British Constitutional Monarchy
n n Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a king or queen acts as Head of State, while the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament. Although the United Kingdom does not have a written constitution which sets out the rights and duties of the Sovereign, they are established by conventions.
The origins of constitutional monarchy in Britain go back a long way. n n The origins of constitutional monarchy in Britain go back a long way with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. The Bill of Rights Act of 1689 set out the foundations of constitutional monarchy.
Monarchy: the appearance n n n n The Queen has almost absolute power She says what 'my government' intends to do in the coming year She can choose anybody she likes to run the government for her She can choose anyone to run her government She appears to have great power over Parliament She summons a Parliament, and she dissolves it before a general election She embodies the law in the courts In other words, Queen Elizabeth II is above the law.
n n n n Queen Elizabeth II is the fortieth monarch since William the Conqueror obtained the crown of England in 1066. Her full title is Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
Monarchy: the reality n n Appoints PM (but the Queen cannot choose anyone she likes to be Prime Minister) Summons and dissolves Parliament (the PM requests about it) Gives her royal assent to the bill Reigns but doesn’t rule
The Role of the Monarch n n Heads the Commonwealth Embodies the state Acts as a final check on a government Ceremonial duties
Constitutional monarchy has many strengths: n n n it separates out the ceremonial and official duties of the Head of State from party politics. it provides stability, continuity and a national focus the Sovereign has three rights: "the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn".
The Future of the Monarchy? n n n The British still have a high regard for Queen Elizabeth II but over the years trust in the royal family has been diminished by her children. Tha marriage of Prince William & Kate Middleton encouraged a new interest in the Royal family. The celebrations of the Queen’s 60 th (diamond) jubilee on the throne, demonstrated the degree of affection the British people have to the institution of monarchy.
UK Parliament n Parliament in the UK is based on the principle that the people of the country hold ultimate power. They can exercise this power at least every five years, by voting for the person that they want to represent them in parliament, and by voting in a Government.
n n n n The Habeas Corpus Act (1679) - protected the individual against the despotism of the king The Bill of Rights (1689) Parliament was to be freely elected; its members were to have freedom of speech; no taxation could be imposed without the consent of Parliament; the king had no power to suspend any law; no Roman Catholic could succeed to the throne; etc.
n The Triennial Act ordered a General Election n The Act of Settlement (1701) confirmed n n n every three years Parliament's claim to decide upon the succession to the throne. In 1911 the House of Lords lost its power of veto and all Bills The Parliamentary Act of 1999 abolished the hereditary principle 1999 when in the course of devolution (granting national autonomy to Wales and / Scotland) the local Parliaments were restored.
n n The Government is made up of around 100 people from the ruling party, chosen by the Prime Minister. The most senior members of the Government are called the Cabinet. While the job of Government is to run the country, the job of Parliament is to check Government is carrying out its role properly and effectively
Parliament is made up of : the House of Commons, which has 651 elected representatives called Members of Parliament (or MPs); the House of Lords (750), which is an unelected second chamber. Parliament The House of Commons 651 elected representatives (MPs) The House of Lords 750 members (life peers, judges, bishops, heads of aristocratic families)
The House of Commons n n n The House of Commons is the main place where legislation and other decisions of government are criticized and assessed. Its work includes : legislation: the House spends nearly half its time making laws. controlling finance: before the Government can raise or spend money, it must have permission from the House of Commons. scrutinizing/examining the Government by asking questions, by holding debates and by committee work. representation: speaking for and on behalf of members of the public
The House of Commons n
The House of Lords n Legislation – examine, improve and make new laws n Scrutiny – check the work of Government by asking questions and debating decisions n n Discussion – provide a group of experts to discuss issues in the chamber and in committees set up to look at specific subjects Judicial role - as the Highest Court of Appeal
The House of Lords
Why do the British need Parliament? n They live in a democratic country, which means that they can all have a say in how the country is run.
Devolution - when a national government gives power to a group or organization at a lower or more local level n n n To give the people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland more say over what happens in their own countries, the UK Parliament has devolved (given away) some of its powers to other national and regional bodies. In Scotland, for example, there is the Scottish Parliament which has elected members who make some decisions for Scotland. Wales and Northern Ireland also have their own Assemblies. A Greater London Assembly has also been established. The legislative framework for devolution is set out in the Scotland Act 1998, the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
General elections What is a general election? How often do they happen? Can anyone compete to become an MP? A UK-wide vote where people vote for who they would like to represent them in the House of Commons. Every 4 -5 years. There are no qualifications. You must be 21 years old or over. Most candidates are members of a political party which has to nominate them. Some choose to stand as independent candidates. This means they do not belong to a political party.
How do we end up with one MP representing people from one area? Which competing candidate wins the constituency? The UK is divided in to 651 areas called constituencies. Candidates from different parties compete to become the MP for one constituency. People who live in that constituency vote for the candidate they want to represent them. The candidate with the most votes in each constituency becomes the Member of Parliament (MP) for that constituency. This is called the first past the post system.
