The process of representation in Britain includes the activities of organised groups as well as those of MPs and political parties. Parliamentary representation serves to reflect the shared opinions and interests of people over a wide range of policies, for these are channelled through the medium of the parties. It also has the function of ensuring that the wishes of the ‘governed’ are taken into account by the ‘governors’, since in Britain governments require the support of a majority of MPs in the House of Commons. Finally, it gives an element of geographic representation, in that MPs must look after the general interests of their constituencies, and of the individual constituents within them. Scottish constituencies have a special status within Parliament (see Ch. 5), and in many of them local sentiment is strong.

Organised groups represent specific economic or occupational interests, or shared attitudes on some particular aspect of policy. Some are formed specifically to put pressure on government (e.g. trade unions whose members are employed by government departments or public bodies), while others exist primarily for other purposes, but turn to political pressure on occasion (e.g. churches). They are not involved in the general function of governing, nor do they usually seek to provide a comprehensive programme of political action in areas which do not directly concern them. (The exceptions to this are churches and trade unions, which tend to take a broad view of their rôle in representing their members' interests.)