Telegraph Style Book: Politics

The Houses of Parliament; Parliament, but in this parliament (before a general election); parliamentary (the parliamentary Labour Party); House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Lords, the Commons, the Chamber. The Speaker, James Smith.

• Telegraph Style Book: Introduction

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X, Y, Z

Before becoming Acts, Bills have first, second and third readings and pass the report and committee stages before receiving the Royal Assent. Front bench (group of leaders), front-bench (adj), frontbencher, back benches, back-bench (adj), backbenchers. He took his seat on the front bench. Private Member's Bill.

Party names for debates and lists: Conservative (C), Labour (Lab), Liberal Democrat (Lib Dem), Scottish National Party (SNP), Plaid Cymru (PC or Welsh Nationalist), Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Ulster Unionist (UU), Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), United Ulster Unionist (UUU), National Front (NF), Communist Party (Comm), Socialist Workers' Party (SWP).

Tory is acceptable as a synonym for Conservative; Socialist is no longer acceptable as a synonym for Labour. Sects within parties are capped; the Tory Reform Group, the Militant Tendency, the Bow Group.

Reports of the deaths or retirements of MPs should always be followed by a footnote giving the result in the constituency at the last general election and any relevant by-election. The style is: general election or 2008 by-election Sometown East: J Smith (C) 50,000; W Brown (Lab) 40,000. C maj 10.000.

The Government, but government spokesmen: the Opposition but opposition policies. A select committee, the select committee on transport: the standing committee on whatever.

When writing about departments of State verify the correct title. There can be difficulties with prepositions, and titles often change at reshuffles. Note, for example, that it is the Department of Health, but the Department for Transport.

The old rule about capping general election only when we meant the current one, and lower-casing the words when we meant the last, the next, or any previous one, was confusing. Use lower case.

Under devolution, Scotland does not have a government it has an executive. It may also be referred to as the devolved administration. Members of the Scottish Executive should be referred to as ministers rather than secretaries.

European Union: The EU is the collective term following the Maastricht Treaty. It does not include the European Court of Human Rights, which is part of a separate body. The EU includes the three pillars of the Union which are:

1. The EC (formerly the European Economic Community, renamed EC by Maastricht) which includes the Council of Ministers, European Court of Justice, European Commission and the European Parliament. The EC is the machine which drives through and implements directives and regulations through these institutions.

2. The other two "inter-governmental pillars" are common foreign and security policy, and justice and home affairs. These were also created at Maastricht. Governments of the member states have agreed to co-operate in these areas but policy is not driven through the EC institutions. It is agreed by co-operation outside the EC institutional framework.

Therefore:

The EU is the correct "club" name. It includes the EC and the two other pillars. It is right to use EU as a collective term. "The EU decided this", "EU member-states did that".

The EC is the core of the Union. It manages the single market and other areas such as competition but does not have power to initiate and push through legislation in areas which fall under the "inter-governmental pillars". If you are referring to a directive it could either be called an EC directive or an EU directive but EC would be more correct.

The commission is part of the EC. It is run by 27 commissioners appointed by member governments and initiates legislation. It is wrong to use EC when referring to the commission. The commission has to be called either the commission or, to avoid repetition, "Brussels".

European Parliament: Euro- MP, member of the European Parliament. Avoid MEP.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X, Y, Z

• Telegraph Style Book: Introduction