POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENTAL AND

POLITICAL FRAMEWORK

Political history in Britain & Ireland over the past 800 years
illustrates:
the growth of what is now the United Kingdom state
evolutionary changes in its composition.

The weakening of non-democratic monarchial & aristocratic

power in England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland led eventually to
political & legislative authority being centralized in London:
in a UK parliament
in a UK government
in a powerful UK Prime Minister

Changing social conditions resulted in:

growth of political parties
the extension of the vote to all adults
the development of local government
a 20th century transfer of some political power to Wales,

Scotland & Northern Ireland

 The political structures are still vigorously debated

There is considerable public disillusionment with the political

process & politicians

The UK government in London is accused of being:

Too secretive
Too centralized
Too isolated
Too media-reactive
Too controlling
Insufficiently responsive to the needs of the divers peoples of the
UK

It is argued that:
The UK Parliament has lost control over the UK government
The political power has bypassed Parliament & shifted to a

presidential P rime Minister with a prime ministerial office in

Downing Street.
Unappointed bodies (quasi-autonomous non-governmental
organizations) & political advisers have become too influential
Civil Service has been politicized & lost its independence
There are serious weaknesses at devolved and local governmental
levels
The British political system must be reformed in order to make it
more efficient, accountable & adaptable to modern requirements.

From 1997 the Labour government modernized constitutional & political

areas:
Devolution (transfer of some political power to Wales, Scotland &

Northern Ireland
Reform of the House of Lords (including the proposed creation of a
Supreme Court separate from the Lords)
Introduction of human rights & freedom of information legislation.

These developments have been criticized for creating more problems

than they have solved

The British constitution and separation of powers must be revitalized;
otherwise they could be vulnerable to the arrogance of executive power.

Decline of the monarchy and rise of Parliament

1258 was formed an English Council by disaffected nobles

under Simon de Montford, who in 1264 summoned a broader

Parliament.

1275 Edward I (1272-1307) formed the Model Parliament (the

first representative English Parliament). Its two Houses (as now)

consisted of:
- the Lords/Bishops
- the Commons (male commoners)

1326 was first created an independent Scottish Parliament

Ireland had a similarly old Parliament dating from medieval

times.

 1485-1603 there was a return to royal dominance in Tudor

England. Monarchs controlled Parliament and summoned it only

when they needed to raise money.

Tudor monarchs (of Welsh ancestry) united England & Wales

administratively, politically & legally in the 16th century.

1603 James I of England (was James VI of Scotland) formed a

Stuart dynasty. He considered himself to be king of Great

Britain.

The English Parliament refused royal requests for money and

forced the Stuart Charles I to sign the Petition of Rights in 1628

(it prevented him from raising taxes without P arliament consent)

1642 broke out a Civil War due to Charles rejection of

parliamentary ideals and belief in his right to rule without
opposition.
Protestant Parliamentarians under Oliver Cromwell won the
military struggle against the Catholic Royalists.
1649 Charles was beheaded the monarchy was abolished.

1653-1660 Cromwell &

his son ruled Britain as a
Protectorate.
The Parliament comprised only the House of Commons.
Cromwells Protectorate became unpopular and most people
wanted the restoration of the monarchy.
The two Houses of Parliament were re-established.
1660 they restored the Stuart Charles II to the throne.

The British governmental & political framework

Contemporary politics in Britain operate on UK, devolved,
local government and European Union levels.
The UK Parliament & government in London govern the UK
as a whole in many areas.
A Parliament in Scotland, Assemblies in Wales & Northern
Ireland and a London Authority have varying degrees of
devolved self-government and handle their own devolved
powers.
Britain today has a multi-level governance model.

Local government
Local government has grown particularly in the 19th century.
It provides local services through elected councils throughout
the UK, such as:
- education
- health
- fire services
- transport
- social services
- sanitation & housing.

Devolution
Devolution = self-government or transfer of some powers
from the Westminster Parliament.
It was first adopted in Ireland.
1921 Ireland was partitioned into:
- Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland with its
own Parliament)
- Northern Ireland (with a devolved Parliament)

England has a network of unelected, appointed Regional

Development Agencies (RDAs) known as Regional Assemblies of
Councils, which implement UK government politico-economic
programmes in the regions.
Devolution does not mean:
- independence or separation for Scotland, Wales &
Northern Ireland
- a British federal system.
Britain has a unitary political system and remains a union of
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland (the United
Kingdom).

Since July 2000 London has been run by an elected Greater

London Authority with its elected mayor and assembly.
But the London mayor does not have the same executive &
financial authority of American city mayors, on which the
reform was supposed to be based.
KEN LIVINGSTONE was the first elected Mayor of the new
devolved Greater London Authority 2000, reelected 2004.

The constitution
The powers of the state in many countries are defined and
laid down in a written document (constitution) and are
classified as executive, legislative and judicial.
These powers relate to distinctive institutions & are kept
separate.
In Britain there is no clear separation of powers.

Britain is sometimes described as:

-a constitutional monarchy, where the monarch reigns as head
of state without executive powers under constitutional
limitations.
-a parliamentary system, where the Westminster Parliament

(consisting of the House of Commons, the House of Lords &

formally the monarch) in London is the legislature and
possesses supreme power to make laws in UK matters.

Britain has no written constitution contained in one

document.
The constitution consists of distinctive elements, most of
which are in written form:
- statute law (Acts of Parliament)
- common law
- conventions (principles & practices of government)
- ancient documents (Magna Carta)
- EU law

EU law is directly applicable in Britain and coexists with

Acts of Parliament as part of the British constitution.
The EUs Council of Ministers
-consists of heads of government and ministers from the
member states
-is the EUs supreme law-making body (some 60% of all
Britains laws are now EU law).
Ultimately, however, the UK Parliament still has the legal
right to abolish the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh &
Northern Irish Assemblies and to withdraw from the EU.

The monarchy
Queen-in-Parliament = the correct constitutional title of the
UK Parliament.
State & government business is carried out in the name of

the monarch by the politicians & officials of the system.

The Crown is only sovereign by the will of Parliament and

acceptance by the people.

The monarchy is the oldest secular institution in Britain.

There is hereditary succession to the throne, but only for
Protestants.
Royal executive power has disappeared.
The monarch
- has formal constitutional roles
- is head of state, head of the executive, judiciary &
legislature
- is supreme governor of the Church of England
- is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The monarch
- is expected to be politically neutral
- is supposed to reign but not rule
- cannot make laws, impose taxes, spend public money or
act unilaterally.
- acts only on the advice of political ministers, which
cannot be ignored.
Britain is governed by Her Majestys Government in the name of
the Queen. She has a similar role in the devolved governments.

Monarchs duties:
- the opening & dissolving of the UK Parliament
- giving the Royal Assent (or signature) to bills which
have been passed by both Houses of Parliament
- appointing government ministers & public figures
- granting honours
- leading proceedings of the Privy Council
- fulfilling international duties as head of state.
- choice and appointment of the UK Prime Minister.

The Privy Council

- its members (cabinet ministers) advise the monarch on
the approval of government business which does not need
to
pass through Parliament and may serve on influential
committees.
- there are 400 Privy Councillors, but the body works
mostly through small groups.
- has the role of a constitutional forum
- has a Judicial Committee which is the final court of
appeal from some Commonwealth countries and it may be used by
some bodies in Britain and overseas.

UK Parliament: role, legislation & elections

Role
The UK Parliament
- is housed in the Palace of Westminster in London.
- comprises the non-elected House of Lords, the
elected
House of Commons & the monarch.
- gathers as a unified body only on ceremonial
occasions
(State Opening of Parliament by the monarch
in the House of Lords. It listens to the monarchs speech
from the throne, which outlines the UK governments
forthcoming legislative programme.)

Parliament has a maximum duration of 5 years

- has legal sovereignty in all matters and can create,
abolish or amend laws and institutions for all or any part(s) of
Britain.
This means the implementation of the sitting governments
policies. All three parts of Parliament must pass a bill before it
can become an Act of Parliament and law.
- votes money to government
- examines government policies and administration
- scrutinizes EU legislation
- debates political issues

The House of Lords

- consists of Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual and Lords of
Appeal (Law Lords)
Lords Spiritual are:
- the Archbishops of York and Canterbury
- 24 senior bishops of the Church of England.
Lords Temporal comprise 92 peers with hereditary titles elected by their
fellows and 577 life peers appointed by political parties and an
independent Appointment Commission.
Lords of Appeal is the ultimate court of appeal for many purposes from
most parts of Britain. It consists of 12 Law Lords who have held senior
judicial office under the chairmanship of the Lord Chancellor.

The House of Commons

- comprises 646 Members of Parliament (MPs) chosen
from all parts of the UK. They are elected by voters and represent
citizens in Parliament. They are paid expenses and a salary.
- meets every weekday afternoon.
The Speaker is the chief officer of the House of Commons.
- is chosen by the MPs, interprets the rules of the House
and is assisted by three deputy speakers.
- protects the House against any abuse of procedure by
controlling debates and votes.

