How UK Government Works
How Prime Ministers, the Cabinet, Parliament and elections work, explained simply with neutral sources. Explore the real politics behind Downing Draft, our UK government simulation game.
How UK Government Works
The institutions and processes behind the headlines, explained simply, with no party-political spin.
How someone becomes Prime Minister
How the UK Prime Minister is chosen, who appoints them, why an election is not always needed, and how a PM can lose office.
What the Cabinet does
What the UK Cabinet does, who sits in it, how it differs from Parliament, and why the Prime Minister's appointments matter.
Votes of no confidence explained
Who votes in a UK no-confidence motion, what happens if the government loses, and how a Commons vote differs from a party leadership challenge.
Cabinet roles explained
A plain-English guide to the major cabinet jobs: Chancellor, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and the rest, and what each one does.
Budget vs Spring Statement
How the Autumn Budget differs from the Spring Statement, why the names change, and what OBR forecasts, Spending Reviews and Finance Bills do.
How general elections work
Terms, constituencies, majorities, hung parliaments and coalitions, and how a general election decides who governs.
PM, Cabinet, Parliament & the monarch
Who actually does what in the UK system, and how power is shared and constrained between the people and institutions involved.
Glossary
Clear definitions of the political terms you will meet in the news and in the game, from confidence votes to hung parliaments.
Behind the Simulation
How the game models real political choices, and what the mechanics are really standing in for.
Governing styles explained
What the transformational, pragmatic and popular governing styles mean in the game, and the real-world thinking behind each.
Political trade-offs in the game
Why focusing on one area means easing off another, and how delivery, public trust and cabinet unity turn choices into outcomes.
Prefer to learn by doing? Build your own government and see how the pieces fit together.