Parliamentary votes are the formal way in which Members of Parliament (MPs) vote on issues. These votes can be on important matters such as tax and spending, but also on things like how the House is run or even whether a criminal suspect should be charged. MPs are expected to follow strict rules and procedures when voting in the House. These rules are called the Standing Orders and include not only what is and is not allowed, but how a vote should be conducted.
Most of the world’s democracies use some form of parliamentary system. In parliamentary systems, people vote for representatives in their area of the country (called constituencies). MPs can debate and propose laws as well as question government ministers about current issues including those that affect Cheltenham.
Some countries have a bicameral parliament (two chambers) while others have a unicameral parliament, which only has one parliamentary chamber. The majority party in a parliamentary system selects the Prime Minister and department ministers. In some parliamentary systems, the President or Governor General has the power to withhold assent (approve or disapprove) of an Act passed by Parliament.
The UK uses the Westminster model and is divided into 650 areas that elect MPs (Members of Parliament). When an election happens, each person who votes in a constituency chooses which candidate they want to be their local representative. The candidate with the most votes becomes the MP for that area until the next election. When an MP dies or resigns, a by-election is held to find a new MP for the area.