Legal system: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir
Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the Queen, born 14 November 1948)
head of government: Prime Minister John MAJOR (since 28 November 1990)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
House of Lords: consists of a 1,200-member body, four-fifths are
hereditary peers, 2 archbishops, 24 other senior bishops, serving and
retired Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, other life peers, Scottish peers
House of Commons: elections last held 9 April 1992 (next to be held by
NA April 1997); results - Conservative 41.9%, Labor 34.5%, Liberal
Democratic 17.9%, other 5.7%; seats - (651 total) Conservative 336,
Labor 271, Liberal Democratic 20, other 24
Judicial branch: House of Lords
Political parties and leaders: Conservative and Unionist Party, John
MAJOR; Labor Party, Anthony (Tony) Blair; Liberal Democrats (LD),
Jeremy (Paddy) ASHDOWN; Scottish National Party, Alex SALMOND; Welsh
National Party (Plaid Cymru), Dafydd Iwan WIGLEY; Ulster Unionist
Party (Northern Ireland), James MOLYNEAUX; Democratic Unionist Party
(Northern Ireland), Rev. Ian PAISLEY; Ulster Popular Unionist Party
(Northern Ireland); Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP, Northern
Ireland), John HUME; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland), Gerry ADAMS
Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress;
Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC,
CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC,
EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NATO,
NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD,
UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Robin William RENWICK chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-1340 FAX: [1] (202) 898-4255 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, consulate(s): Dallas, Miami, and Seattle