Explainers
Our explainers cover key subjects relating to our work, setting out key facts and figures and answering the most important questions about government.
Explore our explainers
Civil service staff numbers
Who exactly are civil servants and how many are there?
Energy price cap
Amid soaring energy bills, we explain what the Ofgem price cap is and how it's calculated.
Domestic energy bills
Rising bills have the biggest impact on lower-income households since price rises. So what is the government doing to lower energy bills?
How does the Foreign Office help British nationals in a crisis?
There are several ways the UK government steps in to help British nationals abroad.
Digital ID cards
The introduction of ID cards has been debated in Westminster for decades.
The US-UK special relationship
Where does the term 'special relationship' come from and what does it mean?
Financial Reporting Council
What is the Financial Reporting Council? What does it do? What powers does it have?
Student finance
What financial support does the government offer students in England?
By-elections
How are by-elections triggered?
By-elections since the 2024 general election
Labour has lost two by-elections since the 2024 general election.