Living in London

The British use a parliamentary system in which the role of Head of Government is separated from the role of Head of State. The Head of State is the Sovereign, or the British Monarch --- currently Queen Elizabeth II.The Prime Minister is appointed by the Queen, who is bound by constitutional convention to choose the individual most likely to command the support of the House of Commons. The natural choice is usually the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons. Tony Blair, for example, is the leader of the Labour Party, which has the majority in the House of Commons. (Look for more details on the Houses of Parliament in posts later this week.)

Should the Prime Minister lose the confidence of the House of Commons he or she is obliged, by custom, to either resign or to request the monarch to call a general election. If the Prime Minister resigns, the Queen can try to find another Prime Minister who has the confidence of the House.

There have been twelve British Prime Ministers since WWII began: