|
About Britain - The Government
The UK's Parliament is one of the oldest in the world, having its
origins in the mid-13th Century. Its principles of free elections,
freedom of speech and open and equal treatment before the law continue
to be fervently upheld.
Parliament consists of three parts, the House of Commons, House of
Lords and the Crown and is responsible for making laws, examining
the work of Government, controlling finance, protecting the individual,
examining European proposals, and debating.
At the end of the 20th Century, legislation was passed by the UK Parliament
to create devolved Parliaments/Assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
As a Member State of the European Union, the UK in bound by the various
types of European community (EC) legislation and wider policies that
are based on a series of treaties since the 1950s. Almost all UK government
departments are involved in EU-wide activities. The UK has 78 members
of the European Parliament and there are elections every 5 years, the next election is due in 2009.
The UK also has an active civil society with thousands of non-government
organisations (NGOs) that represent the multitude of cultural, ethnic,
religious, environmental, and other interests of individual citizens.
For the last 150 years, Britain has had a predominantly two-party
system. Since 1945, either the Conservative Party or the Labour Party
has held power. The Liberal Democrats were formed in 1988 when the
Liberal Party merged with the Social Democratic Party, which was founded
in 1981.
Other parties include two nationalist parties, Plaid Cymru, The Party
of Wales and the Scottish National Party. Northern Ireland has a number
of parties. They include the Ulster Unionists, the Democratic Unionists,
founded by a group that broke away from the Ulster Unionists, the
Social Democratic and Labour Party and Sinn Fein.
The party that wins most seats at a General Election, or which has
the support of a majority of members in the House of Commons, usually
becomes the Government. The largest minority party becomes the official
Opposition, with its own leader and 'shadow cabinet'.
Leaders of the Government and Opposition sit opposite one another
on the front benches in the debating chamber of the House of Commons.
Their supporters, called the 'backbenchers', sit behind them. There
are similar seating arrangements for the parties in the House of Lords
but those peers who do not wish to be associated with any political
party choose to sit on the 'crossbenches'.
Back to top
|
