are MPs and peers affiliated to a political party appointed to ensure their party colleagues vote according to the leader’s agenda.
Parliamentary private secretaries
A parliamentary private secretary (PPS) is an MP who serves as an unpaid assistant to a government minister.
Understanding the House of Lords
Joining and leaving the House of Lords
Most Lords members are life peers – nominated for their lifetime, but without their peerage passing to their children.
Direct ministerial appointments to the House of Lords
If the prime minister wants to appoint a minister who is not a sitting MP or serving peer, they must ennoble them.
Ministers in the Lords – their role and scrutiny
Ministers in the Lords have the same fundamental role as their counterparts in the Commons.
Understanding government as an MP
How to hold ministers to account and get the best out of government for your constituents.
Explore our resources
Scrutiny
Government spending: how does parliament approve it?
The government lays out its principal financial plans for the year in the budget.
Parliamentary approval for military action
Do MPs get a say on whether the government takes military action?
Parliament and regulators
Almost a third of UK regulators have not been scrutinised by parliament since the 2019 general election.
Better Budgets: making tax policy better
The Government must change the way it makes tax and budget decisions.
The legislative process: How to empower parliament
The government should empower parliament and allow it to properly scrutinise legislation, provide a check on executive action and maintain balance in the UK constitution.
Read the report
Legislation
The legislative process in parliament
A core task of the UK parliament is passing legislation, which begin life as bills.
How can the government timetable legislation in parliament?
For all governments, it is important that they are able to get their business through parliament in a reasonable amount of time.
How are bills amended by parliament?
Amendments are proposals to change, remove or add to the existing wording of bills to modify their effect.
Parliamentary ping pong
What happens if the House of Commons and the House of Lords don't agree on a bill?
Secondary legislation: how is it made?
Secondary, or delegated, legislation is law made by a person or body other than parliament, under powers delegated by a ‘parent’ Act of parliament.
Secondary legislation: how is it scrutinised?
This explainer outlines the ways parliament scrutinises secondary legislation.
Fast-tracked legislation / emergency legislation
A fast-tracked bill passes through all the normal stages of passage in each House, but on an expedited timetable.
Parliamentary Monitor
Parliamentary Monitor draws together data about the UK parliament to explore what parliament does and how effectively it does it.
Review of the UK Constitution
Over 18 months we assessed the functioning of the UK constitution and proposed practical, innovative and robust ideas for reform.
The role of select committees
Select committees
What are select committees? Who is eligible to sit on them? What happens to select committees when a general election is called?
Election of select committee chairs and members in the House of Commons
This explainer sets how select committee chairs and members are elected.
Being an effective select committee member
This publication draws together the views and ideas of people with experience of interacting with select committees.
The Liaison Committee
What roles does the Liaison Committee play in holding the prime minister to account?
Motions, debates and votes
Misleading parliament and correcting the parliamentary record
The clearest rules about making inaccurate statements to parliament mostly come from outside of parliament.
Our events on parliament
Keynote speech: Lucy Powell MP, Shadow Leader of the Commons
How would a future Labour government work with parliament?
Keynote speech: Lord McFall of Alcluith, Lord Speaker
Lord McFall, the Lord Speaker, joined us to discuss the role of the upper house.
Beyond the dark arts: what next for the Whips’ Office?
The Whips’ Office is crucial for achieving any government’s agenda. How has the role changed in the past and how might it change in the future?
What's wrong with the House of Commons? Book launch with Dr Hannah White
To mark the publication of her new book, the IfG's Dr Hannah White discussed what parliamentarians can do to restore their flagging reputation.
What do we want from our MPs?
How should an MP divide his or her time? What do people expect from their elected representatives?