nental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; British
courts and legislation are increasingly subject to review by
European Union courts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief 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 Anthony C. L. (Tony) BLAIR (since
2 May 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the prime minister is
the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons (assuming
there is no majority party, a prime minister would have a majority
coalition or at least a coalition that was not rejected by the
majority)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of House of
Lords (1,200 seats; four-fifths of the members are hereditary peers,
two archbishops, 24 other senior bishops, serving and retired Lords
of Appeal in Ordinary, other life peers, Scottish peers) and House
of Commons (659 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
elections: House of Lords--no elections; House of Commons--last held 1
May 1997 (next to be held by NA May 2002); note--in 1998 elections
were held for a Northern Ireland Parliament; in 1999 there will be
elections for a new Scottish parliament and a new Welsh Assembly
election results: House of Commons--percent of vote by party--Labor
44.5%, Conservative 31%, Liberal Democratic 17%, other 7.5%; seats
by party--Labor 418, Conservative 165, Liberal Democrat 46, other 30

Judicial branch: House of Lords, several Lords of Appeal in
Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life

Political parties and leaders: Conservative and Unionist Party

Political pressure groups and leaders: Trades Union Congress;
Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, CP, EAPC, EBRD,
ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7,
G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (o