UK Politics: A Plain-English Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the political terms you will meet in the news and in the game.
Confidence vote
A vote that tests whether the House of Commons still supports the government. If a government loses a vote of no confidence, the convention is that it either resigns or seeks a general election.
Reshuffle
When a Prime Minister changes the line-up of their ministers, moving people between jobs, promoting some and removing others. A way to refresh a government, reward or sideline colleagues, or respond to events.
Backbencher
An MP who is not a minister or a senior opposition spokesperson. The name comes from where they sit in the Commons, on the back benches. Backbenchers scrutinise government, represent their constituencies, and their support matters on close votes.
Majority
More than half of the seats in the House of Commons: 326 or more out of 650. A government with a majority can usually win the votes it needs. “Majority” can also describe how large that margin is.
Coalition
A government formed by two or more parties working together, typically sharing ministerial posts and an agreed programme. Common when no single party has a majority.
Hung parliament
The outcome of an election in which no single party wins a majority. It usually leads to a coalition or a minority government that must build support vote-by-vote.
Mandate
The authority a government claims to carry out its programme, based on having won an election. Parties often argue that winning gives them a mandate for the promises in their manifesto.
Political capital
An informal idea: the store of goodwill, authority and support a leader can “spend” to get difficult things done. Popularity, election wins and successes build it up; controversy and failures use it up. In Downing Draft, it is one of the things you have to manage to stay in office.
Cabinet collective responsibility
The convention that once the Cabinet has made a decision, all ministers publicly support it, even if they argued against it in private, or else resign. It keeps the government speaking with one voice.
Want to see these ideas in motion? Explore the rest of the guide or build your own government.