Government in the United Kingdom

The government website GOV.UK merges all its departments, public bodies, and many agencies. This section lists the most important government services and public information topics. So for example, you can find out how to get a message from the Queen, the current cost of making a phone call, and how to deal with internet scams and phishing emails.

UK Government: How does government work in the United Kingdom?

The British government is one of the oldest in the world. In fact, the British Parliament first started in the year 1215.

Since then, the UK Government has shaped itself in the history of Britain throughout the ages.

The Prime Minister leads the government in the United Kingdom.

The role of the UK Prime Minister gets the support of the Cabinet (22) and 94 other ministers (117 in total).


The Prime Minister (PM)

The Prime Minister is the head of the whole government. Thus, they have the responsibility for all their policies and decisions. The role of the PM also includes:

  • Appointing new members of the government.
  • Overseeing the operation of the Civil Service and all government agencies.
  • Standing as the principal government figure in the House of Commons

Note: The current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2022 is The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP.

A Message from the Queen

How do you receive a personal message from the Queen? British nationals can apply for certain special birthday or anniversary messages sent by telegram from HM The Queen of the United Kingdom.

Call Charges

What is the rate for call charges and phone numbers in the United Kingdom? Check a list of different UK telephone rates that continues to grow.

Challenge an Election Result

You must have some grounds to challenge the result of an election in the United Kingdom. As a rule, you can make a challenge if it wasn’t run in the proper manner (e.g. the votes were counted incorrectly).

Government Gateway

The ‘Government Gateway’ provides a secure digital online account to use government services online. The new GOV.UK Verify is the verification process replacing Government Gateway.

Internet Scams

Digital communication is safer if you understand how Internet scams work. Review a guide that helps you identify and report questionable Internet fraud and phishing emails.

Parliament Petitions

Learn how petitions work in the United Kingdom. Discover the basic principles behind parliament petition wording and signatures with information on submitting a petition to your MP.

Note: You can find out information about your local councillors online, such as who they are and how to contact them.

Referendum Question

The UK Government asked the public to cast a final vote on the big debate during the EU referendum on Thursday June 23rd 2016. So, what was the EU referendum question and result?

Using a .GOV.UK Domain

The main benefits for eligible organisations when getting and using a .gov.uk domain is being related to trusted branding, having increased security, and meeting certain policy and legal obligations.

Voting in the United Kingdom

Information in the overview section focuses on the three different ways of voting and how to vote in UK elections and referendums.


Government Services and Information for United Kingdom