The House of Commons is the lower house of the British Parliament, the upper house being the House of Lords. The House of Commons was formed in 1341 when the knights and burgesses formed the lower house, leaving the nobility and clergy in the upper house. In 1911, the House of Commons was granted more power when the House of Lords' veto power was reduced to a delaying power. The Prime Minister is selected whenever a party wins a majority of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, with each seat representing a constituency from England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland (and Ireland before 1922). If a party fails to win an absolute majority, it can form a "coalition government" with a like-minded party to gain a majority of seats; if the largest party holds the most seats but not an absolute majority, it leads a "minority government".
Advertisement