How UK Elections Work
From first-past-the-post to PR – understanding the voting system, constituencies, and what your vote actually does.
Complex topics, broken down. Context-first articles that help you understand the issues shaping our world.
Our explainers take complicated political, economic, and social topics and break them into digestible, context-rich articles. We start with the basics, explain the history, and show you why it matters.
From first-past-the-post to PR – understanding the voting system, constituencies, and what your vote actually does.
Powers transferred to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland explained – plus why it matters for England.
How laws are made, the role of MPs, and what happens in the Commons and Lords.
Why prices rise, how it's measured, and what it means for your wallet and savings.
How the Bank of England sets rates, why they change, and the impact on mortgages and savings.
What GDP measures, why economists track it, and what growth (or recession) really means.
What net zero means, how we get there, and the challenges of reducing carbon emissions.
Solar, wind, tidal – understanding the technologies, costs, and timelines for clean energy.
How putting a price on pollution works, and whether it's effective at reducing emissions.
Criminal vs civil law, courts, judges, juries, and your rights explained.
How citizens can challenge government decisions in court, and recent examples.
The ECHR, the Human Rights Act, and the debate over UK rights laws.
Funding, structure, and the challenges facing Britain's health service.
Access, waiting times, and the landscape of mental health support in the UK.
The UK's main benefit system explained – who qualifies, how much, and controversies.
Every explainer follows the same approach: start with the basics, provide historical context, explain current debates, and show real-world implications. We cite our sources and link to official documentation so you can explore further.
See these explainer principles applied to current news stories and analysis.
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