Y o u r g u i d e t o t h e G e n e r a l E l ei o n
T heBr is hpol ic a ls y s t e m wor k sa samulpa r t ys y s t e m.T hi sme a ns t ha tt he r ea r eanumbe rofpol ic a lpa re st ha ta dv oc a t epa rc ul a r be l i e f sa ndi de a sr e g a r di nga r e a sofs oc i e t yi nBr i t a i n. T heUKi sauni t a r yde moc r a c ywi t hi nac onst u ona lmona r c hy .T he Que e ni st he r e f or eourHe a dof S t a t e . S heunde r t a k e sc onst u ona l a nd r e pr e s e nt aona ldu e s .AnyAc t sofP a r l i a me ntmus tbes i g ne dbyt he Que e n,s heope nsP a r l i a me nta ndf ul ďŹ l si mpor t a ntc e r e moni a la nd f or ma l r ol e swi t hr e s pe c tt oGov e r nme nt .
G o v e r n m e n t T heGov e r nme ntr unst hec ount r y . T he ydr a pol i c i e sa nda c t st opa s s t hr oug hP a r l i a me nt . T heGov e r nme nti sma deupof t hePr i meMi ni s t e r , t heDe put yPr i meMi ni s t e r , Ca bi ne tMi ni s t e r sa ndMi ni s t e r s . Ca bi ne tmi ni s t e r sa r es e ni orme mbe r sofGov e r nme nt ,a ppoi nt e dby t hePr i meMi ni s t e r . T he ya r eS e c r e t a r i e sofS t a t ef r om a l l de pa r t me nt s a nds omeot he rmi ni s t e r s . T hi sme a nst he ya r ehe a dsofc e r t a i na r e a s ofg ov e r nme nt ,s uc ha sE duc aon,a ndme e twi t ha l lot he rCa bi ne t Mi ni s t e r sa ndt hePr i meMi ni s t e re v e r yT ue s da yt odi s c us si mpor t a nt i s s ue s . Mi ni s t e r sa r ec hos e nf r om t heHous eofCommonsa ndt heHous eof L or dsbyt hePr i meMi ni s t e ra nda r er e s pons i bl ef ort hes uc c e s s f ul r unni ngoft he i rr e l e v a ntde pa r t me nt . T heCi v i lS e r v i c ei spol ic a l l yi mpa ra la ndhe l pst heGov e r nme nt i mpl e me ntt he i rpol i c i e sa sbe s ta spos s i bl e .T he ypr ov i des e r v i c e s a c r os st hec ount r yi nc l udi ngr unni ngpr i s ons ,i s s ui ngdr i v i ngl i c e ns e s a ndr unni ngbe ne ďŹ t sa ndpe ns i ons c he me s .
De pa r t me nt sa nd t he i ra g e nc i e sa r e r e s pons i bl e f or pu ng Gov e r nme ntpol i c yi nt opl a c e .T he r ea r emi ni s t e r i a lde pa r t me nt s ,r un byaGov e r nme ntmi ni s t e ra ndi nv ol v edi r e c tpol ic a lov e r s i g ht .An e x a mpl eofami ni s t e r i a lde pa r t me nti st heDe pa r t me ntf orE duc aon. T heS e c r e t a r yof S t a t ef ort heDe pa r t me ntof E duc aoni sNi c k yMor g a n. S hei sr e s pons i bl ef ort hewor koft heDe pa r t me nt . S hei sa ne x a mpl eof aCa bi ne tMi ni s t e r .
P a r l i a m e n t P a r l i a menti st he hi g hes tl eg i s l av ea ut hor i t yi nt he UK.I tha s r es pons i bi l i t yf orc hec k i ngt hewor koft heGov er nmenta nde x a mi ni ng , debanga nda ppr ov i ngne wl a ws .P a r l i a menti ss pl i ti nt ot wopa r t s ;t he Hous eofCommonsa ndt heHous eofL or ds . T heHous eofCommonsi sma deupofel ec t edMember sofP a r l i a ment ( MPs ) . T he yr epr es entg eog r a phi c a l a r ea soft heUni t edKi ng dom, k nown a sc onst uenc i es , a ndus ua l l ya r emember sofpol ic a l pa res . T her ea r e 650Member sofP a r l i a mentt ha ta l l wor kwi t hi nP a r l i a ment .S omewor k f ort heGov er nmenta l s oa smember soft hepol ic a lpa r t y / pa rest ha t c ur r ent l yhol dGov er nmentoďŹƒc e. T heHous eofL or dsi st hes ec ondc ha mberi nP a r l i a ment . Member s hi pi s unel ec t ed.Member soft heHous eofL or dsi ss pl i ti nt ot woc a t eg or i es– L or dsS pi r i t ua la ndL or dsT empor a l .L or dsS pi r i t ua li nc l udeAr c hbi s hops a ndi mpor t a ntc hur c hmen.L or dsT empor a lma k eupt hebul koft he Hous eofL or ds .T he ya r ea ppoi nt edbyt heQueenont hea dv i c eoft he Pr i meMi ni s t er . T her ea r ea l s oher edi t a r ypeer s , whos epl a c ei nt heL or ds i sc on nuedf r omg ener aont og ener aon. T hef unconsof t heHous eof L or dsi st ol eg imi z epr opos edbi l l sbyt heHous eofCommonsa ndt o s c r u ni z et hei rwor k . Ast heHous eof L or dsus ua l l yha smember swhoa r e .
