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Parliament
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Parliament

Law-making body that authorises public money and scrutinises government.

Parliaments make laws, approve public spending and scrutinise governments. The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 1997 democracy declaration called for representative parliaments with the powers needed to legislate and oversee government action.

Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics

Key Question

Why do 2026's parliaments, from Tehran to Westminster, keep losing power to executives?

Timeline for Parliament

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Background

A Parliament is a legislature: an institution that debates and passes laws and scrutinises government. Its financial powers can include authorising taxation and public spending. Parliamentary committees examine policy, question ministers and gather evidence, while the full chamber votes on legislation. The exact powers depend on the constitution and the rules of the jurisdiction. Parliamentary functions

Some parliaments have one chamber; others have two. Their names and membership rules differ, and the term can apply to national, devolved or supranational institutions. In its 1997 Universal Declaration on Democracy, the Inter-Parliamentary Union called for representative institutions able to express the public will through law-making and oversight. That describes a democratic standard for parliaments, rather than a guarantee that every legislature exercises those powers effectively. IPU declaration

Common Questions

Reference

What is a parliament versus a congress?
Both are national legislatures, but parliamentary systems fuse executive and legislative power (the government is drawn from and accountable to Parliament), while congressional systems separate them. The UK, Canada, Australia, India, and EU member states use parliamentary systems; the United States uses a congressional model.Source: general
Can the UK Parliament stop the Prime Minister going to war?
By convention since the 2003 Iraq vote, prime ministers seek parliamentary approval before committing forces to combat. The convention is political, not statutory. In 2026 Keir Starmer used a Commons statement to formally refuse US requests to join military action against Iran.Source: Lowdown iran-conflict-2026 coverage
What is the Iranian parliament called?
The Islamic Consultative Assembly, commonly called the Majlis. Its speaker in 2026 is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Iran's delegation at the Islamabad talks with the United States.Source: Lowdown iran-conflict-2026 coverage

Recently resolved

Where did the vote on a second Scottish independence referendum happen?
At the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood), not Westminster. MSPs voted 72 to 55 on 26 May 2026 to demand a Section 30 order; only the UK Parliament can grant one, and Downing Street rejected the demand the same day via a press line.Source: Lowdown uk-elections-2026 coverage
Why was the crypto-donation ban bill not passed before the 2026 election?
The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill was excluded from the four-bill wash-up list when Parliament was prorogued on 29 April 2026, leaving crypto-funded candidates outside restriction ahead of the 7 May poll. The government revived the Bill on 6 July; a Report-stage amendment later applied the donation ban retrospectively to 25 March 2026 by government moratorium, pending the Bill's own Royal Assent.Source: Hansard Society / Lowdown uk-elections-2026
Why does the Hungarian election matter for Ukraine?
Resolved. Tisza's supermajority in the 12 April 2026 election ended Hungary's blanket EU veto, and the €90 billion Ukraine loan was subsequently unblocked. Disbursement was not automatic, however, since Tisza MEPs had themselves voted against the package in the European Parliament.Source: Lowdown russia-ukraine-war-2026 coverage
What did the European Parliament vote on the AI Act?
On 26 March 2026 it voted 101 to 9 to delay the AI Act's high-risk employment rules from August 2026 to December 2027. Its position in trilogue is that AI literacy obligations should be legally binding; the Council prefers non-binding encouragement.Source: Lowdown ai-jobs-power-money coverage
Source Material
IPU declarationParliamentary functionsParliament's authorityReuters — UK NewsBBC News — UK PoliticsUK Parliament — Official WebsiteParliament of the United Kingdom

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.