Historical Factors Of The British Political System In The UK
The British Political System
In spite of the fact that the UK is a monarchy, since King Charles I was executed in 1649 and the English Civil War that followed between the Royalists and the parliamentarians the powers of the monarch were gradually reduced.
The UK’s constitution is not formally written but it consists of certain historic documents such as Magna Carta written in 1215, the Petition of Rights in 1628, the Bill of Rights in 1689 and the Act of Settlement in 1701, which gradually gave more power to the Parliament over the Monarch. The body of the political life is also established by Acts of Parliament on the common law, and of course on EU law. As it is for all EU members, the laws voted by Westminster must obey the requirements …show more content…
It has the authority to compose, change or even abolish any law. The Parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords) make the law.
Since the government sits in Parliament and the law Lords sit in the House of Lords, there is no strict separation of powers. The parliament is consisted by 659 members (MPs), which are all elected by the people. The British constituencies are all equal in size. Although general elections take place at least every five years, if a Member of Parliament resigns, by-elections are held in only one constituency (which usually indicates a government’s popularity). The time when the elections will be held can be chosen by the Prime Minister, which can be a problem for the opposition.
The Members of Parliament are associated with political parties and they are expected to comply with the lines given by the leader of the party and obey the party’s disciplines.
Major Political Parties
Since only Labour and the Conservatives can be expected to form a government, the UK politics rest on a two-party system. However, smaller parties have gained political influence. The third greater political party is the Liberal Democrats. Because of the domination of the two major parties, minor ones are under-represented. As a result almost a quarter of the population is not represented. One could say that smaller parties could only influence the two main …show more content…
It votes the financial plans, it approves the taxes raising and it starts the legislations. Generally, the majority of the House of Commons belong to the current government and most Members of Parliament support the government’s actions. The House of Commons discusses current issues; standing boards examine the legislation and select committees inspect special issues. The Speaker of the House of Commons, when he is elected, stops being a political delegate and he becomes impartial. They supervise the House of Commons, preserve the balance amongst frontbenchers and backbenchers, maintain the order in debates, and have the authority to suspend a disorderly Member of
In spite of the fact that the UK is a monarchy, since King Charles I was executed in 1649 and the English Civil War that followed between the Royalists and the parliamentarians the powers of the monarch were gradually reduced.
The UK’s constitution is not formally written but it consists of certain historic documents such as Magna Carta written in 1215, the Petition of Rights in 1628, the Bill of Rights in 1689 and the Act of Settlement in 1701, which gradually gave more power to the Parliament over the Monarch. The body of the political life is also established by Acts of Parliament on the common law, and of course on EU law. As it is for all EU members, the laws voted by Westminster must obey the requirements …show more content…
It has the authority to compose, change or even abolish any law. The Parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords) make the law.
Since the government sits in Parliament and the law Lords sit in the House of Lords, there is no strict separation of powers. The parliament is consisted by 659 members (MPs), which are all elected by the people. The British constituencies are all equal in size. Although general elections take place at least every five years, if a Member of Parliament resigns, by-elections are held in only one constituency (which usually indicates a government’s popularity). The time when the elections will be held can be chosen by the Prime Minister, which can be a problem for the opposition.
The Members of Parliament are associated with political parties and they are expected to comply with the lines given by the leader of the party and obey the party’s disciplines.
Major Political Parties
Since only Labour and the Conservatives can be expected to form a government, the UK politics rest on a two-party system. However, smaller parties have gained political influence. The third greater political party is the Liberal Democrats. Because of the domination of the two major parties, minor ones are under-represented. As a result almost a quarter of the population is not represented. One could say that smaller parties could only influence the two main …show more content…
It votes the financial plans, it approves the taxes raising and it starts the legislations. Generally, the majority of the House of Commons belong to the current government and most Members of Parliament support the government’s actions. The House of Commons discusses current issues; standing boards examine the legislation and select committees inspect special issues. The Speaker of the House of Commons, when he is elected, stops being a political delegate and he becomes impartial. They supervise the House of Commons, preserve the balance amongst frontbenchers and backbenchers, maintain the order in debates, and have the authority to suspend a disorderly Member of