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 Margaret THATCHER (since 4 May 1979);
Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey HOWE (since 24 July 1989)

Political parties and leaders: Conservative, Margaret Thatcher; Labour,
Neil Kinnock; Social Democratic, David Owen (disbanded 3 June 1990);
Social and Liberal Democratic Party, Jeremy (Paddy) Ashdown; Communist,
Nina Temple; Scottish National, Gordon Wilson; Plaid Cymru, Dafydd Thomas;
Ulster Unionist, James Molyneaux; Democratic Unionist, Ian Paisley; Social
Democratic and Labour, John Hume; Provisional Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams;
Alliance/Northern Ireland

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
House of Commons--last held 11 June 1987 (next to be held
by June 1992);
results--Conservative 43%, Labour 32%, Social and Liberal Democratic
Party 23%, others 2%;
seats--(650 total) Conservative 376, Labour 228, Social and Liberal
Democratic Party 18, Ulster (Official) Unionist (Northern Ireland) 9,
Social Democratic Party 4, Scottish National Party 4, Plaid Cymru
(Welsh Nationalist) 3, Ulster Democratic Unionist (Northern Ireland) 3,
Social Democratic and Labour (Northern Ireland) 3,
Ulster Popular Unionist (Northern Ireland) 1,
Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) 1

Communists: 15,961

Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress, Confederation
of British Industry, National Farmers' Union, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, Council of Europe, DAC, EC,
ESCAP, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA,
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU,
IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat
Council, NATO, OECD, UN, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Sir Antony ACLAND; Chancery at
3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-1340;
there are British Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland,
Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Dallas,
Miami, and Seattle;
US--Ambassador Henry E. CATTO; Embassy at 24/31 Grosvenor Square,
London, W.1A1AE, (mailing address is Box 40, FPO New York 09509);
telephone p44o (01) 499-9000; there are US Consulates General in Belfast
and Edinburgh

Flag: blue with the red cross