| Senate of the Commonwealth of England and Wales | |
|---|---|
| 15th Parliament | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | Upper house of the Parliament of England and Wales |
| Leadership | |
| President | Norman Fowler since 1 September 2016 |
| Leader of the Senate | Natalie Evans, Conservative since 14 July 2016 |
| Leader of the Opposition | Angela Smith, Labour since 27 May 2015 |
| History | |
| Established | 1946 |
| Preceded by | House of Commons of Britannia British House of Lords |
| Structure | |
| Members | 144 |
 | |
| Political groups | Government
Conservative Party (70) Opposition
Labour Party (57) President President |
| Election | |
| Voting system | First-past-the-post |
| Last election | 8 June 2017 |
| Next election | On or before 5 May 2022 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Senate chamber Palace of Westminster City of Westminster London England | |
| Website | |
| parliament.en/senate | |
The Senate of the Commonwealth of England and Wales is the upper house of the Parliament of England. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster. Officially, the full name of the house is: The Right Honourable the Senate of the Commonwealth of England and Wales in Parliament assembled.
The 144 Senators represent 12-member constituencies known as regions, of which there are also twelve. For each general election, a third of the Senate is dissolved and is up for election.
The Senate scrutinises bills that have been approved by the House of Commons. It regularly reviews and amends bills from the Commons. It possesses the constitutional power to reject bills, preventing them from becoming law; this power can however be overcome by a supermajority vote in the Commons. In this capacity, the Senate acts as a check on the House of Commons. Bills can be introduced into either the Senate or the House of Commons. Senators may also take on roles as government ministers. The Senate has its own support services, separate from those of the Commons, including the Senate Library.
The State of the Commonwealth address is each year delivered by the President of England and Wales in the Senate chamber. The Senate is also responsible for the trial of national officials during impeachment proceedings.
Senate regions[]
- North East
- North West
- Yorkshire and the Humber
- East Midlands
- West Midlands
- East of England
- London
- Wessex
- Devon and Cornwall
- South East
- North Wales
- South Wales
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