| THE SYSTEM OF THE GOVERNMENT
Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
The head of the state is queen Elizabeth.
The British constitution is not set out in a single document. It is made up of uncodified and practices and various elements of statutory law and common law.
This ideas and practise can be changed at any time an act of parliament or by public acceptance of a new idea of practice.
The U.K is governed by three bodies:
1. the Monarchy
2. the House of Commons
3. the House of Lords
THE MONARCHY
the stability of the British government own much to the monarchy, in fact its continuity has been interrupt only once in over a thousand years.
Today the queen is not only the head of the states, but an important symbol.
The queen is:
- head of the executive branch of government
- head of the judiciary
- commander of the armed forces
- supreme governor of the commonwealth
the titles are symbolic.
The queen acts only on the advice of her ministers.
The royal family are important as ambassadors for Britain, both inside the country and aboard.
THE PARLIAMEN
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
The house of commons is the lower house of parliament in Britain, that as organised in real governing body:
- there are 659 members of parliament
- the party who gains power does so by winning a majority vote at a general election
- each members of parliament represent an area or constituency
- all citizen over 18 years who are British citizen can vote
- general election can be called at ant time, but generally take place every 4 of 5 years.
THE HOUSE OF LORDS
This is the upper house of parliament.
It was the more powerful house, but today has little influence.
The house of lords can delay, but not defeat, any bill that the house of commons is determinate to pass.
Members of the house of lords are not paid and not elected ,their called as “peers”.
There is no limit on the number of peers.
Members are divided in 3 different groups:
1. the lord spiritual = senior and bishops = vescovi e anziani
2. the lord temporal = lay peers
3. law lords = senior judges = ereditario a vita
the LORD CHANCELLOR presides over the house of lords
the house of lord:
- considers legislations
- debates issue of importance
- provide a forum for government ministers to be questioned
- is the highest court in the UK
THE PRIME MINISTER
The prime minister:
- is the head of the government
- directs and controls policy for the government
- is the chief spokesperson for the government
- keeps the queen informed about government decisions
- makes appointments in the civil service and judiciary
- represent the country aboard
- decides the date for a general election within the 5-year term
the prime minister chooses members of his political party to help him govern.
members are called cabinet minister (shadow cabinet is the oppositions) (their sit in a long rectangular, in the middle there are a president, on the write we have the winning party and in the left there are a cabinet).
They are given responsibility over areas such as:
- defence
- finance
- foreign affairs
- home affairs
- social security
- health and education
POLITICAL PARTIES
In the election people can be chosen between 75 political parties that had candidates standing for the election.
90% of the votes were cast in favour of the three major parties.
- The labour party: left of centre party formed at the beginning of the 20 century from an alliance of trade unionist and intellectuals.
Critics of new labour say that it has become too similar to the conservative party
- The conservative party: largest centre-right party in the UK it developed from the Tory party and its member are still called “Tories”.
This party dominated UK firstly under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher and then with john major as prime minister. A number of political scandals led to the party’s downfall
- The liberal democrats: centre of slightly left of centre party formed from a union of the liberal party, and the social democrats.
this party have emerged as the third most popular party
HODERS PARTY:
- the green party as the ecology party
- the UK. independence party, whose objective is to withdraw Britain from the European union
THE LAW-MAKING PROCESS
The law, before to become a acts of parliament, are called bills, and can begin either in the house of commons or in the house of lords.
After begin approved by both house, the require the royal assistant the queen’s signature.
SCOTLAND, WALES AND NORTH IRELAND
SCOTLAND
A referendum was held in 1997 and Scottish people voted to have a Scottish parliament.
The Scottish parliament sit in Edinburgh, are:
- 129 members
- Terms of office 4 years
The national parliaments of Westminster retains responsibility for areas such as defence, foreign affairs.
WALES
A referendum was held in 1997, and welsh people voted to have a welsh parliament.
The Wales assembly has:
- 60 members
- Term of office 4 years
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland has its own government, called the northern Irish assembly that was established in 1998 following talks between the political parties in northern Ireland and the government of the UK. And Ireland.
The firs election took place in 1998 were 108 members were elect to the new assembly.
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