di sng ui s hedi npa rc ul a rfiel ds ,member sc a npr ov i dee x pers ea nd s er v ea sa ni mpor t a ntr e v i s i ngc ha mbert opr opos edl eg i s l aon. OneofP a r l i a ment ’ sma i nj obsi st odr aa ndpa s sne wl a ws .Apr opos ed l a wi sk nowna sa‘ Bi l l . ’Adr a bi l li sus ua l l yaGov er nmentBi l la ndi s wr ieni nor derf ora nya mendment sordi s c r epa nc i est obea l t er ed be f or ei ti sf or ma l l yi nt r oduc edt oP a r l i a ment . Dr a Bi l l sa r epr oduc edby Gov er nmentdepa r t ment s . ABi l l i sapr opos a l f orane wl a wora na mendmentt oa ne x i sngl a w. Bi l l s a r ei nt r oduc edt ot heHous eofCommonsa ndt heHous eofL or ds .Onc e bot hc ha mber sha v ea g r eedont hec ont entoft heBi l l byama j or i t y ,i ti s r e f er r edt ot heMona r c hf orRoy a lAs s ent .Onc et hi si sg i v en,t heBi l l bec omesa nAc tofP a r l i a menta ndi st henl a w. f or ey ouc a nv ot ei nt heUK,y oumus tr eg i s t ert ov ot e.Y ourna mewi l l Be t hena ppea ront heel ec t or a l r eg i s t er . Y ouc a nr eg i s t ert ov ot ea t16y ea r s ofa g ebuty ouc a nnotv ot eun l y oua r e18.T her ea r edi ffer entt y pesof v o ngi nt heUKdependi ngont het y peofel econa ndwhe t hery oul i v e i nE ng l a nd, S c ot l a nd, Wa l esorNor t her nI r el a nd.
T y p e s o f E l ei o n L o c a l E l ei o n s L oc a le l e consa r ee l e consf orc ounc i l l or st or e pr e s e nty ourwa r don t hel oc a lc ounc i l .T he r ea r e388l oc a lc ounc i l si nE ng l a nda nda bout 20, 000c ounc i l l or s .L oc a le l e const a k epl a c ea tl e a s te v e r y4y e a r s . T he r ea r es e v e r a lt y pe sbe c a us el oc a la ut hor ie sa r eor g a ni s e di n di e r e ntwa y s .
E u r o p e a n E l ei o n s E ur ope a ne l e consa r ewhe nv ot e r snomi na t ea nME P( Me mbe roft he E ur ope a nP a r l i a me nt )t or e pr e s e ntt he i rr e g i on oft he UK i nt he E ur ope a nP a r l i a me nt .T he r ea r e 751 Me mbe r s oft he E ur ope a n P a r l i a me ntwi t h73r e pr e s e n ngt heUK.T heUKi sdi v i de di nt o12 r e g i onsa nde a c hr e g i onha sbe t we e n3a nd10ME P s .
U K P a r l i a m e n t a r y G e n e r a l E l ei o n s UKP a r l i a me nt a r yGe ne r a l E l e consa r ehe l de v e r y5y e a r s .Y ouv ot ef or oneMe mbe rofP a r l i a me ntt os i ti nt heHous eofP a r l i a me nta nd r e pr e s e nty ourc onst ue nc y .T hec a ndi da t ewi t ht hemos tv ot e si s e l e c t e d. Y ouc a nv ot ei naGe ne r a l E l e coni fy oua r ea g e d18orov e ron pol l i ngda y ,aBr is hc iz e n,Commonwe a l t hc iz e norac iz e noft he I r i s hRe publ i ca ndnotl e g a l l ye x c l ude df r omv o ng .
E v e r y5y e a r s ,P a r l i a me nti sdi s s ol v e da nde v e r ys e a ti nt heP a r l i a me nt be c ome sa v a i l a bl e .T hi si swhe n a Ge ne r a lE l e con i she l d.E a c h c onst ue nc yi nt heUKe l e c t saMe mbe rofP a r l i a me ntt or e pr e s e nt t he m.T hec a ndi da t ewi t ht hemos tv ot e swi nst hes e a t-t hi sv o ng s y s t e mi sc a l l e dF i r s tP a s tt heP os t .T hepol ic a lpa r t ywi t ht hemos t Me mbe r sofP a r l i a me ntus ua l l yf or msag ov e nme nt .I ft hepa r t yha sa n out r i g htma j or i t y( i e .mor es e a t st ha na l lt heot he rpa re sc ombi ne d) t he nt he yc a nf or m Gov e r nme nts t r a i g hta wa y .I ft he ydonothowe v e r , t he npa re sma yl ook t of or mc oa l ions . T hi si swhe nt wopae sa g r e et o wor kt og e t he ri nor de rf ort he i rnumbe rofs e a t sc ombi ne dma k ea n out r i g htma j or i t yi npa r l i a me nt .
K e y I n f o r m a t i o n T h e n e x t G e n e r a l E l ei o n w i l l b e h e l d o n T h u r s d a y 7 t h M a y T h e r e g i  r a t i o n d e a d l i n e i s M o n d a y 2 0 t h A p r i l I nor de rt ov ot ei nt hi sy e a r ’ se l e con, y oumus tha v er e g i s t e r e dt o v ot e . T odot hi s , g ot oh ps : / / www. g ov . uk / r e g i s t e r t ov ot e
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C o l l e g e o f S o c i a l S c i e n c e s & I n t e r n a t i o n a l S t u d i e s
Wi t h t h a n k s t o L i z A t k i n s f o r h e r w o r k o n t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e S t u d e n t s a s C h a n g e A g e n t s s c h e m e