Is the UK a liberal democracy? Said Bakiev

Is the UK a liberal democracy? Said Bakiev lower 6th

Plan What is a “liberal democracy”? Political participation in the UK Elitism in parliament Elitism among pressure groups The actions by the government Secrecy levels in Britain Conclusion Sources of information

Liberal Democracy Free and fair elections Limited government Government is accountable to people All citizens are equal under the law Separation of power (Montesquieu) The rights safe guards (“Bill of Rights”) Peaceful transition of power Representative institutions Free access to information

The UK’s political participation Party membership = 600,000 citizens (< 1% of population, 2008; tutor2u.net) Low levels of turnouts (<65% in 2010; tutor2u.net) Increasing membership of pressure groups (RSPB had over 1 million members in 2007, (William Maloney))

Elitism in parliament Unelected House of Lords Some unelected MPs represent various sections of society The power of lobbying Miliband: the system may be democratic, but it operates in the interests of the bourgeoisie Low number of ethnic or female MPs Over-powerful executive

Elitism and pressure groups Privileged insider pressure groups Disproportional influence (the farming community) Donations (Labour and Trade Unions) Discrepancies in financial terms among insiders and outsiders

The government’s actions Participation in Iraq war inspite of the massive demonstrations in London (2003) The Northern Ireland conflict (Bloody Sunday, 1972) Joining the European Common Market (1972) ( 38th Anniversary Commemoration, Derry, 31.01.2010)

High degree of secrecy in Britain Official Secrets Act, Section 2 (1989) Existence of General Communication Headquarters Wiretapping in G20 summit, 2009

Conclusion The UK is a liberal democracy, but, as it seems, only formally… Improvements are needed…

Used material and sources of information Google-images Tutor2u.net Integratedsociopsychology.net Baltinfo.ru Edexcel “Government and Politics for AS” fourth edition Edexcel exam buster and revision guide pack for AS politics Edexcel activity pack unit 1 “People and politics”