what type of government does england have

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional democracy which operates a parliamentary system in which the monarch is the head of state, holding the symbolic power and prestige of the U.S. President. Real decision-making power and responsibility rest with the party with the most elected Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. The ruling party's leader is Prime Minister. Defenders of the parliamentary system like to point out the country's leader is not as impervious to criticism as is the president of a republic such as the United States. National pride and prestige rests in the office of the head of state (in the case of the United Kingdom, this is the Queen) whose functions are mainly ceremonial. Canada and India are other parliamentary democracies using modified versions of Britain's 'Westminster' model in which candidates in local constituencies or 'ridings' are elected to parliament, and the party with the most members of parliament (MPs) ... more