A plain-English guide to the UK Parliament, designed to help you understand the data on TrackPolitics. No jargon, no assumptions.
The UK Parliament is made up of two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Most of the data on TrackPolitics comes from the House of Commons, where 650 elected Members of Parliament (MPs) represent constituencies across the UK.
Parliament's main jobs are: making and changing the law (legislation), scrutinising the government, and debating issues of national importance. The government of the day is formed by the party (or coalition) that can command a majority in the Commons.
The House of Lords reviews and revises legislation but cannot permanently block bills that have passed the Commons. Lords are not elected — they are appointed, hereditary, or sit as bishops.
A bill is a proposal for a new law, or a change to an existing law. Most bills are introduced by the government, but individual MPs can also propose bills (called Private Members' Bills).
The bill is formally introduced. No debate happens — it is simply announced and printed.
MPs debate the general principles of the bill. This is the first big test — if the bill is voted down here, it goes no further.
A small group of MPs (a Public Bill Committee) examines the bill line by line and can propose amendments. Most of the detailed work happens here.
The full House considers the amendments made in committee. Any MP can propose further changes.
A final vote on the bill as amended. Usually a formality, but can be voted down. No further amendments are allowed.
The bill goes through the same stages in the House of Lords (or Commons, if it started in the Lords).
If the two Houses disagree on amendments, the bill goes back and forth until they reach agreement. This can involve compromises.
The monarch formally approves the bill and it becomes an Act of Parliament — law.
Not all bills become law. Bills can be voted down at 2nd or 3rd Reading, run out of parliamentary time, or be withdrawn by the government. On TrackPolitics, you can see which bills are Acts (became law) and which were defeated.
When MPs vote in the Commons, it's called a divisionA formal vote in Parliament where MPs walk through lobbies to record their vote as "aye" (yes) or "no".. MPs physically walk through one of two lobbies: the Aye lobby (in favour) or the No lobby (against). Their votes are counted and recorded.
A vote in favour of the motion or bill being debated.
A vote against the motion or bill being debated.
Not every MP votes in every division. Some may be absent, paired with an opponent (so both abstain), or appointed as a teller (who counts the votes instead of casting one). On TrackPolitics, we show each MP's voting attendance alongside their voting record.
In Parliament, the governing party usually votes “aye” on its own legislation, while opposition parties typically vote “no” — even on topics they broadly support. A party's aye/no percentage tells you whether they're in government or opposition as much as it tells you about their views. Always look at what was being voted on, not just the direction.
Most MPs belong to a political party. Each party appoints whipsA party instruction telling MPs how to vote. A "three-line whip" is the strongest and rarely defied. — MPs whose job is to ensure their colleagues vote the party line. When a party issues a three-line whip, MPs are expected to attend and vote as instructed.
An MP who votes against their party's whip is called a rebel. Rebellions are significant because they show where individual MPs disagree with their party leadership. On TrackPolitics, we highlight rebel votes on every vote detail page and on MP profiles.
The party (or parties) with the most seats forms the government and proposes most legislation. The largest party not in government is the Official Opposition. Opposition parties can propose motions on opposition days, but these are usually non-binding — the government isn't required to act on them even if they pass.
Here's what each section of the site shows you:
Find your MP by postcode and see their voting record, attendance, and recent activity.
Browse 13 policy areas (e.g. housing, health) to see how parties vote on each issue.
Browse every bill in the current parliamentary session. See voting breakdowns and stages.
Explore every recorded vote (division) in Parliament. See who voted which way and who rebelled.
Browse all 650 MPs. Filter by party, search by name, and compare attendance rates.
Track the governing party's manifesto pledges. See which have been kept, which are in progress.
