Part III. Britain Today Parliament and Government

  Britain is also known as the United Kingdom (UK), that Is, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

   "Great Britain" came into existence when the crowns of England and Scotland were united at the beginning of the seventeenth century and their parliaments a century later Wales had come under the sway of the English crown in medieval times. So, to some extent, did Ireland, but the British and the Irish parliaments were not united until 1301. In 1922 the southern part of Ireland became a separate 3tate (the Irish Republic). Northern Ireland has remained part of Britain.

              Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy with a monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, as head of state. Her powers are limited Parliament. Officially the head of the state is the monarch. The power of the monarch is not absolute but constitutional. Parliament restricts it (the power of the monarch).

The country is governed in the Queen's name by the Govern­ment although she performs certain important acts of government  on the advice of her ministers. The Queen is also head of the Commonwealth, and is head of state in 14 of its 11 member count­ries. She is temporal head of the Church of England and Commander - in - chief of the armed forces of the crown.)

Practically there is no written constitution in the country. The term "English Constitution" means the leading principles, laws and statutes.

Parliament in Britain exists since 1265 (the reign of King Edward I) and is the oldest Parliament in the World.

Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, together with the Queen in her constitutional role. The Queen formally summons and dissolves Parliament and opens each new session with a speech setting out the Government's broad programme. She also gives formal assent to laws passed bу Parliament

The House of Commons, which plays the major part in law-making, consists of 635 elected members, of Parliament (MPs), each representing an area in England, Scotland, Wales and Nor­thern Ireland. MPs are elected either at a general election (which must be held every 5 years) or at a by-election when a seat falls vacant because of the death or resignation of a mem­ber. The minimum voting age is 18, and the voting is by secret ballot.

The Government is formed by the political party which can command majority support in the House of Commons. Its leader is Prime Minister, who chooses the number of ministers, of whom 20 or so are in the Cabinet, which is collectively responsible for all Government decisions. The second largest party becomes the official Opposition with its leader (Prime Minister of the Opposition) and "shadow cabinet".  The House of Commons is presided over by the Speaker, an impartial member acceptable to the whole House.

The House of Lords is made up of hereditary and life peers and peeresses, including the law lords appointed to undertake the, judicial duties of the House, and the Lords Spiritual (two archbishops and 24 bishops of the Church of England). The House is presided over by the Lord Chancellor who is head of the Judi­ciary in England and Wales. The house consists of more than 1.000 members.

Legislative measures are introduced into Parliament as Bills, usually by ministers but also by others MPs. Bills are consi­dered both by the House of Commons and by the House of Lords.  Bills approved at all stages receive the Royal Assent and become Acts of Parliament. The House of Lords may delay certain Bills but cannot finally veto them. In order to be enforced, it must be published in Statute form, becoming a part of Statute Law. There are two main types of Bills - Public Bills which deal with matters of public importance and Private Bills which deal with local matters and individuals.

The functions of Parliament are: making laws; providing money for the government through taxation; examining government policy, administration and spending; debating political questions.

Every year Parliament passes about a hundred laws directly, by making Acts of Parliament. Because this can be a long process, Parliament sometimes passes a very general law and leaves a minister to fill in the details. In this way, it indirectly passes about 2,000 additional rules and regulations.

The work of Government is carried out through the various government departments each responsible to a minister and staff­ed by members of a politically neutral Civil Service - a change of Government does not involve a change in the servants staffing a department.

In 1973 Britain joined the European Economic Community ("the Common Market").

UK Parliament tour - Welcome to the Houses of Parliament https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbjEd430EKM