What does an MP do?
The nutshell
An MP is a Member of Parliament — the one person each part of the UK picks to speak for it. An MP helps make and check the country's laws in the House of Commons, and helps local people with problems.
Every fact on this page comes from UK Parliament and other non-partisan bodies. Each source tag — like Parl — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What an MP is
MP is short for Member of Parliament. The UK is split into 650 small areas, each called aconstituency, and each constituency elects one MP.EC Every MP sits in the House of Commons, one of the two parts of Parliament.
Making and checking laws
A big part of the job happens in Parliament. MPs debate the main issues of the day, look closely at plans for new laws, and then vote.ParlMPs also check the work of the government and question ministers. This checking is calledscrutiny.IfG
Helping local people
The other big part of the job is helping people in the local area. An MP often holds anadvice surgery — a set time when local people can bring a problem.Parl To help, an MP can speak to officials, write to a government minister, or raise the matter in the House of Commons.HoC
Who an MP represents
Once the votes are counted, an MP represents everyone in that area — not only the people who voted for that MP.Parl But there are limits. An MP cannot change a court's decision, and normally helps only people from that MP's own area.HoC
- Once elected, an MP represents everyone in the local area, including people who voted for a different party (UK Parliament)
- An MP can raise a local person's problem by contacting officials, writing to a minister, or speaking in the House of Commons (House of Commons Library)
- There are 650 MPs, one for each area of the UK, so every area has its own MP (Electoral Commission)
- There is no fixed job description for an MP, so different MPs choose to spend more time on Parliament or on local work (Institute for Government)
- An MP cannot change a court's decision and is unlikely to take on a private legal dispute (House of Commons Library)
- By long-standing custom, an MP deals with problems only from people who live in that MP's own area (House of Commons Library)
The deep end6 min
The two sides of the job
An MP does two jobs at once. One is at Westminster, inside Parliament. The other is in the constituency, the local area that elected the MP. The Institute for Government notes that there is no fixed job description for an MP, so each MP works out how much time to give to each side.IfG
In Parliament — laws and scrutiny
Inside the House of Commons, MPs debate the main issues, examine and vote on new laws and taxes, and check the work of the government.ParlChecking the government is called scrutiny, and it means asking ministers to explain and defend a decision.IfG Some MPs are also given a government job, such as a minister, on top of the work that every MP shares.
In the constituency — local casework
Back in the local area, an MP takes up problems raised by local people, often at an advice surgery. To help, an MP can contact officials, write to a government minister, or raise the case in the House of Commons.HoC The House of Commons Library notes real limits — an MP cannot change a court's decision, is unlikely to help with a private legal dispute, and by long-standing custom helps only people from that MP's own area.HoC
How many MPs, and for how long
There are 650 MPs, one for each constituency, and MPs are normally elected every five years.EC The topics on What is Parliament and The House of Commons look at how MPs and the government fit into the wider system.