The role of MPs

The UK public elect MPs to represent them in the UK Parliament.

The UK is divided into 650 constituencies and there are 650 MPs, one for every constituency.

A general election is usually takes place every five years and the public vote to elect their MPs.

In their constituency MPs:

• respond to letters and emails
• hold surgeries
• attend local meetings and events
• meet with other local representatives

In the UK Parliament MPs:

• organise meetings with relevant ministers
• speak in debates and ask questions during PMQs
• introduce Private Members Bills
• raise the profile of an issue in the media
• work in committees which scrutinise the work of the government

MPs can also represent their party or government:

• serving as a minister in the government
• serving as a party whip

Watch this video explaining what MPs and MSPs do and how they hold our government to account.

• How are MPs elected?
• What is the role of an MP in their constituency?
• What is the role of an MP in Parliament?

Keep going to learn more.

The three political representatives in the UK are:

House of Commons

The interests of UK citizens and residents are represented by the MPs they elect to serve them in the House of Commons in the UK Parliament.

House of Lord

Citizens also have representation by the second chamber of Parliament – the House of Lords. Members of the Lords are appointed rather than directly elected.

Devolved government

In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, people are also represented in the devolved national assemblies and parliaments.

Members of Parliament (MPs) are politicians who are elected by the public to represent them in the UK Parliament.

MPs sit in the House of Commons where they raise issues, debate, consider and make laws and scrutinise the work of government. Some MPs serve as members of government.

As well as working for the UK in general, all MPs represent people in their own constituency.

For the purposes of the General Election, the country is divided into 650 constituencies or areas. Each constituency elects one MP to Parliament.

The last General Election in the UK was held on Thursday 4th July 2024. The following MPs were elected:

• 412 Labour
• 121 Conservative
• 72 Liberal Democrat
• 9 SNP
• 7 Sinn Féin
• 28 other

Scotland returned 57 MPs:

• 37 Labour
• 9 SNP
• 6 Liberal Democrats
• 5 Conservative

The role of a Member of Parliament (MP) is to represent their constituents, including those who did not vote for them or did not vote at all.

MPs divide their time between working in their constituency, and working in the House of Commons in Parliament:

• sessions in the House of Commons are usually on Monday to Thursday
• there are usually an additional 13 Friday sessions each year, where MPs consider Private Members Bills
• many MPs will also sit on committees in Parliament.
• when not sitting in parliament, MPs carry out work in their constituency, or on visits or meetings in other locations.

MPs represent their constituents in areas where the UK Parliament takes decisions.

The 57 MPs who represent Scottish constituencies can only represent their constituents directly on reserved matters such as immigration, defence and employment rights.

Scottish MPs have the right to speak and vote on any matter that comes up in the UK Parliament, even those which will not affect Scottish constituents directly, such as education or health which are devolved matters controlled by the Scottish Parliament.

As well as representing their constituents, many backbench MPs will feel that they have a responsibility to their political party as the party helped the MP secure election.

MPs can represent the interests of their constituents in a number of ways in Parliament:

• writing to or organising meetings with relevant ministers
• speaking in Parliament during a debate
• asking questions during Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs)
• introducing Private Members Bills on topics of concern to their constituents
• raising the profile of an issue in the media
• speaking to lobbying groups about issues that affect the area they serve
• involvement in committees which scrutinise new legislation or question the work of the government

As well as representing their constituents, MPs can also represent their party or government:

• serving as a minister in the government
• serving as a party whip

Although there is not much time available, any MP who is not a government minister may try to introduce a Private Members' Bill.

A Private Members' Bill is less likely to become law than a bill introduced by a majority government. However the bill could create publicity around an issue that has an indirect impact on legislation.

An example of a successful Private Members' Bill is the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017) which was introduced by Conservative MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman.

This Act, drafted in consultation with an expert panel including homelessness charity Crisis, built on the landmark 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Act by making local housing authorities responsible for the needs of all people who are homeless or at serious risk of homelessness regardless of whether they are involuntary or ‘intentionally homeless’.

Whips are MPs (or Lords) from each political party who organise the party's representatives in parliament. They are responsible for maximising the turn out of their party members for important votes. They also work to ensure that MPs will vote to support their party's position.

Sometimes the views of the party may come into conflict with the views of constituents, so MPs can be faced with difficult decisions about how they will vote. Voting against their party can result in sanctions such as losing the whip. This means an MP is expelled from their party and becomes an independent MP without party support.

When they are not working in parliament, MPs work in their constituencies.

MPs work in their constituency in a number of ways:

• communicating with their constituents by writing letters, emails and replying to phone messages
• holding 'surgeries' where local people can meet with their MP and ask questions and seek help with a problem or issue
• sending out newsletters to their constituents and communicating via their own website or social media accounts
• attending local meetings and events where they meet and discuss important issues with groups of constituents and local organisations

MPs often meet with their local constituency political party. They require the support of the local party to ensure that they will be selected to stand as a candidate in future elections. The election of MPs who are not linked to any political party is rare. As on September 2023, there are 18 independent MPs.

There are 57 MPs who represent Scottish voters in the UK Parliament at Westminster.

Scottish MPs mainly represent voters in those areas which are not devolved to the Scottish Parliament, such as immigration, defence and employment rights.

Scottish MPs have the right to speak and vote on any matter that comes up in the UK Parliament even if it does not directly affect Scotland. For example, the House of Commons can debate issues around education or health, which will not affect Scotland directly, as these areas are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

The table below shows how many of these represent different political parties.

Scottish MPs mainly represent voters in those areas which are not devolved to the Scottish Parliament, such as immigration, defence and employment rights.

Scottish MPs have the right to speak and vote on any matter that comes up in the UK Parliament even if it does not directly affect Scotland. For example, the House of Commons can debate issues around education or health, which will not affect Scotland directly, as these areas are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

• MPs are politicians, elected by the public to represent them in the UK Parliament.

• There are 650 MPs, one for every constituency in the UK.

• MPs are elected every five years at a General Election, using the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system.

• Their role is to represent the citizens and residents of the UK, raising issues, conducting debates, considering and make laws and scrutinising the work of government.

• MPs divide their time between working within people and organisations in their local constituency on important local issues and working in the House of Commons in Parliament where issues can be raised and where some serve as members of government, many sit on committees and some become party whips.

• Parliamentary committees make recommendations to the government on particular issues such as education, the environment and foreign affairs. The types of committee are:

  • Commons select committee
  • Joint committee
  • General committee

• MPs are also responsible for examining the work of the government, how it spends the money it receives from taxes.

• Whips are MPs from the governing party who ensure their colleagues support the government and vote for their policies.