The UK electoral system may be said to meet the required criteria in ascertaining the implementation of democratic principles as a real example of a working and truly thriving democracy that nations can emulate due to several reasons. First, there is a full franchise of the public where they participate in electing their representatives to parliament from every corner of the country. This exhibits the real working of democracy as the nation is represented in its law-making body in its entirety. Second, votes cast on the floor of the House all have equal value. Moreover, there are no preferential or higher value votes, making every representative have an equal say in matters affecting the nation. Third, elections are free and fair, and representatives rightly get to the House through popular votes. However, the democratic principles of the UK may be challenged for a number of reasons.
First, there exists no direct public vote for the executive, which is the most powerful organ in the nation. Elections are conducted for MPs, who in turn elect a Prime Minister to lead the executive arm of government. Second, the monarchy still exists up to this day, which is a powerful organ in the running of government affairs but goes through no popular vote. As a result, the Queen of England is not challengeable on democratic principles, which serves to dent the democracy of the nation. Nevertheless, to a larger extent than not, the UK may be said to be a living democracy due to the fact that the parliamentary system of governance practised by the nation in no way subverts the true meaning of democracy, and the public has dutifully consented to the conduct of democratic affairs in the manner in which they are.