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A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral
district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house, or House of Commons.
British MPs
The British Parliament is divided into the House of Commons and the House of Lords;
though it is often assumed that an MP is a member of Commons, they can be a member of either house. Nonetheless, the letters "MP"
are appended as a post-nominal to an
individual's name only if that person is a member of the House of Commons; that House has 659 members.
MPs in the House of Commons are elected for a period of five years or until Parliament is dissolved. The members of the
House of Lords are officially appointed by the King or Queen, but
the selection is done by the British Prime Minister.
There are several special members of Parliament, including the Prime
Minister, other government ministers, the Chief Whip of each party,
Privy Counsellors, and the Speaker of the House.
Members of Parliament are technically forbidden to resign their seats. However, appointment to a "paid office under the Crown"
disqualifies an MP from sitting in the Commons, and two nominally paid offices - the Chiltern Hundreds and the Manor of
Northstead - exist to allow members to resign from the House.
See also: MPs elected in
British Elections 2001
Notable Former MPs
External Links
See also: List of British MPs
Other countries
Australia
In Australia, the term Member of Parliament refers specifically to a member of the Australian House of
Representatives.
See also: List of members of the Australian House of Representatives
Canada
In Canada, the term Member of Parliament refers specifically to a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
See also: Members of
the Canadian House of Commons
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