How is the government formed? The party with the most candidates across the 651 wins the election. Their leader is the Prime Minister and they choose Ministers to form the government. Most will be chosen from the House of Commons but they can also be chosen from the House of Lords.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this system? n n n (+) simple and easy to understand inexpensive produces a result fairly quickly. One party gains a majority in the House of Commons so voters know what to expect n n n (-) more people in total may have voted for other candidates than for the winner, so it is possible for the party that forms the Government to have received fewer votes than its nearest rival The 'first past the post' system benefits the leading parties and discriminates against the smaller parties.
The UK general election of 2010 was held on Thursday 6 May 2010 n n n None of the parties achieved the 326 seats needed for an overall majority The Conservative Party won the largest number of votes and seats but still fell twenty seats short. This resulted in a hung parliament where no party was able to command a majority in the House of Commons
n n n The coalition government was formed. David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, formed a new government, in coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have published a full Coalition Agreement. The agreement acts as a clear programme for the Coalition Government in 31 different areas of policy.
What is the Government? n The Government is made up of approximately 100 members of the political party which has the majority of seats in the House of Commons. It is like the management of the country and proposes policies which determine how the country is run.
What is the Cabinet? The most senior members of the Government are known as the Cabinet. Who chooses the Cabinet? Members of the Cabinet are chosen by the Prime Minister. When and where does the Cabinet meet? Cabinet meetings are usually held on a Thursday morning in the Cabinet room at 10 Downing Street.
Who are the Opposition? The Opposition consists of all those parties which, as a result of the last general election, are not part of the Government. What role does the Opposition play? n can challenge the Government in committee and by debate n may oppose the Government’s attempts to make new laws
Main political parties n The Conservative party believes in free enterprise and the importance of a capitalist economy, with private ownership preferred to state control, it stands for hierarchical authority and minimal government interference in the economy. Now has become increasingly focused on 'social' and 'quality of life' issues such as the environment, government services and schools.
n The Labour party believe that private ownership and enterprise should be allowed to flourish, but not at the expense of their traditional support of the public services. This is the party for the weaker people in society and for more government involvement in the economy; more concerned to provide full social services that to keep income tax low.
n The Liberal Democrats believe that the state should have some control over the economy, but that there should also be individual ownership. The party has always been strongly in favour of the EU, places more emphasis on the environment tnan other parties.
The other parties n n n The Green party The Scottish Nationalist Party Plaid Cymru The Protestant community the Social Democratic Labour Party. …….
The UK Foreign Policy n n The diplomatic foreign relations of the United Kingdom are implemented by the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The United Kingdom remains a major power and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a Member State of the European Union, and a founding member of the G 7, G 8, G 20, NATO, OECD, WTO, Council of Europe, OSCE, and the Commonwealth of Nations.
n n n Safeguarding Britain's national security (the 'Four Ps' ) PREVENT terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism PURSUE terrorists and those that sponsor them PROTECT the public, key national services, and UK interests overseas PREPARE to respond to an attack to lessen its impact.
n Weapons proliferation The spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) poses a threat to the UK and the international community. The British government is working around the world to promote and implement its policies on nuclear weapons, chemical and biological weapons, conventional and other weapons.
n Climate change Tackling climate change is essential to security and prosperity of the country. The British government works on securing an international climate agreement.
n Middle East Peace Process The British government seeks urgent progress on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict matters to British national security, and the government will take every opportunity to help promote peace in the Middle East.
n Piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden is a problem facing the entire international community and it continues to disrupt trade throughout the region. The British Government has a leading role within the international community's approach to tackling piracy.
n Human rights The British government supports human rights, democracy and good governance around the world. Its work is based on the principles of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
n n The UK works with international institutions such as the United Nations, NATO, the Commonwealth and the European Union. The United Nations The UK has an Ambassador at the UN who heads the country’s Mission to the United Nations. NATO was founded in 1949, and more than 60 years later, is still vital to the security of the UK. The European Union comprises 27 member states. Britain has been a member since 1973
The Commonwealth n n The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent sovereign states, comprised of a variety of faiths, races, languages and cultures. The Commonwealth's 2 billion people account for 30% of the world's population. Members have a common working language and similar systems of law, public administration and education. The Commonwealth helps to advance democracy, human rights and sustainable economic and social development both within its member countries and beyond.
n n n The origin – 1949, the point at which the Commonwealth's colonial legacy was transformed positively into a partnership based on equality, choice and consensus. The Declaration of London emphasized the freedom and equality of its members, their cooperative 'pursuit of peace, liberty and progress'. Rapid Expansion - After the World War II the Commonwealth became the natural association of choice for many of the new nations emerging out of decolonisation.
n Today's Commonwealth - a unique association of 54 independent states (the newest of which, Rwanda, joined in 2009) consulting and co-operating in the common interests of their peoples and in the promotion of international understanding.
n The member states co-operate within the framework of common values and goals. These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism and world peace. The Commonwealth is not a political union, but an intergovernmental organization through which countries with diverse social, political and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status.
n Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is the head of the Commonwealth and is head of state of 16 of its 53 member states. Those that retain the Queen as head of state are called Commonwealth Realms
n n The Commonwealth is collectively known as the Commonwealth Family. The Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth's most visible activity
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