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Politics of the United Kingdom

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United=20 Kingdom

This = article=20 is part of the series:
Politics and = government=20 of
the United Kingdom

Pa= rliament=20
The = Crown: = Queen=20 Elizabeth II=20
House of = Lords=20
- Lord=20 Chancellor: Lord=20 Falconer
House of=20 Commons=20
- Speaker:=20 Michael= =20 Martin

Ele= ctions:=20 2001=20 - 2005=20 - 2009/10=20 (est)=20
Political=20 parties=20
= Constitution=20

EU=20 Politics =

The politics of the United = Kingdom are=20 based upon a unitary state = and a constitutio= nal=20 monarchy. Its system of government (often known as the Westminster=20 system) has been adopted by other countries, such as Canada, India, Australia, New=20 Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Jamaica.

The = constitution=20 is uncodified, being made up of constitutional=20 conventions, statutes and other = elements.

The head of state = and=20 theoretical source of executive, judicial and legislative power = in the UK=20 is the British = monarch,=20 currently Queen = Elizabeth=20 II. Although sovereignty in the UK rests entirely with the monarch = (also=20 called the "sovereign"), by established convention the monarch only = exercises=20 this role through the UK= =20 parliament. The monarch's role in Parliament is known as Queen in = Parliament.=20 Under this convention, the monarch chooses the leader of the largest = party in=20 the House of Commons to become the Prime Minister, even though in theory = the=20 monarch possesses the right to choose any British citizen to be her = Prime=20 Minister, even if (s)he is not an MP or a = member of=20 the House of Lords. = The=20 monarch grants Royal Assent to a = Bill from = Parliament,=20 albeit theoretically (s)he possesses the ability to refrain from doing = so. The=20 Royal Assent is almost never refused, in accordance with contemporary constitutional=20 conventions - the last occasion it was declined was 11 March 1708 by Queen = Anne. The=20 monarch dissolves Parliament at the time suggested by the Prime = Minister, though=20 in theory the Sovereign = holds the=20 right to dissolve parliament whenever s/he wishes. Other royal powers = called royal = prerogative,=20 such as patronage to appoint ministers and the ability to declare war, = are=20 exercised by the Prime Minister and the Cabin= et.

Today the Sovereign has an essentially ceremonial role restricted in = exercise=20 of power by convention and public opinion, though the monarch (in = accordance=20 with the writings of 19th century British constitutional writer Walter=20 Bagehot) does exercise three essential rights: the right to be = consulted,=20 the right to advise and the right to warn. Prime ministers have = weekly=20 confidential meetings with the monarch. The longer the monarch reigns = the=20 greater the degree of his or her experience and knowledge becomes, and = so the=20 meetings become more and more useful. In practical terms, the political = head of=20 the UK is the Prime=20 Minister (Tony Blair since May 2, = 1997), who must have the = support of=20 a majority of Members of=20 Parliament (MPs) in the Hou= se of=20 Commons. In formal terms, the Crown in Parliament is = sovereign.

1 Executive = branch=20
2 Legislative=20 branch=20
- 2.1 House of=20 Commons=20
- 2.2 The House = of=20 Lords
3 Political = parties and=20 elections=20
- 3.1 Electoral = systems and=20 reform=20
- 3.2 Non-parliamentary=20 political parties=20
- 3.3 History of = political=20 parties=20
- 3.4 Political = landscape=20 today=20
- 3.5 "Regional" = parties in=20 Great Britain=20
- 3.6 The fringe=20 parties=20
- 3.7 Independents=20
4 Civil = service=20
5 Devolution=20
6 Local = Government=20
7 Elections=20
8 Major issues in = British=20 national politics=20
9 British = politics and the=20 European Union=20
10 Politics in = Northern=20 Ireland=20
11 Government=20 bodies=20
12 Judicial = branch=20
13 Miscellaneous=20
- 13.1 Referendums=20
- 13.2 Political = pressure=20 groups=20
- 13.3 International=20 organization participation
14 See = also=20
- 14.1 Footnotes=20
15 External = links=20

[edit]

Executive branch

=20

Tony Blair, current = British=20 prime minister = and leader=20 of the British Labour=20 Party.

See also: Departments=20 of the United Kingdom Government

The Government performs the Executive functions of the United = Kingdom. The=20 monarch appoints a Prime=20 Minister, guided by the strict convention that the Prime Minister = should be=20 the member of the House of Commons most likely to be able to form a = Government=20 with the support of the House. The Prime Minister then selects the other = Ministers which make up the Government and act as political heads of the = various=20 Government Departments. About twenty of the most senior government = ministers=20 make up the Cabin= et.

As in other Parliamentary= =20 systems of government, the executive (called "the government") is = drawn from=20 and is answerable to Parliament - a successful vote of no = confidence will force the government either to resign or to seek a=20 parliamentary dissolution and a general election. In practice members of = parliament of all major parties are strictly controlled by "whips" who = try to=20 ensure they vote according to party policy. If the government has a = large=20 majority, then they are very unlikely to lose enough votes to be unable = to pass=20 legislation. In November 2005, the Blair government suffered its first = defeat,=20 on a proposal to extend the period for detaining terrorist suspects to = 90 days.=20 However, before this, the last bill proposed by a government that was = defeated=20 in the House of Commons was the Shop=20 Hours Bill in 1986, one of only three = in the 20th=20 century. Governments with a small majority, or coalition governments, = are much=20 more vulnerable, and sometimes have to resort to extreme measures, such = as=20 "wheeling in" sick MPs, to get the necessary majority. Margaret = Thatcher in=20 1983 and = Tony Blair=20 in 1997, = for example,=20 were swept into power with such large majorities that even allowing for = dissent=20 within their parties, they were assured of winning practically all = parliamentary=20 votes, and thus were able to implement radical programmes of legislative = reform=20 and innovation. On the other hand, Prime Ministers such as John Major who = enjoy only=20 slender majorities can easily lose votes if relatively small numbers of = their backbench=20 MPs reject the whip and vote against the Government's proposals. As = such,=20 Governments with small majorities find it extremely difficult to = implement=20 controversial legislation and tend to become bogged down cutting deals = with=20 factions within their party or seeking assistance from other political=20 parties.

See: List = of British=20 Governments

Office Name Party Since Queen = Elizabeth=20 II 6=20 February 1952 Prime=20 Minister Tony = Blair Labour 2 = May=20 1997 Deputy=20 Prime Minister John = Prescott Labour 2 = May=20 1997 Chancel= lor=20 of the Exchequer Gordon = Brown Labour 2 = May=20 1997 Lord = Chancellor Charles=20 Falconer Labour June 2003 Speaker Michael= =20 Martin Labour 23 October 2000

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Legislative branch

Main article: Pa= rliament=20 of the United Kingdom

Parliament is the centre of the political system in the United = Kingdom. It is=20 the supreme legislative body (parliamen= tary=20 sovereignty), and Government is drawn from and answerable to it. = Parliament=20 is bicameral, = consisting of the=20 House of=20 Commons and the House of = Lords.

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House of Commons

Main article: British = House of=20 Commons

The UK is divided into parliamentary constituencies of = broadly=20 equal population (decided by the Boundary=20 Commission), each of which elects a Member of=20 Parliament to the House of Commons. There is only one independent MP = currently in the House of Commons, and two MPs from minor parties. There = almost=20 always is a party with an outright majority of MPs in the House. In = modern=20 times, all Prime Ministers and Leaders = of the=20 Opposition have been drawn from the Commons, not the Lords. Alec = Douglas-Home=20 resigned from his peerages days after becoming Prime Minister in 1963, and the last Prime = Minister=20 before him from the Lords left in 1902 (the Marquess=20 of Salisbury).

=20

Parliament meets at the Palace of=20 Westminster

One party usually has a majority in Parliament, because of the use of = the First=20 Past the Post electoral system, which has been conducive in creating = the two party = system that=20 exists in electoral politics, at least in general election to this day. = The=20 monarch normally asks a person commissioned to form a government simply = whether=20 it can survive in the House of Commons, something which majority=20 governments can do. In exceptional circumstances the monarch asks = someone to=20 'form a government' with a parliamentary minority,¹ in = the=20 event of no party having a majority, that requires the formation of a coalition=20 government. This option is only ever taken at a time of national = emergency,=20 such as war-time. It was given in 1916 to Andrew Bonar = Law, and=20 when he declined, to David Lloyd = George.=20 It is worth noting that a government is not formed by a vote of the = House of=20 Commons, merely a commission from the monarch. The House of Commons gets = its=20 first chance to indicate confidence in the new government when it votes = on the=20 Speech from = the=20 Throne, ie, the legislative programme proposed by the new = government.

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The House of Lords

Main article: House of = Lords

The House of Lords = was=20 previously a hereditary, aristocratic chamber. Major reform has been = partially=20 completed and it is currently a mixture of hereditary members, bishops = of the Church of = England and=20 appointed members (life peers, with no hereditary right for their = descendants to=20 sit in the House). It currently acts to review legislation formed by the = House=20 of Commons, with the power to propose amendments, and exercises a suspensive = veto =E2=80=94 it can=20 delay legislation it does not approve of for twelve months. However, the = use of=20 vetoes is limited by convention =E2=80=94 the Lords may not veto the = "money bills", or=20 major manifesto promises (see Salisbury=20 convention). Persistent use of the veto can be overturned by the Parliament Act = by the=20 Commons. Often governments will accept changes in legislation in order = to avoid=20 both the time delay, and the negative publicity of being seen to clash = with the=20 Lords.

The House of Lords is currently also the final court of appeal within = the=20 United Kingdom, although in practice only a small subset of the House of = Lords,=20 known as the Law Lords, hears = judicial=20 cases. However, the Cons= titutional=20 Reform Act 2005 outlines plans for a Supreme=20 Court of the United Kingdom to replace the role of the Law = Lords.

[edit]

Political parties and elections

Election results = include=20 names of political = parties.=20 See for additional information about parties the List=20 of political parties in the United Kingdom. An overview on elections=20 and election results is included in Ele= ctions=20 in the United Kingdom.

edit
Summary=20 of the 5 May 2005 House = of Commons=20 of the United Kingdom election=20 results Parties
This table indicates those parties = with over=20 500 votes nationwide Seats Gains Losses Net
Gain/Loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/-

Labour = Party 356 0 47 -47 55.2 35.3 9,562,122 -5.5% Conservativ= e=20 Party 198 36 3 +33 30.7 32.3 8,772,598 +0.6%

Liberal=20 Democrats 62 16 5 +11 9.6 22.1 5,981,874 +3.7%

U= nited=20 Kingdom Independence Party 0 0 0 0 0 2.2 603,298 +0.8%

Scottish=20 National Party 6 2 0 +2 0.9 1.5 412,267 -0.3% Gr= een=20 Party of England and Wales 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 257,758 +0.4%

Democrati= c=20 Unionist Party 9 4 0 +4 1.4 0.9 241,856 +0.2%

British=20 National Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 192,746 +0.5% Plaid = Cymru 3 0 1 -1 0.5 0.6 174,838 -0.1%

Sinn = F=C3=A9in 5 1 0 +1 0.8 0.6 174,530 -0.1%

Ulster = Unionist=20 Party 1 0 5 -5 0.2 0.5 127,414 -0.3%

= Social=20 Democratic and Labour Party 3 1 1 0 0.5 0.5 125,626 -0.1% Independen= t 1 1 0 0 0.2 0.5 122,000 +0.1%

RESPECT= =20 The Unity Coalition 1 1 0 +1 0.2 0.3 68,094 N/A

Scottish=20 Socialist Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 43,514 -0.1%

Veritas 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 40,481 N/A = Alliance=20 Party of Northern Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 28,291 0.0% Scottish = Green=20 Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 25,760 +0.1% = Sociali= st=20 Labour Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 20,192 0.0%

Liberal=20 Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 19,068 0.0% Independent=20 Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern 1 0 0 0 0.2 0.1 18,739 0.0% English=20 Democrats Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 14,506

Socialist=20 Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 9,398 N/A

National = Front=20 (UK) 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 8,079 0.0% Legalise= =20 Cannabis Alliance 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 6,985 0.0% = Community=20 Action Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 6,557 N/A

Official=20 Monster Raving Loony Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 6,311 0.0 Operation = Christian Vote 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 4,004 N/A Mebyon = Kernow 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 3,552 0.0% Forward = Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 3,461 N/A Christia= n=20 Peoples Alliance 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 3,291 N/A Vote=20 For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 2,463 N/A Community = Group 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 2,365 N/A Ashfield=20 Independents 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 2,292 Allian= ce=20 for Green Socialism 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,978 = Re= sidents'=20 Association of London 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,850

Workers=20 Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,669 0.0% So= cialist=20 Environmental Alliance 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,649 N/A Scottish=20 Unionist Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,266 0.0% Workers= =20 Revolutionary Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,143 0.0% New = England=20 Party 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,224 Communis= t=20 Party of Britain 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,124 The=20 Community (London Borough of Hounslow) 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,118 Peace and = Progress 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,036 Scottish=20 Senior Citizens Unity Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,017 N/A

Your = Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,006 SOS!=20 Northampton 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 932 Independent=20 Working Class 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 892 Democr= atic=20 Labour 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 770 British=20 Public 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 763 Free=20 Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 743 Pensioner= s=20 Party Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 716 Publican = Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 678 English = Independence 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 654 Soc= ialist=20 Unity 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 581 Local=20 Community 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 570 Clause=20 28 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 516 Community= =20 Issues 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 502 Total (turnout = %) 646 100.0 100.0 27,110,727

[edit]

Electoral systems and reform

Various electoral systems are used in the UK:

The First=20 Past the Post system is used for ge= neral=20 elections, and also local=20 government elections in England and Wales (previously in = Scotland).=20
The Additional= Member=20 System was introduced after devolution in 1999 for the Scottish=20 Parliament, Welsh = Assembly and London = Assembly.=20
The Single=20 Transferable Vote system is used to elect the Northern = Ireland=20 Assembly and Northern Ireland's local councils. It will also be = used for=20 the next elections to councils in Scotland.=20
The party=20 list is used for European=20 Parliament elections.=20
The Supplementary = Vote=20 is used to elect direct= ly-elected=20 mayors, such as the Mayor of = London.=20

In the last few elections, voter mandates for Westminster in the 40% = ranges=20 have been swung into 60% parliamentary majorities. No government has won = a=20 majority of the popular vote since the National=20 Government of Stanley = Baldwin in 1935.=20 Twice since World War II the party with fewer popular votes actually = came out=20 with the larger number of seats (in 1951=20 and February=20 1974). One reason for all the quirks is that Britain has many = political=20 parties, making it possible to win individual constituencies on less = than 50% of=20 the vote due to the opposition votes being divided.

Electoral reform has been considered for ge= neral=20 elections many times, but after the Jenkins = Commission=20 report in October 1998, which suggested the = Alternative= vote=20 top-up for ge= neral=20 elections was effectively ignored by the government, there have been = no=20 further government proposals for reform. It is highly unlikely that = electoral=20 reform will happen unless there is a significant change in the balance = of power=20 and Labour loses = its large=20 majority.

Low turnout is a concern, as the percentage of the electorate who = voted in=20 the last=20 general election was just 61%.

[edit]

Non-parliamentary political parties

Two parties have no seats in Parliament, but multiple seats in the European=20 Parliament

Veritas has=20 one M= EP,=20 its founder and former leader Robert Kilroy = Silk,=20 though he was elected for UKIP (which he later left). A number of other = parties=20 have local councillors such as the Liberal = Party=20 (in Kidderminster), Mebyon Kernow = (Cornish=20 nationalist party) in Cornwall, Scottish = Socialist=20 Party (Glasgow) and the Communist Left = Alliance=20 (in Fife). The British = National=20 Party (BNP) has councillors in a number of towns such as Burnley and, though = having no=20 seats in Parliament, achieved some good results in the 2005 election and = 5=20 percent of the national vote in 2004 European Elections.

[edit]

History of political parties

UK political parties originated in 1662 in the aftermath of = the English= Civil=20 War, with the creation of the Court Party and the Country Party, = soon=20 becoming known as the Tories (now the = Conservative party,=20 still commonly referred to as 'the Tories') and the Whigs (now the = Liberal=20 Democrats, though the term 'Whig' has become obsolete). The two remained = the=20 main political parties until the 20th century.

The term 'Tory' originates from the Exclusion Bill crisis of 1678-1681 - the Whigs were = those who=20 supported the exclusion of the Roman Catholic Duke of = York from=20 the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland, and the Tories were those = who=20 opposed it. Both names were originally insults: a "whiggamor" was a = cattle=20 driver, and a "tory" was an Irish term for = an=20 outlaw.

Generally, the Tories were associated with lesser gentry and the = Church of=20 England, while Whigs were more associated with trade, money, larger land = holders=20 (or "land magnates"), expansion and tolerance. Both were still committed = to the=20 political system in place at that time. Neither group could be = considered a true=20 political party in the modern sense.

The Rochdale Radicals were a = group of=20 more extreme reformists who were also heavily involved in the Cooperative = movement. They=20 sought to bring about a more equal society, and are considered by modern = standards to be left-wing.

=20

Robert=20 Peel

After becoming associated with repression of popular discontent in = the years=20 after 1815, the=20 Tories underwent a fundamental transformation under the influence of Robert=20 Peel, himself an industrialist rather than a landowner, who in his = 1835 "Tamworth = Manifesto"=20 outlined a new "Conservative" philosophy of reforming ills while = conserving the=20 good.

Though Peel's supporters subsequently split from their colleagues = over the=20 issue of free trade in 1846, ultimately joining = the Whigs=20 and the Radicals to = form what=20 would become the Liberal = Party, Peel's=20 version of the party's underlying outlook was retained by the remaining = Tories,=20 who adopted his label of Conservative as the official name of their = party.

The term 'Liberal = Party' was=20 first used officially in 1868, though it had been = in use=20 colloquially for decades beforehand. The Liberal Party formed a = government in 1870 and = then alternated=20 with the Conservative Party as the party of government throughout the = late 19th=20 century and early 20th century.

The Irish=20 Parliamentary Party was set up to replace the Home Rule = League in 1882. It = remained the=20 third-largest party in British politics until 1918, often holding the = balance of = power.

In 1900, the Labour = Representation=20 Committee was established and it changed its name to The Labour = Party=20 in 1906. = After the First World=20 War, this led to the demise of the Liberal Party as the main liberal = force=20 in British politics. The existence of the Labour Party on the left of = British=20 politics led to a slow waning of energy from the Liberal Party, ending = with it=20 taking third place in national politics. After performing poorly in the=20 elections of 1922, 1923 and 1924, the Liberal Party = was=20 superseded by the Labour Party as the party of the left.

Following two brief spells in minority governments in 1924 and 1929-1931, the Labour Party = had its=20 first true victory after World War II in = the 1945 "khaki=20 election". Throughout the rest of the twentieth century, Labour = governments=20 alternated with Conservative governments. The Conservatives were in = power for=20 most of the time, with the Labour Party suffering the "wilderness years" = of 1951-1964 (three straight = General=20 Election defeats) and 1979-1997 (four straight = General=20 Election defeats).

During this second period, Margaret = Thatcher, who=20 became leader of the Conservative party in 1975, made a fundamental = change to=20 Conservative policies, turning the Conservative Party into a staunch = right-wing=20 party. In the General=20 Election of 1979 she defeated James = Callaghan's=20 troubled Labour government after the winter of=20 discontent.

For most of the 1980s, and the 1990s under her = successor John=20 Major, Conservative governments pursued policies of privatisation, = anti-trade-unionism, = and Monetarism,=20 now known collectively as Thatcherism.

The Labour Party elected staunch left-winger Michael Foot as = their=20 leader after their 1979 election defeat, and he responded to Margaret = Thatcher's=20 government by moving the party further to the left, a move which split = the party=20 and is widely believed to have made Labour unelectable for a decade.

In response to Labour's leftward shift, some moderate members formed = a=20 breakaway group in 1981, called the Social= =20 Democratic Party (SDP). The SDP formed an alliance with the Liberal = Party=20 which contested the 1983=20 and 1987=20 general elections as a centrist alternative to Labour and the = Conservatives.=20 After some initial success, the SDP did not prosper, and was accused by = some of=20 splitting the anti-Conservative vote.

The SDP eventually merged with the Liberal Party to form the Liberal=20 Democrats in 1988.=20 Support for the new party has increased since then, and the Liberal = Democrats=20 (often referred to as LibDems) in 1997 and 2001 gained an increased = number of=20 seats in the House of Commons.

Labour were badly defeated by the Conservatives in the general=20 election of 1983 and Michael Foot was replaced by the more moderate = Neil=20 Kinnock as leader of the Labour Party. Kinnock expelled the far = left-wing Militant = Tendency=20 group, and moderated many of the party's policies. He was replaced by John = Smith=20 after Labour's narrow defeat in the 1992=20 general election.

Tony=20 Blair became leader of the Labour party after John Smith's sudden = death from=20 a heart attack in 1994. He continued to move the Labour Party back = towards the=20 centre (his critics would say to the centre-right, but most of them said = the=20 same about Kinnock and Smith) by=20 loosening links with the unions and = dropping policies=20 such as unilateral nuclear = disarmament.=20 This, coupled with the professionalising = of the=20 party machine's approach to the media, helped Labour win the 1997=20 General Election with a historic landslide result. The Labour Party = has=20 moved from being a social = democratic=20 party to a radical socialist party, to = being a social = democratic=20 party again.

[edit]

Political landscape today

The Labour Party consolidated its position in 2001, winning a full = second term -=20 a first-time achievement for the Labour Party.

This led to a crisis of confidence in the Conservative Party, which = had=20 become complacent with its position as the 'natural party of government' = after=20 its 18 years of power. The party's drift to the right lost it nearly all = its=20 working-class voters, and its ageing membership (average age 65) and = vote (third=20 party among the under 45s) mean that avoiding extinction became a higher = priority than winning an election. However, with Labour's recent drop in = popularity in 2003-2004 coinciding with Conservatives appointing Michael Howard = as leader,=20 the Conservatives appeared to have begun to recover their position as = serious=20 challengers to the Labour government. However, Tony Blair's party = secured a=20 majority for the third time in May 2005, albeit with a = greatly reduced=20 majority. In late 2005, the Conservatives replaced Michael Howard with = David=20 Cameron, who has brought about a revival of the party's fortunes by = trying to=20 improve its old-fashioned image.

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"Regional" parties in Great Britain

Other, smaller, British political parties are generally "regionally" = based,=20 often advocating independence for their country or region. They = include

Cornish=20 Nationalist Party=20
Mebyon Kernow = (Sons of=20 Cornwall)=20
Plaid Cymru = (Welsh=20 Nationalist Party)=20
Scottish = Green=20 Party=20
Scottish = National=20 Party (advocating independent Scottish statehood within the EU)=20
Scottish=20 Socialist Party (campaigning for a socialist Scottish republic) =

Several of these parties contest only within a specific area, = sometimes a=20 single County, Borough or District. Examples include the Better Bedford = party,=20 one of the dominant parties in Bedford Borough Council, led by Bedford's = current=20 Mayor, Frank Branston. The most notable local party is Health Concern, = which=20 controls a single seat in Parliament.

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The fringe parties

Other political=20 parties exist, but generally do not succeed in returning MPs to Parliament.=20 There is a tendency on the far left and right for a proliferation of = tiny groups=20 (also known by the French term 'groupuscules'), = sometimes=20 characterized by extremely rigid ideologies and built around = personalities, that=20 are constantly splitting to create new groups.

Among them is the anti-immigration British = National=20 Party.

However, in the European = Parliament,=20 the Gr= een=20 Party cannot be regarded as a fringe group, as they are members of = the=20 substantial pan-European Green group.

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Independents

There are also a few independent politicians with no party = allegiance. This=20 normally occurs only when an MP decides to break with his party in = mid-session.=20 Since the Second World War only three MPs have been elected as = independents,=20 though others have been elected after breaking away from their = party:

Martin Bell = represented=20 the Tatton=20 constituency in Cheshire between = 1997 and=20 2001. He was elected following a "sleaze" scandal involving the = sitting=20 Conservative MP, Neil=20 Hamilton -- Bell, a BBC journalist, stood as = an=20 anticorruption independent candidate, and the Labour and Liberal = Democrat=20 parties withdrew their candidates from the election.=20
Dr. Rich= ard=20 Taylor MP was elected for the Wyre=20 Forest constituency in the 2001 on a platform opposing the closure = of=20 Kidderminster hospital. He later established Health = Concern, the=20 party under which he ran in 2005.=20
Peter=20 Law MP was elected for the Blaenau=20 Gwent constituency in the 2005 election. He stood in protest of = Labour's=20 all-women shortlist for candidates.

[edit]

Civil service

Main article: British = Civil=20 Service

The civil=20 service is a permanent politically neutral organisation which = supports=20 Government Ministers in carrying out their executive duties. Its = constitutional=20 role is to support the Government of the day regardless of which = political party=20 is in power. Unlike in some other democracies, senior civil servants = remain in=20 post upon a change of Government.

The central core of the civil service is organised into a number of = Departments=20 of State. Each Department is led politically by a senior Minister, = supported=20 by a small team of junior Ministers. In most cases the senior Minister = is known=20 as a Secretary of = State=20 and is a member of the Cabin= et.=20 Administrative management of the Department is led by a head civil = servant known=20 in most Departments as a Permanent = Secretary.=20 The majority of the civil service staff in fact work in executive = agencies,=20 which are separate operational organisations reporting to Departments of = State.

"Whitehall" is often used as a synonym for the central core of the = Civil=20 Service. This is because most Government Departments have headquarters = in and=20 around Whitehall (a London=20 street).

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Devolution

In addition to the House of Commons, Scotland now has its = own=20 parliament and Wales and Northern = Ireland have=20 assemblies. England, however, has no devolved government between UK = Government=20 and local government following the failure of the governments previously = proposed regional assemblies - this has led to the formation of = democratic=20 reform groups such as The Campaign for an English = Parliament.=20 Some members of the devolved bodies are elected by a form of proport= ional=20 representation. Although the new devolved = governments=20 have some legislative and other powers, they do not have anywhere near = the power=20 of the UK parliament. There are also fundamental differences between = them. For=20 example, the Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate, whereas the = Welsh = Assembly=20 Government only has the power to spend the budget formerly allocated = to a=20 government department known as the Welsh Office. In addition, as = devolved=20 systems of government, they have no constitutional right to exist = and can=20 have their powers broadened, narrowed or changed by an Act of the UK=20 Parliament.

=20

Arms of the British Government (a variation of the = Royal=20 Arms)

Thus, the United Kingdom is said to have a unitary state = with a=20 devolved system of government. This contrasts with a federal system, in = which=20 sub-parliaments or state parliaments and assemblies have a clearly = defined=20 constitutional right to exist and a right to exercise = certain=20 constitutionally guaranteed and defined functions and cannot be = unilaterally=20 abolished by Acts of the central parliament.

The present policy of the UK Government is to increase national and = regional=20 devolution. The = opportunity=20 to elect a regional tier of elected government was to be offered to some = of the=20 regions of = England,=20 was accepted by referendum in London, but was = rejected in a=20 referendum in North East = England=20 and is now less likely to be offered elsewhere. A movement to obtain = some degree=20 of home rule also exists in Cornwall, = a petition=20 of over 50000 signatures was collected endorsing the call for a Cornish=20 Assembly. However, the UK government is not known to be considering any = form of=20 devolution to Cornwall.

For further information on Scotland's political system, see the main = article.

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Local Government

Main Article: Local=20 Government in the United Kingdom

The UK is divided into a variety of different types of Local = Authorities,=20 which are further subdivided in rural areas and some urban areas into parishes. The = vast Council,=20 together head the Local Authority. In addition to Local Authorities = there are=20 several public safety authorities - Police, Fire Service, Ambulance, = Coast=20 Guard, Mountain Rescue - independent from the councils whose borders = generally=20 coincide with those of the authorities they serve.

Local Authorities are responsible for such matters as administering=20 education, public transport, and the management of public spaces. Local=20 authorities are often engaged in community=20 politics.

Parishes have councils too and some are known as city or town = councils. These=20 councils are either made up of elected parish councillors, or in very = small=20 parishes, they use direct democracy.

There are two common systems of local government in the U.K.: the = old-style=20 two-tier and newer single-tier system. The older (and far more complex) = two-tier=20 system consists of Borough (urban) and District (rural) Councils, below = County=20 Councils. The District Councils are responsible for garbage collection, = granting=20 planning permission and funding for housing the poor; Borough Councils = have the=20 additional responsibilities for the maintenance of highways and = recreational=20 facilities. In District (rural) areas responsibility for highways and=20 recreational facilities passes to County and Parish councils = respectively.=20 County Councils are also responsible for education, social services, = some public=20 transport, etc.. Several Borough Councils also act as a District Council = over=20 part of their area, and in some cases they cover an area where their=20 responsibilities are midway between the two. For example Bedford Borough = Council=20 acts as District Council for most of North Bedfordshire, but has = highways=20 responsibility in several District parishes (Clapham, Biddenham, = Elstow); In=20 addition, several of Bedford's Wards (Brickhill, the Kempstons) are = urban=20 Parishes and so the Borough Council has no responsibility for the = recreational=20 facilities in those wards - they pass to the Brickhill Parish and = Kempston Town=20 Councils.

Unitary = Authorities,=20 which are in use throughout the whole of Scotland and Wales and in many = areas in=20 England, combine Borough, District and County Councils into one body. = Unitary=20 authorities often share common public safety authorities with other = neighbouring=20 councils. For example, Luton shares services = with=20 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes = shares=20 services with Buckinghamshire.

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Elections

Main article Ele= ctions in=20 the United Kingdom

[edit]

Major issues in British national politics

Major issues in current British national politics, in descending = order of=20 voter concern (as of MORI poll April 2004), are:

Defence / = Terrorism=20
Race relations / i= mmigration=20
The NHS=20
Edu= cation=20
Law and order=20
Pensions and benefits=20
The state of the econo= my=20
European = integration=20 and the single=20 currency=20
Housing and=20 house prices=20
Taxation

There are also specific regional issues, not listed above, for which, = see=20 below.

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British politics and the European Union

The United Kingdom is a member of the European Union = (EU). As=20 such, UK citizens elect M= embers of=20 the European Parliament to represent them in the European = Parliament=20 in Brussels=20 and Strasbourg. The UK = elects 78=20 MEPs.

In recent years, there have been divisions in both major parties as = to=20 whether the UK should form greater ties within the EU, leave things as = they are,=20 or reduce the EU's supranational powers. Opponents of greater European=20 integration are known as Eurosceptics, = supporters=20 Pro-Europeans. = Divisions=20 over Europe run deep in both major parties, and though the Conservative = Party=20 was seen to split over this issue whilst in Government up to 1997, it is = the=20 Labour Party which now faces conflicting views within Cabinet over UK=20 involvement in the Euro and the new European=20 Constitution.

British = nationalists=20 have long campaigned against EU integration. The strong showing of the=20 eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in the 2004 = European=20 Parliament elections has shifted the debate over UK relations with the = EU.

[edit]

Politics in Northern Ireland

Politics in Northern = Ireland is=20 particularly complex, due to the history= of=20 Northern Ireland, particularly 'The Troubles'. = Until the 1960s the = three main=20 parties in Great Britain = were=20 mirrored in Northern Ireland, with the Ulster = Unionist=20 Party serving as the regional wing of the Conservativ= e=20 Party whilst the small Ulster = Liberal=20 Party served a similar role for the Liberal = Party. The North= ern=20 Ireland Labour Party was not as strongly tied to the UK Labour Party = but the=20 differences were not obvious. Also in existence were the Nationa= list=20 Party and Sinn = F=C3=A9in, both of whom were=20 committed to the political unification of = Northern = Ireland and=20 the Republic of=20 Ireland.

From the late 1960s until the mid-1990s, Northern Ireland = was=20 plagued by civil unrest and paramilitarism, known as the Troubles. In = the=20 process the political parties were greatly disrupted. The Ulster = Unionist=20 Party discontinued its links with the Conservative Party in protest = at the=20 Sunningdale=20 Agreement. The Ulster = Liberal=20 Party remained a part of the now Liberal = Democratic=20 Party but faced with marginal support it chose to form a sibling=20 relationship with the = Alliance=20 Party. The North= ern=20 Ireland Labour Party folded amidst a widespread realignment of = political=20 parties; with the British party in theory entering into an alliance, = through the=20 Socialist=20 International with the nationalist = Social=20 Democratic and Labour Party and retaining its policy (until = recently) of=20 refusing Northern Ireland residents membership of the party. Many other=20 political parties have sprung up representing different strands of unionism, = nationalism = or=20 cross-community politics, but few have lasted any substantial period of=20 time.

More recently there have been calls for the mainstream British parties = to=20 organise and stand in elections in Northern = Ireland. The=20 Conservative Party has done so since the late 1980s but its support has = been=20 minimal whilst the Liberal Democrats have continued to endorse Alliance=20 candidates.

The current government of Northern Ireland was established as a = result of the=20 1998 Good Friday=20 Agreement (GFA), properly known as the Belfast = Agreement.

The collapse of the assembly created by the GFA accelerated the = polarisation=20 of Northern Ireland's politics, with the SDLP's eclipse by Sinn = F=C3=A9in (both of=20 which are in favour of the agreement) in 2001 being mirrored by = the anti-GFA=20 DUP overtaking the UUP in the November 2003 poll for a new = Assembly (which=20 has yet to meet).

The main parties in Northern Ireland are:

Democrati= c=20 Unionist Party (a hard-line Unionist party)=20
Sinn=20 F=C3=A9in (an Irish = Republican=20 party with links to the P= rovisional=20 Irish Republican Army)=20
Ulster = Unionist=20 Party (a conservative unionist=20 party)=20
= Social=20 Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) (a social = democratic=20 nationalist party)=20
= Alliance=20 Party (a liberal, = cross-community=20 party)=20
Progress= ive=20 Unionist Party (a centre-left unionist party with links to loyalist=20 paramilitaries)=20
UK Unionist = Party (a=20 tiny party that serves as a vehicle for Rober= t=20 McCartney, a unionist)=20
Conservative Party (part of the UK Conservative Party)

There are many smaller parties both past and present, reflecting the=20 turbulent changes in Northern Ireland politics. Most can be identified = as either=20 unionist or nationalist, though a few seek to eschew any position on the = "Border=20 Question" (and invariably receive much less support). As a result the = question=20 of left-wing or right-wing politics is not as pertinent; although = existing=20 parties can be defined at some point on the political spectrum, few seek = to=20 promote a left or right wing agenda.

[edit]

Government bodies

See Departments=20 of the United Kingdom Government

[edit]

Judicial branch

The Lord = Chancellor is the=20 head of the judiciary in England & = Wales.=20 He appoints judges and magistrates for criminal courts on behalf of the = Sovereign. = The Lord=20 Chancellor also possesses executive and legislative roles in the British = government, which is a peculiarity amongst many liberal = democracies in=20 the world today.

See Courts= of the=20 United Kingdom

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Miscellaneous

[edit]

Referendums

See R= eferendums=20 in the United Kingdom

[edit]

Political pressure groups

See Pressure=20 groups in the United Kingdom

[edit]

International organization participation

African = Development Bank=20
Asian = Development=20 Bank=20
Australia = Group=20
= Bank=20 for International Settlements=20
Commonwealt= h of=20 Nations=20
Caribbea= n=20 Development Bank (non-regional)=20
Council of = Europe=20
CERN=20
E= uro-Atlantic=20 Partnership Council=20
European=20 Bank for Reconstruction and Development=20
United=20 Nations Economic Commission for Africa (associate)=20
United=20 Nations Economic Commission for Europe=20
United=20 Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean=20
European=20 Investment Bank=20
European = Space=20 Agency=20
Economic=20 and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific=20
European = Union=20
F= ood and=20 Agriculture Organization=20
G5, G6, G7, G8=20
G10=20
Int= er-American=20 Development Bank=20
= International=20 Atomic Energy Agency=20
International=20 Bank for Reconstruction and Development=20
International=20 Civil Aviation Organization=20
I= nternational=20 Chamber of Commerce=20
Intern= ational=20 Criminal Court=20
International=20 Confederation of Free Trade Unions=20
International=20 Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement=20
International=20 Development Association=20
Interna= tional=20 Energy Agency=20
International=20 Fund for Agricultural Development=20
I= nternational=20 Finance Corporation=20
International=20 Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies=20
International=20 Hydrographic Organization=20
I= nternational=20 Labour Organization=20
Interna= tional=20 Monetary Fund=20
International=20 Maritime Organization=20
Inmarsat=20
International=20 Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Intelsat)=20
International=20 Criminal Police Organization–Interpol=20
IOC=20
IOM=20 (observer), ISO,=20 ITU,=20 MONUC, NAM = (guest), NATO, NEA, = NSG, =
Org= anization=20 of American States (observer)=20
Organization=20 for Economic Cooperation and Development=20
Organization=20 for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons=20
OSCE,=20
Perm= anent=20 Court of Arbitration=20
SPC=20
United = Nations=20
Uni= ted=20 Nations Security Council (permanent member)=20
UNAMSIL=20
UNCTAD=20
UNESCO=20
UNFICYP=20
UNHCR=20
UNIDO=20
UNIKOM=20
UNMIBH=20
UNMIK=20
UNOMIG=20
UNRWA=20
UNTAET=20
UNU=20
UPU=20
World= =20 Confederation of Labour=20
World = Customs=20 Organization=20
Western = European=20 Union=20
World = Health=20 Organization=20
World=20 Intellectual Property Organization=20
W= orld=20 Meteorological Organization=20
World = Trade=20 Organization=20
Zangger = Committee=20

[edit]

External links

British Politics - the = only=20 academic journal devoted purely to the study of political issues in=20 Britain

British = Government and=20 Politics on the Internet from the Keele University School of = Politics=20
British = Political=20 History Links from BUBL=20
Politicalnews.co.uk=20
Rupert Myers' political = blog=20

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Politics of the United Kingdom

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Contents

Executive branch

Legislative branch

House of Commons

The House of Lords

Political parties and elections

Electoral systems and reform

Non-parliamentary political parties

History of political parties

Political landscape today

"Regional" parties in Great Britain

The fringe parties

Independents

Civil service

Devolution

Local Government

Elections

Major issues in British national politics

British politics and the European Union

Politics in Northern Ireland

Government bodies

Judicial branch

Miscellaneous

Referendums

Political pressure groups

International organization participation

See also

Footnotes

External links

Views

Personal tools

Navigation

Search

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In other languages