Page "Politics of the United Kingdom" Paragraph 44

One party usually has a majority in Parliament, because of the use of the First Past the Post electoral system, which has been conducive in creating the current two party system.

The monarch normally asks a person commissioned to form a government simply whether it can survive in the House of Commons, something which majority governments are expected to be able to do.

In exceptional circumstances the monarch asks someone to ' form a government ' with a parliamentary minority which in the event of no party having a majority requires the formation of a coalition government.

This option is only ever taken at a time of national emergency, such as war-time.

It was given in 1916 to Andrew Bonar Law, and when he declined, to David Lloyd George and in 1940 to Winston Churchill.

A government is not formed by a vote of the House of Commons, it is a commission from the monarch.

The House of Commons gets its first chance to indicate confidence in the new government when it votes on the Speech from the Throne ( the legislative programme proposed by the new government ).