Politics of Great Britain

The House of Commons Chamber.

MPs hold most of their debates in the House of Commons Chamber. The Speaker, who controls proceedings, sits on a raised chair at one end of the Chamber.

In the photograph above, you are looking towards the Speaker.

The Government sit on the benches on the Speaker's right, whilst members of the Opposition party MPs occupy the benches on the Speaker's left.The Opposition's ob is to oppose the Government. The biggest Opposition party sits directly across from the Government benches.

What are the red lines on the carpet in front of each set of benches for?

The red lines in front of the two sets of benches are two-sword lengths apart; a Member is traditionally not allowed to cross the line during debates. The lines are there to prevent either side attacking the other during a debate. Of course, MPs are not likely to attack each other these days.

The Main Political Parties There are three major political parties, in the House of Commons:

Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat