1

• Before the House of Commons it was just the King and his barons
• King John seal on Magna Carta-> council of 25 men


  1215
• Simon de Montfort rebelled against Henry III


  1. They invited representatives of the towns together to the 1265 parliament

  2. House of Lords & House of Commons formed

  3. King & nobility became less powerful
• A huge fire in Westminster Palace-> became Parliament's home


  1512
• House of Commons


  • Members are elected by population, every 5 years representatives are elected by population to run the country
  • To be a candidate: 18yo, not in prison, not a Lord
  • Roles: debate important issues, makes and reviews laws, represents the public, holds the government to account
• House of Commons


  • The government (who run the country) & the opposition (who keep an eye on what the government are doing)
  • Chamber: 437 seats for over 600 members, the common speaker sits at the head of the room to maintain order, prime minister leads the government and appoints minister to form a cabinet (on the front bench)
• Government


  Introduces most of the ideas for new laws and the changes to old ones
• Opposition


  Questions and challenges the government
• All MPs split their time between the House of Commons and their Constituency; they have to figure out what is best for their party or for the local people they represent
• Every week for half an hour PM comes to the House of Commons


  To answer questions from MPs
• Select Committees


  • Where MPs spend a lot of time reviewing the policies and spending of government= scrutiny
• Great Britain


  England, Wales, Scotland - geographical concept comprising 3 nations
• United Kingdom


  England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland - political concept: one state comprising 4 nations
• British Isles


  England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, (The Republic of) Ireland - geographical concept comprising two states
• Monarchy


  • Head of state (King) and the head of government (Rishi Sunak, 7 PM) as in France (Macron - Attal) and not in USA
  • Young, glamorous, married to a tall, dashing prince
  • Had participated in war effort
  • Sense of duty and responsibility
  • Contrast with pre-war abdication crisis
  • Acted as an ambassador with the colonies
  • 70.5 years at her death (2022)... longest reign in British history (overtook Queen Victoria 2015)
• Monarchy use the power of media to brainwashing people (feeling of growing with the Queen)
• Constitutional monarchy within a parliamentary democracy

  You can have a democracy within a monarchy
• Three branches of state authority

  • Executive: government (Monarch + PM+ Cabinet)
  • Legislative: parliament (Houses of Commons and the Lords)
  • Judiciary: court system (UK Supreme Court)
• Each branch is independent, but in 'Westminster model' there is a lot of overlap and the executive tends to dominate
• Supreme Court before it was the House of Lords

  2009
• Monarch


  Head of state-> appoints the PM and the Cabinet, consults + advises the PM (weekly meetings), strict political neutrality (King cannot vote or stand for election)
• Monarch


  1. Opens parliament - King's Speech

  2. Dissolves Parliament, when new elections are to be held

  3. Ratifies all laws passed - Royal Assent

  4. Confers peerages (= people who can sit in the Lords)
• Monarch


  In theory very powerful, in practice little power, but LOTS OF MONEY & assets and SYMBOLIC importance
• Monarch


  Head of the Church of England and Fidei defensor, appoints bishops and archbishops
• Monarch


  • Head of the Armed Forces, Queen of 15 Commonwealth Realms in addition to the UK, appoints 'governors' (Canada, Australia, New Zealand,..), her face was on coins in 35 countries
• 58% people think that Queen has done a very good job, young people are less impressed
• Monarch and 'working royals' funded by Sovereign Grant (% revenue from Crown Estate), Queen started paying tax in 1993
• Controversial and contested issues: Royal divorces, Reaction to Diana's death, Dubious connections (e.g. Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein), Accusations of racism and pressure - Harry and Meghan Markle 'step back' from royal duties
• Australia - 1999 referendum on abolishing monarchy: 55% voted to keep the Queen, public opinion in some Commonwealth countries is less favorable to Charle III (New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbuda,...), Republican campaigners in UK claim 20% want to get rid of royalty
• British PM


  Not elected as PM, but are the leader of the strongest party in parliament, appointed by the monarch
• Whitehall


  A main artery linking Trafalgar Square and Parliament square, home to main government Ministries
• Buildings reflect changes, note size of MOD (Ministry of Defense), FCO= apogee of Empire, Health, pensions... - not a state concern at turn of century
• 'We shape our buildings and then they shape us' - Churchill arguing that postwar rebuilding should reproduce what existed before
• David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson -> manage the exit from Europe
• Prime Minister's role


  Policy: defines government objectives, Diplomacy: represents the UK, negotiates with other states and international organizations, Legislation: consults/ manages Parliament, Administration: ensures the smooth running of state, Appoints the Cabinet
• Who is in the Cabinet

  • Chancellor of the Exchequer (= Finance and Budget), Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary (= Interior), Justice Secretary/ Lord Chancellor, Generally 20-25 members (+ juniors ministers and under secretaries)
• In UK public schools= private schools
• Governments change, the civil service remains
• UK Parliament


  • Bicameral: House of Commons (650 MPs, elected in constituencies, by 'first-past-the-post', every 5 years), House of Lords (NOT elected, approx. 800 members)
• Parliament


  Legislation: Checks legislation proposed by government - bills, Introduces legislation - private members' bills, Scrutiny: Holds executive to account - questions, committees, enquiries, Deliberation: Acts as a forum for national debate to represent public interests