The title of the oldest parliament in the world stays squarely with the British, having convened for the first time in 1265 at the Palace of Westminster. Political parties did not come about until four hundred years later. The British politicians then formed the first two parties, namely, Whigs and Tories.
Political Parties At The Centre Of British Politics
Since the start of the 20th century, there have been two main political parties when we consider the number of seats in the House of Commons. These parties are the Labour Party and the Conservative and Unionist Party. The Labour Party essentially comprises the whole gamut of left-wing politics. The Conservative and Unionist Party, on the other hand, consists of right-wing or conservative politics.
The Scottish National Party is a Scottish social-democratic, nationalist and regionalist political party in Scotland. The party boasts the second-largest party membership in the UK but has a smaller number of MPs. This is because the party produces candidates for the constituencies in Scotland. The presence of the SNP has played a very pivotal role in the political landscape in the UK due to its nationalist and regional nature.
The Political Landscape In Britain
British political parties aim to represent their members as well as their views in parliament. This in turn will influence the formation of policies and eventually government since the ruling party, in most cases, has their way. There are numerous political parties that are involved in UK politics, the above-mentioned can be considered to be the biggest or most influential of them all.