Political System of Great Britain

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is formally at the head of the state. Everything is done in Queen’s name. But in fact the country is ruled by the Parliament consisting of two chambers (houses): the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is the lower House and the House of Lords is the upper one. The Prime-Minister is head of the Government.

The members of the House of Lords are not elected by the population. The head of the House of Lords is the Lord Chancellor. Near the throne of Lord Chancellor stands a special seat called the Woolsack. The Woolsack symbolizes the wealth of Great Britain.This tradition dates back to the time when Great Britain became rich for its textile and wool industry.

The members of the House of Commons are elected for a period of 5 years. The House of Commons makes the laws for the country. The members of the House of Commons belong to the different political parties and the Government of the country is formed by the party which has the greatest number of members elected to Parliament.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. That means it has a monarch at the head of the state. But the Queen’s power is not absolute. The monarch reigns with the support of Parliament. The Queen reigns but doesn’t rule. In practice, legislation is dominated by the Prime Minister and the Cabi­net, who initiate virtually all proposed bills and who are politically re­sponsible for the administration of the law and the affairs of the na­tion. The power of the Crown to veto legislation has not been exercised in over 280 years.

The Queen is very rich as well as other members of their family. She has a lot of lands, palaces, masterpieces of art.  Her image appears on stamps, notes, coins. She makes official visits to other countries. The Residence of Her Majesty the Queen Elisabeth II is Buckingham Palace. The family of the Queen is numerous. She has 3 sons and a daughter.

When the Parliament begins its work the Queen makes a speech in the House of Lords. This ceremony is significant and picturesque.

Ø  Read the facts about British political system

The House of Commons  

• 650 MPs each elected by voters
• Voters are in 650 ‘constituencies’ (towns or areas in the UK)

The House of Lords

• There are no elections for the House of Lords.
• The ‘Lords’ are dukes, barons, earls, marquises, viscounts and religious leaders.
• More than 1000 members; but only 100 usually attend
• The House of Lords has very little real power. The members of the House of Lords discuss new laws but can only suggest changes.

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet

The Prime Minister chooses about 20 MPs to be in the Cabinet. These are the heads of the departments of Defense, Employment, Industry, Health, etc. The Government = The Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

What functions do the representatives of power perform? Use the scheme to find the correct statement.

1. A. The Queen votes on the bills.

    B. The Queen signs the bills.

2. A. The Queen has mostly representative functions.

    B. The Queen rules the country in fact.

3. A. The government represents the legislative branch of power.

    B. The government represents the executive branch of power.

4. A. The Cabinet is responsible for government policies.

    B. The Cabinet Ministers revise bills from Parliament.

5. A. Parliament represents the legislative branch of power.

    B. Parliament represents the executive branch of power.

6. A. The House of Commons controls the government.

    B. The government controls the House of Commons.

7. A. The House of Lords has the power to delay bills for one year.

    B. The House of Lords opposes the decisions of the House of Commons.

8. A. The Cabinet coordinates the work of the government departments.

    B. The Cabinet makes laws.

Discuss the following statements.

1. How many chambers are there in the Parliament?
2. Parliament has real power in the political system of Great Britain. British Parliament is often called “The mother of all Parliaments.” What branch of power does the Parliament represent?
3. What can you say about the House of Commons and the House of Lords?
(The House of Commons controls the Government, makes laws. The Commons have much more real power. The House of Lords examines and revises bills and can delay bills for one year.)
4. Where the Parliament works?
5. What shows that the Parliaments` sittings began?
(The face of Big Ben is lighting.)
6. What national tradition is there in the hall of the House of Lords?