The House of Commons is the lower — but more powerful — chamber of the UK Parliament. It has 650 elected Members of Parliament (MPs), each representing a single geographical constituency. MPs are elected by the "first-past-the-post" voting system: the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins, regardless of whether they have a majority of all votes cast.
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The Commons debates and decides on new laws (bills), scrutinises the work of government through Question Time and select committees, and approves all taxation and spending. The House is presided over by the Speaker, an MP elected by colleagues to chair debates impartially. The current Prime Minister and Cabinet sit on the front benches; the Leader of the Opposition sits opposite.
You may be asked how many MPs there are (650), what voting system is used (first-past-the-post), or what the Speaker does.
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