The proceedings of both Houses are open to the public and

may be viewed from the public and visitors galleries.
Debates are televised.
Transactions are published in Hansard (parliamentary
newspaper).
Negative comments are made about low attendance in both
Houses and the behaviour of MPs in the Commons.

Bills must pass through both Houses and receive the Royal Assent
before they become law.
The Commons is the first step in this process.
The Lords can delay a non-financial bill. It can propose
amendments. It acts as a forum for revision of bills.
When the bill has passed through the Lords, it is sent to the
monarch for the Royal Assent, which has not been refused since the
18th century.
Then the bill becomes an Act of Parliament and enters the statutebook as representing the law of the land at that time.

The party political system

Since 1945 there have been 9 Labour and 8 Conservative UK
governments in Britain.
The Labour Party = left-of-centre party has been supported
by the trade unions, the working class and middle class.
The Prime Minister Tony Blair modernized the party as New
Labour by moving to the centre, captured voters from the
Conservatives and distanced himself from the trade unions,
state ownership and the partys doctrinaire past.

The Conservative Party = right-of-centre party.

It emphasizes personal, social and economic freedom, individual
ownership of property and shares and law and order.
It is supported by the middle and upper classes.
The Liberal Democrats were formed in 1988 when the old Liberal
Party and the Social Democratic Party merged into one party.
They see themselves as an alternative political force to the
Conservative and Labour Parties, based on the centre-left of British
politics.
Their strengths are in local government, constitutional reform and
civil liberties.

Smaller parties represented in the House of Commons are:

- the Scottish National Party
- the Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru)
- Protestant Northern Irish parties (the Ulster
Unionists &
the Democratic Unionists.
- the Social Democratic and Labour Party (moderate
Roman Catholic Northern Irish party)
- Republican Northern Irish party (Sinn Fein)

The party which wins most seats in the House of Commons

at a general election usually forms the new government, even if it
has not obtained a majority of the popular vote (the votes actually
cast at an election).
More than 33% of the popular vote must gather a party before
winning a large number of seats.
Inside Parliament, party discipline rests with the Whips, who are
chosen from party MPs by the party leaders and who are under the
direction of a Chief Whip.
Party discipline is very strong in the Commons and less so in the
Lords

The UK government
The UK government
-serves the whole of Britain and normally comprises
individuals who are members of the successful majority party
at a general election.
-is centred on Whitehall in London where its ministries and
the Prime Ministers official residence (10 Downing Street)
are located.
-consists of 100 ministers who can be chosen from both
Houses of Parliament & who are appointed by the monarch
on the advice of the Prime Minister. They are responsible to
Parliament for the administration of national affairs.

The Prime Minister

- is appointed by the monarch
- is the leader of the majority party in the Commons.
- sits in the Commons
- is the connection between the monarch and the
Parliament.
This convention continues in the weekly audience with the

monarch, at which the policies & business of the government

are discussed.

The Prime Ministry has great power within the British system
of government.
It is argued that government policy is decided upon by the
Downing Street political machine with its array of
bureaucrats.

The Cabinet = a small executive body in the government

- comprises 21 senior ministers, who are chosen & preside
over by the Prime Minister
- meets in private & its discussions are meant to be secret
(the public is informed of Cabinet deliberations & disputes by the
media).
The Prime Minister is responsible for Cabinet agendas and controls
Cabinet proceedings.
Some Prime Ministers work within the Cabinet structure, allowing
ministers to exercise responsibility within their own ministerial
fields.

Government departments (ministries) = the chief instruments

by which the government implements its policy.
Examples of government departments:
- Foreign Office
- Ministry of Defence
- Home Office and the Treasury

Civil Service consists of career administrators (civil servants).

There are more than 500,000 civil servants in Britain today.
- they work in government activities and are responsible to
the minister of their department for the implementation of
government policies.
- they are politically neutral
- they serve the government impartially
The heart of the Civil Service is the Cabinet Office, whose
Secretary is the head of the Civil Service. The latter is responsible
for the whole Civil Service, organizes Cabinet business &
coordinates high-level policy.

Attitudes to politics
Polls reveal that British politicians and political parties do not rate
highly in peoples esteem.
A MORI poll in 2005 found that:
-75% of respondents thought that politicians do not tell the truth
-71% felt the same about government ministers.
-The politicians are criticized & satirized in the media
-They are corrupted and have unethical behaviour
These aspects led to an increase in political apathy, particularly

among the young, and a distrust in politicians to rectify social ills.