UK Branches of Government: Parliament, Executive, Judiciary (+ Monarchy)

The UK's unwritten constitution separates powers across three branches, with the Crown as ceremonial head.

1. Legislature — Parliament (Supreme)

• House of Commons (elected, 650 MPs) — primary law-making, confidence in government.
• House of Lords (appointed, ~800 peers) — revising chamber, expertise, no veto on money bills.
• Crown-in-Parliament: King assents (formality).

2. Executive — His Majesty's Government

• Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak) — head of government, leads Cabinet.
• Cabinet (~22 Secretaries of State) — departmental ministers.
• Junior Ministers, Whips, Special Advisers.
• Civil Service (permanent, politically neutral) implements policy.

3. Judiciary (Independent)

• UK Supreme Court (12 justices) — final appeal (civil UK-wide, criminal England/Wales/NI).
• Senior Courts of England & Wales: Court of Appeal, High Court, Crown Court.
• Scotland: Court of Session, High Court of Justiciary (separate system).
• NI: Court of Appeal, High Court, Crown Court.
• Judicial appointments independent (JAC); security of tenure.

Key Nuances

• Fusion of powers: Executive drawn from Legislature (PM + Ministers are MPs/Lords).
• Parliamentary sovereignty: No codified constitution; Parliament can make/unmake any law.
• Devolution: Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru, NI Assembly — delegated powers.

Other Pillars

Civil Service, NHS, BBC, Bank of England (operational independence), Electoral Commission — arm's-length bodies.

Not "separation of powers" (US model) — "balance of powers" within parliamentary sovereignty.