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Page 3 – The Queen Page 4 – The Big Three – Main Political Parties Page 5 – The House of Commons Page 6 – The Election System Page 7 – The House of Lords Page 8 – The Making of a Law Page 9 – The Committees Page 10 – The Glossary
This is my guidebook to the British political system. I have tried to keep everything simple and fairly easy to understand. Hopefully, after you have finished reading this you may learn something about British Politics that you did not know before!
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Britain can be quite a confusing country when it comes to politics. We have a Monarchy and a Prime Minister. But what does the Monarch really do? Queen Elizabeth the Second.
Question: Can the Queen try and become Prime Minister? Is she even allowed to vote? http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/1690 543/king-search-meet-queen-england
So, what does the Queen really do? Surprisingly, the Queen does more than just wave to people and make speeches! There are several important roles that the Queen plays in the political system of Britain.
The British Legislature The Queen is part of the British Legislature. This means the Queen, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords all help pass a Bill so that it becomes a law. As you will read later, the Queen must approve any Bill before it becomes an official law. The Queen approving a Bill is called Royal Assent.
Answer: No! The Queen can never become Prime Minister. She is not allowed to vote in any elections and must have a neutral opinion on all political parties
The Queen and the Prime Minister The Queen has a special relationship with the Prime Minister regardless of which political party they belong to. Each week they sit down and the Queen expresses her views on Government matters. If one of them is busy, then they will have the meeting via telephone but all of the meetings remain strictly confidential!
Did you know? The Queen is not only queen of the United Kingdom! She is actually Queen of 14 other countries. These countries are: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, Barbados, Grenada, Solomon Islands, St Lucia and the Bahamas! All of these countries are called Commonwealth Realms. http://www.life.com/image/93179378
The Queen’s Duties The Queen has several duties towards the Government. Each new session of Parliament is opened by the Queen. Before a General Election (which you can find out about later on) the Parliament has to be dissolved and this is the Queens job. (“Her Majesty the Queen”)
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In Britain, everyone is spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a party to vote for. There are the ‘Big Three’ – Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats, but there are also plenty more to choose from. You may want to vote for the Monster Raving Looney Party who believe chocolate is the best cure for depression and it should be given away for free!!!
Labour
There has been a very big change in the Labour party recently because a new party leader has been elected! Ed Miliband is now leader of the Labour Party. He even had to compete with his own brother David!
What does Labour stand for and believe in? Labour stands for: Social justice Strong community Strong values Reward for hard work Decency Rights matched by responsibilities
http://mymarilyn.blogspot.com/2010/0 3/2010-election-special-labour.html
The Labour Logo and Ed Miliband – The New Leader of Labour
In 2010, there was a general election and as a result the Prime Minister of Britain is now David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party! He was elected leader of the conservative party in December 2005.
Conservative What does the Conservative party stand for and believe in? Small government Low taxation Empowering the individual Retaining the pound (£)
http://www.finchampstead-northconservatives.webeden.co.uk/
The Conservative Logo and David Cameron
Liberal Democrats What do the Liberal Democrats stand for and believe in? Local communities Ending council tax Environmental standards Local governments
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/ profiles/ed-miliband-you-ask-the-questions1067081.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article508233/David-Cameron-shows-mettle.html
The leader of the Liberal Democrats is Nick Clegg. As a result of the 2010 elections a coalition government between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives was formed. This means that the deputy Prime Minister is Nick Clegg.
http://paulstowe.blogspot.com/2010/04/news.html
Nick Clegg (above) Liberal Democrats Logo (right)
http://walthamforestlibdems.mycouncillor.org.uk/c ategories/Management%20Boards/
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What do MPs in the House of Commons do?
Members are elected in the House of Commons There are 650 elected Members of Parliament in the House of Commons
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-504231/Political-storm-MPsdemand-inflation-busting-10-cent-pay-rise.html
The job of an MP is to discuss new laws and even propose new ones. They look at government policies and try to represent the views of the UK public
Who can become a Member of the House of Commons? The answer to that is anyone! Well, there are a few rules…You have to be over eighteen and a British citizen but that’s about it! You can register online with your favoured political party but before you get to sit in the Chamber of Commons on the long green benches you have to be elected by the people of your constituency!
