uk

Country information

• EU Constitution
  The planned referendum on the EU Constitution was cancelled on 6 June 2005 after French and Dutch rejections (more).
  
  
• The Lisbon Treaty: to be ratified by the Parliament in March 2008.
  
  
• EU Presidency: July-December 2017
  
  
• Government Type: constitutional monarchy
  
  
• Executive Branch
  
  � HEAD OF STATE
  Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  
  � HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
  Prime Minister Gordon BROWN (since 27 June 2007)
  
  � MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
  David Miliband
• Legislative branch
  
  � ELECTIONS (HOUSE OF COMMONS)
  Last elections: 5 May 2005
  Next elections: May 2010
  
  � ELECTION RESULTS
  Labour 35.3% (356 seats)
  Conservative 32.3% (198 seats)
  Liberal Democrats 22.1% (62 seats)
  Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 2.1% (9 seats)
  Democratic Unionist 0.9% (9 seats) 
  Sinn Fein 0.5% (5 seats) 
  Other 6.4% (7 seats)
  
  
• Additional information
  
  � EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS
  None; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister
  
  � HOUSE OF LORDS
  No elections (elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise)