Member of parliament

A member of parliament (usually abbreviated to MP) is a person in the United Kingdom or in Canada who represents the people of an area (called a "constituency") in the House of Commons. They are voted for by the people in a general election. The Prime Minister chooses when to hold a general election, but must have an election at least once every five years. MPs are usually members of a group called a political party.

In the UK, the main political parties are:

• The Conservative party
• The Labour Party
• The Liberal Democrats
• The Scottish National Party
• The Green Party

In Canada, the main political parties are:

• Liberal Party
• Conservative Party
• New Democratic Party (NDP)
• Bloc Québécois (BQ)
• Green Party

Members of provincial legislatures in Canada are sometimes referred to as member of provincial parliament (MPP) and other times member of legislative assembly (MLA).