a brief introduction to UK

Parliamentismadeupofthreeparts:•TheQueen•TheHouseofLords•TheHouseofCommonsTheParliament•ThetwoHousesoftheParliamentoftheUnitedKingdom(theHouseofLordsandtheHouseofCommons)arebasedatThePalaceofWestminster,alsoknownastheHousesofParliament,inLondon.TheParliament•ThepalaceliesonthenorthbankoftheRiverThamesintheLondonboroughoftheCityofWestminster,closetothegovernmentbuildingsofWhitehall.GreatBritain(UK)isaparliamentarydemocracywithaconstitutionalMonarchasHeadofState.•ParliamentdecidesthelawsandmakedecisionsonrunningtheUK.(SomeissuesinScotland,WalesandNorthernIrelandarenowdealtwithbytheirrespectiveparliamentsandassemblies.)TherehasbeenaparliamentatWestminstersincethe13thCentury.WhatisParliament?•Parliamentiswherepoliticians(MPs)meettodecidelawsandmakedecisionsfortheUnitedKingdom.ItisnotthesameastheGovernment(whichrunsthecountry).OneofthejobsParliamentdoesistocheckthattheGovernmentisrunningthecountryproperly.TheHouseofCommons•TheHouseofCommonshas659memberswhohavebeenelectedbylocalresidentstorepresentanareaofthecountryinParliament.ThemembersarecalledMPs(MembersofParliament).EachMPrepresentsoneof659constituencies(areas)intheUKandisamemberofapoliticalparty,suchasNewLabourortheConservativeparty.•TheHouseofCommonsisthemostimportantplacefordiscussingpoliciesandmakinglaws.HouseofCommonsChamberTheHouseofLords•TheHouseofLordsismadeupofpeoplewhohaveinheritedfamilytitlesandthosewhohavebeengiventitlesbecauseoftheiroutstandingworkinonefieldoranother.Thereare675membersoftheLords.•ThemainjoboftheHouseofLordsisto'doublecheck'newlawstomakesuretheyarefairandwillwork.WhatisthejobofParliament?•ThemainfunctionsofParliamentare:•topasslaws•toprovide,byvotingfortaxation,themeansofcarryingontheworkofgovernment•toscrutinisegovernmentpolicyandadministration,includingproposalsforexpenditure•todebatethemajorissuesofthedayGeneralElections•AParliamenthasamaximumdurationoffiveyears.Attheendofthefiveyearorbefore,ageneralelectionmusttakeplacesonewmembersofparliamentcanbeelectedbythepeople.•WhatisaGeneralElection?•TheelectionofallMembersofParliament(MPs)foreachconstituency(localarea)iscalledaGeneralElection.Avoterisvotedforwithintheirparty.TheLordsareappointedorinherited!•IntheUKtherearetheHouseofCommonsandtheHouseofLords.PeoplecanonlyvoteforaMPtorepresentthemintheHouseofCommons.HowoftendoGeneralElectionstakeplace?•GeneralelectionshavetotakeplaceatleasteveryfiveyearsandarecalledbythePrimeMinister(theleaderoftheGovernment).•WhocanbecomeaMP?•PeoplearenominatedascandidatestobecomeMPs.Anyoneovertheageof21canbeacandidate.WhatisthedifferencebetweenParliamentandtheGovernment?•TheParliamentandGovernmentmeantwodifferentthings.•Parliamentrepresentsthepeople.•GovernmentrunsthecountryandisalsoelectedbythepeopleTheGovernmentrunsthecountry•BeingaMemberofParliament(MP)isnotthesameasbeinginGovernment.Thepoliticalpartythathasmoreseatsthanalltheothersrunsthecountry.TheleaderoftheGovernmentisthePrimeMinister•ThenewPrimeMinisterchoosesateamofpeoplefromParliamentwhowillrunthecountrywithhim.AnyMPsorLordsintheteamheorshepicksarenowmembersoftheUKGovernment.•Therearenormallyabout100peopleinaUKgovernment.WhoistheBritishPrimeMinister?•Atpresent,thePrimeMinisterisGordonBrown,whoistheleaderoftheLabourParty(from27June2007).ThePrimeMinisteristheheadoftheUKGovernment•EveryweekthePrimeMinisterappearsbeforetheHouseofCommonsandmustanswerquestionsputtohimorherbythemembersofParliament.•ThePrimeMinisterheadstheGovernmentandappointsMinisters,whoheadindividualGovernmentdepartments.TheSecretariesofState•ThemostimportantministersarecalledSecretariesofStateandtheyformtheCabinet.•TheSecretariesofStateareinchargeofaGovernmentDepartment(aministry).Eachministerisresponsibleforhisdepartment,andmakessurethathisdepartmentappliesthepolicyofthegovernment.ThemostimportantSecretariesofStateare:•TheChancelloroftheExchequer(finance)•TheForeignSecretary(internationalaffairs)•TheHomeSecretary(internalaffairs)•TheLordChancellor(thelegalsystem)•TheSecretaryofStateforEducation•TheSecretaryofStateforTransportandtheEnvironment.ShadowCabinet•Thetwoothermainpoliticalpartiesalsohavetheirown‘shadowcabinets’WheredoesthePrimeMinisterlive?•Traditionally,theofficialresidenceofthePrimeMinisterisatNumber10DowningStreet.•HealsohasahouseinthecountrycalledChequers.WhatisChequers?•ChequersisacountryhousebelongingtotheGovernment,whichisusedasthePrimeMinister'snon-Londonresidence.IfthePMneedstoholdaprivateconferenceofsomeofhisMinistersorreceiveforeignvisitorsoveraweekend,Chequersisusuallywhereitisdone.ItisalsousedbyPrimeMinisterstoentertainguestsasaspecialprivilege.•Chequers—theofficialcountryresidenceofBritishPrimeMinisterssince1921.ThemainPoliticalParties•TherearetwomajorpoliticalpartiesintheHouseofCommons:•Labor•Conservative•GreenParty•NewPartyforBritain•UKIndependenceParty(UKIP)TheQueen•TheQueenistheofficialHeadofState.BritainhasaconstitutionalmonarchywheretheQueenonlyrulessymbolically;inreality,powerbelongstoParliament.So,althoughtheQueen'opens'Parliamenteachyearandlawsarepassedinhername,theQueenherselfplaysnopartindeterm