General Election: What do Members of Parliament do?
- Published
This is where MPs work in the Houses of Parliament. Find out more below
A general election gives adults in the UK the chance to have a say on who runs the country.
They do this by voting for an MP to represent them and be their voice in Parliament.
But to find out more about what MPs do once they've got the job, read on below.
What is an MP?
When MPs meet together, they do it here in the Houses of Parliament in London, in something called the House of Commons
MP stands for Member of Parliament. He or she is a person who represents a particular area of the country in Parliament.
The UK is divided into 650 of these areas, called constituencies - and there is an MP for each one.
So that makes 650 MPs in Parliament in total.
They meet together in the House of Commons, which is part of the Houses of Parliament in London.
What do MPs do?
When she was first elected in 2015, the SNP's Mhairi Black (left) was the youngest MP elected to the the House of Commons since 1832; and in 2010 Caroline Lucas was elected as the Green Party's only MP.
MPs split their time between working in Parliament and working in their area, or constituency.
When they are working in Parliament, they can suggest and consider new laws, and take part in important debates and votes on how the country is run.
They can also bring up issues that matter to people in their area with important members of the government.
Most MPs belong to groups called political parties - for example, the Conservative Party or the Labour Party
They might do this by asking a question to a politician on someone's behalf or they might bring up a topic in the House of Commons that is important to people who live in their constituency.
Some MPs who belong to the party (or parties) in power at the time will be given special jobs in the government, on top of their role as an MP.
They could be made government ministers and asked to look after particular areas of how the country is run - for example, health or education.
Sajid Javid served as the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove from 2010, and has had many important jobs in government, but he has announced he won't be standing in the 2024 general election, so his area will be getting a new face to represent them at Parliament
When MPs are working in their constituency, they will often hold special meetings called surgeries, at which members of the public can go to meet them if they have something they want to talk to their local MP about.
They will also go along to public events, and visit local schools and businesses, so they can better understand what matters most to the people they represent.
It also helps local people to get to know their MP.
What do MPs have to do with you?
When MPs come together in the House of Commons, they will debate and vote on issues that are important to the country.
This might be to do with relations with other countries or how the UK's money is spent.
Harriet Harman has been the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, formerly Peckham, since 1982 and was acting leader of the Labour Party for a time. She also won't be standing in the 2024 election
Once an election is called and Parliament breaks up, all around the UK, the people who want to be MPs in the next parliament - called candidates - start working very hard to convince people to vote for them.
While you cannot vote yet, when you turn 18, you will be able to vote in the general election to choose who you want to be your MP.
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