Under the British system of parliamentary democracy, anyone can stand for election as an
MP but they are unlikely to win an election unless they have been nominated to represent
one of the major political parties. These are the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, the
Liberal Democrats, or one of the parties representing Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish
interests. There are just a few MPs who do not represent any of the main political parties
and are called “independents”. The main political parties actively seek members among
ordinary voters to join their debates, contribute to their costs, and help at elections for
Parliament or for local government; they have branches in most constituencies and they
hold policy making conferences every year.

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