Government of the UK Lecture 3
1. Separation of powers • The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. • The country’s head of state is the reigning king or queen who governs within laws which limit his or her power. • The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is the leader of the political party that can command a majority of votes in the House of Commons. • UK’s system of government (often known as the Westminster system) has been adopted by other countries, such as Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Jamaica (former British colonies).
2. The British constitution • The British constitution is unwritten, not being contained in any single legal document. It is formed partly by statute law (Acts of Parliament), partly by common law (a series of laws dating back to the Middle Ages), and partly by customs and conventions and can be altered by a simple Act of Parliament like any other law. • The constitution thus is constantly changing in response to the interpretation of laws in the courts and the introduction of new Acts of Parliament and adapts readily to changing political conditions and ideas.
3. Separation of powers • In theory the constitution safeguards the separation of powers between the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. • The legislature, which consists of both Houses of Parliament and formally the monarch, is the supreme authority, the supreme lawmaking body. The executive consists of the Government – the Cabinet and government ministries (or departments) headed by ministers (or secretaries of state). • The government is responsible for putting laws into effect and directing national policy and acts formally in the name of the monarch. The judiciary is composed mainly of the judges of the higher courts, who determine the common law and interpret Acts of • Parliament and decide on cases arising out of laws. In addition, individuals may in certain circumstances seek protection under European law
4. Head of state • The head of state and theoretical source of executive, judicial and legislative power in the UK is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. Although the monarch’s powers are vast in theory, they are limited in practice. • In practical terms, the political head of the UK is the Prime Minister, who must have the support of a majority of Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. • Let’s watch a video
5. Legislature • Parliament is the centre of the political system in the United Kingdom. It is the supreme legislative body, and Government is drawn from and answerable to it. Parliament is bicameral, consisting of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. • Let’s watch a video An Introduction to parliament •