I would like to be a Member of Parliament one day…but how do I get elected?
Chamber of Commons – Where the MPs sit, listen and ask questions to the Prime Minister and Ministers
Members of Parliament are elected by the public of United Kingdom to represent their interests, ideas and concerns in the House of Commons
Well then, why don’t you take a look at the section on constituencies on the next page! Maybe that will help!
The problem with the Chamber of Commons is that there are not very many seats. So when it gets really busy some Members of Parliament have to stand up!
AS SEEN ON TV! What is Prime Minister’s Question Time? Prime Minister’s Questions occurs every Wednesday at 12 o’clock and lasts for half an hour. This gives the MPs a chance to ask the Prime Minister and other Ministers questions about the government policies. All the MPs http://crusader.blog.co.uk/2009/07/25/houses-of-parliament-infestedrepresent the UK public. 6584894/
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How is the Prime Minister elected?
In Britain, the voting system that is used is called the First past the Post System.
This system is really quite simple. The political party with the most votes wins.
Polling Stations: These are the places that people go to vote for who they want to represent their constituency. They aren’t special places; they can be church halls or schools!
http://newsone.com/nation/newsonestaff4/gallup-poll-results-arepublican-takeover-is-highly-probable/
Constituencies
The United Kingdom is divided into 650 different constituencies. The UK public vote for who they want to represent their constituency. The potential representatives of constituencies all belong to different political parties. If a representative wins more votes than any other competitor, then that person becomes a member of the House of Commons and gets a seat in the Chamber of Commons.
If lots of representatives of different constituencies are all elected and all belong to the same political party then that means that a lot of the seats in the Chamber of Commons will all be filled by members of the same party. The political party with the most elected representatives wins the election! The leader of this party then becomes Prime Minister
Problems with the First Past the post System: There are some people in Britain who believe the voting system could be better. What are the problems? The main problem with this system is that because it is the party with the most amount of votes who wins, it means that even if there were lots of other parties in the elections who collectively got more votes than the one party with the most amount then the party with the most amount will still be in power even if over half the population did not vote for them. When this happens there are a lot of unhappy voters!
The 2010 General Elections: A crisp company produced a special range of crisps. They were called Politi-crisps! http://newslite.tv/2010/04/06/crisp-packets-could-pick-gener.html
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Oh…now this is the controversial part. If you are familiar with British politics then you may know that not many people are too keen on the House of Lords. Some people thing that it shouldn’t even exist!
http://www.thenewnewinternet.com/2010/03/19/parliament-7
What is your job if you are a member of the House of Lords? The main job is to keep an eye on decisions being made by the government in power. They also examine bills and policies – because they come from many different backgrounds they all have different perspectives which can be very helpful.
http://maldencapell.wordpress.com/2010/05/
Members of the House of Lords are not elected!
Who gets to be in the House of Lords? People from different career backgrounds can all become a member of the House of Lords. Usually, their knowledge from their career helps them in parliament. Often members of the House of Lords are ex Members of Parliament who the Prime Minister has recommended to the House of Lords A few years ago, people could inherit the position through their family. However, a law was passed so that this could no longer happen. What is a ‘Peer’? A Peer is the name given to a member of the House of Lords. Getting a ‘peerage’ means that you become a Lord or a Baroness. You get to keep this title for the rest of your life This title cannot be passed down through a family though.
http://bikyamasr.com/wordpress/?p=15807
Why all this controversy then? Well, originally it was because people would get angry that Peers could make decisions and influence government laws and policies even though they were only a member of the House of Lords because of family connections. Most people think the House of Lords is useless because the members aren’t elected and have no right to any influence or power!
