The Uited Kingdom

The United Kingdom

VotingFirst-past-the-post is used to elect MPs to the House of Commons and for local elections in England and Wales.Under first-past-the-post, the UK or local authority is divided into numerous voting areas, i.e. constituencies or wards. At a general or local election, voters put a cross next to their preferred candidate on a ballot paper.Ballot papers are then counted and the candidate that has received the most votes is elected to represent the constituency or ward.

The United Kingdom has the fifth-largest national economyThe service sector dominates the UK economy, contributing around 78% of GDPThe British aerospace industry is the second- or third-largest national aerospace industryIn 2008, the UK entered a recession during the financial crisis of 2007–08, its first for nearly two decades, and initially experienced a deeper downturn than all of the G7 except Japan.

Economy

AusterityThe United Kingdom government austerity programme is a series of sustained reductions in public spending, intended to reduce the welfare state. The cuts have affected welfare and other public institutions.