The British Parliament

VI. BRITISH INSTITUTIONS.

Governmental system In UK

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as head of state.

The UK's constitution governs the legal framework of the country and consists mostly of written sources, including statutes, judge made case law, and international treaties. The United Kingdom is one of the three countries in the world today that does not have a codified constitution (the other two being New Zealand and Israel).

The position of Prime Minister, the UK's head of government, belongs to the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister and their Cabinet are formally appointed by the Monarch to form Her Majesty's Government. However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, the Queen respects the Prime Minister's choices. The Cabinet is traditionally drawn from members of the Prime Minister's party in both legislative houses, and mostly from the House of Commons, to which they are responsible. The Prime Minister and Cabinet exercise executive power. The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, especially in the appointment of other officials within the government and civil service.

The British Parliament

In the United Kingdom the institution responsible for making laws, discussing major issues affecting the country & raising taxes is called Parliament.

Parliament comes from ‘parley’, a discussion. The word was first used in the 13th century to describe meetings between Henry III & his noblemen in the Great Council.

The three parts of Parliament, the sovereign (=the king or queen), the House of Lords & the House of Commons, meet together only on special occasions. Although the agreement of all three is required for laws to be passed, that of the king or queen is now given without question.

The House of Commons. The House of Commons, often called simply the Commons or the House, is elected by the adult population of Britain & is responsible to them. Members of the House of Commons are known as Members of Parliament, or MPs. There are currently 659 MPs representing constituencies (=special districts) in England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland. Elections must be held every five years, but if an MP resigns or dies there is a by-election in that constituency.

Until the 20th century MPs did not receive a salary, so that only rich people could afford to be MPs. Most MPs are now full-time politicians but the hours of business of the Commons reflect a time when MPs had other jobs. The House does not sit in the mornings, except on Fridays, but starts at 2.30 p.m. & does not finish until 10.30 p.m., & sometimes much later. On Fridays, they finish early for the weekend. MPs spend their mornings on committee work, preparing speeches & dealing with problems from their constituency. The House of Commons has several rows of seats facing each other. MPs who belong to the Government sit on one side & those from the Opposition sit on the other. There are no cross-benches (=seats for MPs who do not support the main parties). Ministers & members of the Shadow Cabinet (=leaders of the Opposition) sit on the front benches. Other MPs sit behind & are called backbenchers. On the table between them are two wooden dispatch boxes. Ministers & shadow ministers stand beside them when making a speech. The Speaker, who is chosen by MPs from amongst themselves to preside over debates, sits on a raised chair at the top end of the table. MPs sit wherever they can find room on their side of the House. There are only about 400 seats, not enough for all MPs to sit down at once. The press & members of the public can listen to debates from the Strangers’ Gallery.

The House of Lords. The House of Lords consists of Lords Spiritual, i.e. the Archbishops of Canterbury & York & senior bishops, & Lords Temporal, i.e. all hereditary peers & life peers. The total number of people eligible to attend the Lords is about 1 200 but some get permission to be absent. The Lord Chancellor presides over debates from Woolsack.

The power of the House of Lords has been reduced over time. Since 1911 the Lords have had no control over financial matters, & since 1949 they have not been able to reject legislation (=laws) passed by the Commons, though they may suggest amendments. At various times people have suggested that the House of Lords should be abolished (=got rid of), or that its composition & functions should be changed. In 1998 the Labor government announced that it would abolish the right of hereditary peers to sit in the Lords, & also that it would create new life peers to take their place. It is not yet clear how they will be chosen.

Meetings of Parliament. The word parliament is also used to mean a period of government. Each parliament lasts a maximum of five years & is divided into shorter sessions lasting one year, beginning in October. There are adjournments at night & for holidays.

The State Opening of Parliament takes place at the beginning of each session. Black Rod, a servant of the Queen, knocks on the door of the House of Commons & demands that MPs allow the Queen to come inside & tell them what her Government is planning to do in the next year. The Commons always refuse to let her in. This is because, in the 17th century when Parliament was trying to take away some of the monarch’s power, King Charles I tried to control the House of Commons by having some MPs arrested. This led to the Civil War. Parliament works in the Place of Westminster, often called the Houses of Parliament. As well as the two chambers where the House of Commons & the House of Lords meet, there are committee rooms, libraries, offices & restaurants.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1365