Originally Posted by
nidhogg
Nah, that is cool. From what I remember, you register at your local Electoral Registration Office (now you can do so on line). You need your National Insurance number (you get this issued by the Government some time before your 16th Birthday). You will then get added to your local electoral register. No affiliation is part of this.
UK is divided into some 500 or so constituencies, each of which elects one person to parliament. People stand for election as independents, or belonging to one of the established parties (e.g the big two -labour and conservative). Election day I ruck up and vote for the person I would like to represent my constituency - only that. Biggest party (most elected members of parliament) forms the government.
The big difference is that the Prime Minister is selected by the party *not* the electorate. (Obviously going into the election there are candidates who are identified by the parties as who will lead the party as Prime Minister if the party gets to form the government).
I think the biggest consequential difference betwee the two systems is that the party leader (who may end up as Prime Minister) usually has a long career in government, often with quite senior portfolios. The "businessman one day, leader of the country next day" scenario could not happen in UK.