| His Majesty's Government | |
|---|---|
| Welsh: Llywodraeth ei Fawrhydi Irish: Rialtas a Shoilse Scottish Gaelic: Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd | |
 .svg) HM Government's logo and wordmark (top), and the Royal Arms used since October 2024 (bottom)[1] | |
| Overview | |
| State |  United Kingdom |
| Leader | Prime Minister (Keir Starmer) |
| Appointed by | Monarch of the United Kingdom (Charles III) on the advice of the prime minister |
| Main organ | Cabinet of the United Kingdom |
| Ministries | 24 ministerial departments, 20 non-ministerial departments |
| Responsible to | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Annual budget | £1,189 billion |
| Headquarters | 10 Downing Street, London |
| Website | gov |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Politics of the United Kingdom |
|---|
|
 United Kingdom portal |
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
The government of the United Kingdom, officially His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government, is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.[2][3] The government is led by the prime minister (currently Keir Starmer since 5 July 2024) who selects all the other ministers. The country has had a Labour government since 2024. The prime minister Keir Starmer and his most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet.[3]
Ministers of the Crown are responsible to the House in which they sit; they make statements in that House and take questions from members of that House. For most senior ministers this is usually the elected House of Commons rather than the House of Lords. The government is dependent on Parliament to make primary legislation,[4] and general elections are held every five years (at most) to elect a new House of Commons, unless the prime minister advises the monarch to dissolve Parliament, in which case an election may be held sooner. After an election, the monarch selects as prime minister the leader of the party most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons, usually by possessing a majority of MPs.[5]
Under the uncodified British constitution, executive authority lies with the sovereign, although this authority is exercised only after receiving the advice of the Privy Council.[6] The prime minister, the House of Lords, the Leader of the Opposition, and the police and military high command serve as members and advisers of the monarch on the Privy Council. In most cases the cabinet exercise power directly as leaders of the government departments, though some Cabinet positions are sinecures to a greater or lesser degree (for instance Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster or Lord Privy Seal).
The government is sometimes referred to by the metonym "Westminster" or "Whitehall", as many of its offices are situated there. These metonyms are used especially by members of the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to differentiate their government from His Majesty's Government.
- ^ "New Coat of Arms". Government Communication Service. UK Government. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ His Majesty's Government Archived 17 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 28 June 2010
- ^ a b Overview of the UK system of government : Directgov – Government, citizens and rights. Archived direct.gov.uk webpage. Retrieved on 29 August 2014.
- ^ "Legislation". UK Parliament. 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- ^ House of Commons – Justice Committee – Written Evidence Archived 1 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved on 19 October 2010.
- ^ The monarchy : Directgov – Government, citizens and rights. Archived direct.gov.uk webpage. Retrieved on 29 August 2014.