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First, you need a draft bill What is a draft bill? A Draft Bill is the first version of a new law or a proposal to change an existing one. Draft Bills are very similar to the first draft of an English essay. Before it is graded by the teacher, there is a chance for others to look at it and make amendments. Before a draft bill is introduced to Parliament, members of the houses of Lords and Commons can look at it and make amendments.
The content of the Bill is agreed
The Bill is presented to the reigning monarch What can the monarch do about it? The Bill is presented to the reigning monarch for approval. This is known as Royal Assent Once Royal Assent is given, a bill becomes an Act of Parliament. An Act of Parliament is law!
The amendments are made, and the Bill can be introduced to Parliament
Then, the Bill is introduced Parliament Why is it introduced to Parliament? It is introduced to Parliament in either the House of Commons or Lords. The law is then open for discussion, examination and amending. Both houses have to agree on the content of the Bill.
The Bill has now become a law!
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There are four types of committees: Select, Joint, General and Grand Committees
Select Committees Select Committees in the House of Commons: Their job is to look at the work of the government and its departments Select Committees in the House of Lords: Their job is to look at four main areas. These areas are Europe, science, economics, and the UK constitution. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/
Joint Committees: Joint committees are made up of Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords. Some committees are set up on a permanent basis such as the Human Rights Committee and others are set up for specific reasons such as examining a new draft of a Bill.
Grand Committees: Most Grand Committees are regional and give Members of Parliament a chance to discuss issues that affect the region that their constituency is in. All Members of Parliament are entitled to go to the Grand Committee of the region in which their constituency is in. Members of Parliament also get a chance to question Ministers on issues affecting their region.
http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/
General Committees: For each bill that goes through parliament, a committee is set up to examine it. The job of General committees is to consider proposed new laws. General committees are made up only of Members of Parliament. There are no members of the House of Lords.
http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/
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If there are some words that you did not understand in this booklet, a glossary is included to try and help
Prime Minister - The person who is the head of the government Monarch/Monarchy – A form of government where the Head of State inherits their position through hereditary connections Sovereignty/Sovereign - A nation’s ruler, someone who is Head of State Legislature – Someone who can pass, abolish or change laws Royal Assent – When a bill has been given approval by the reigning monarch Member of Parliament (MPs) - An elected member of the House of Commons Chamber of Commons – The place where Members of Parliament sit Constituency– Electoral areas that are divided up geographically Legislation – Another word for law Commonwealth Realm (“Her Majesty the Queen”) – A country that has Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch Peer (“Members of the House”) - The name given to a member of the House of Lords Peerage (“Members of the House”) – Being given the title of ‘Lord’ or ‘Baroness’ Act – Another word for law Bill – A proposed law that is not officially a law
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(“Her Majesty the Queen”) - "Her Majesty The Queen." Royal. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/HMTheQueen.aspx>. (“Members of the House”) - "Members of the House of Lords." Parliament. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.parliament.uk/education/online-resources/parliament-explained/ members-house-of-lords/>.
“CBBC Newsround, UK Parliament, What is the House of Commons?” BBC. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/uk/uk_parliament/ newsid_1708000/1708966.stm>. “The Conservative Party.” Conservatives. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.conservatives.com/>. “Her Majesty The Queen.” Royal. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.royal.gov.uk/ HMTheQueen/HMTheQueen.aspx>. “House Of Commons - UK Parliament.” Parliament. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.parliament.uk/business/commons/>. “Hung Parliament: What happens next?” BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8659878.stm>. “The Labour Party.” Labour. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www2.labour.org.uk/home>.
12 “The Liberal Democrats.” Libdems. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.libdems.org.uk/ home.aspx>. Linda Melvern. United Nations. N.p.: Franklin Watts, 2001. Print. “Members of the House of Lords.” Parliament. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.parliament.uk/education/online-resources/parliament-explained/membershouse-of-lords/>. “Parliament: House Of Commons And Lords.” Direct. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Parliament/ DG_073604>. Rai, Balli. Cutting Through The Crap. Great Britain: Walker Books, 2006. Print. Watts, Duncan. Understanding US/UK Government And Politics. N.p.: Manchester University Press, 2003. Print.