Her Majesty the Queen
Duties of the Queen
-opening each new session of Parliament
- granting Royal Assent to legislation
-approving Orders and Proclamations through the Privy Council.
- Meeting with the PM to discuss government matters
Leader of the HOL
The Right Honourable Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
Leader of the HOC
The Right Honourable Jacob Rees-Mogg
Current Prime Minister
Boris Johnson
(Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson)
What type of government does the UK have?
Parliamentary Democracy OR Constitutional Monarchy
Who is the current Queen? How long has she reigned?
Queen Elizabeth II
67 Years
Duties of the Members of the HOL
How are these people elected?
Members are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved.
Re-elected every 5 years
Main duties of the Prime Minister
The PM has these duties:
First Past the Post means what?
The candidate who receives the most votes wins the election.
AKA Plurality OR Single Member Districts
What’s the significance of the Queen’s Speech?
- Begins a year's session of Parliament.
- The State Opening is an elaborate ceremony showcasing British history, culture and contemporary politics to large crowds and television viewers.
Who is Black Rod and what are their duties
Black Rod is principally responsible for controlling access to and maintaining order within the House of Lords.
Currently Sarah Clarke (as of 2018)
What are the duties of members of the HOC?
- Make and Pass Laws
- Act in the National Interests
- Represent the Interests and the Concerns of the people (constituents).
- Attend meetings and PMQ to discuss issues
Conservative Party, PM 1979-90.
Also known as the Milk Snatcher, she enacted many laws that privatized business and industry as well as cut back on many social welfare programs.
Margaret Thatcher
Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Great Britain.
What powers does the Queen have?
How are these people elected?
- Letters Patent are issued by the Queen and create a life peerage.
- An oath or affirmation to the monarch must be taken by all members before they can sit and vote in the House.
Who is the speaker of the House of Commons?
Sir Lindsay Hoyle elected November of 2019 after John Bercow stepped down.
What was David Cameron known for?
Elected after a hung parliament in 2010
Britain's youngest PM in 200 years
Campaigned to remain within the European Union
Neoliberalism in the UK
Brought about mostly by Margaret Thatcher
Revival of classic liberal values that promote free competition among businesses within the market, including reduced gov’t regulation & social spending.
What is the impact of having a Queen in the UK?
The British system is fundamentally a constitutional monarchy with the queen serving as the Head of State. However, the ability to develop legislation rests with an elected Parliament. The queen and her office serve as a symbol of unity and national pride
Life peerage vs Hereditary Peerage
Life Peerage is when you are appointed by the Queen and nominated by the PM. Cannot be an inherited position. Always created at the rank of Baron.
Hereditary peerage is when a seat in Parliament is held by one person and passed down to an heir, male or female. Since 1965 there have only been 7 new hereditary peers, 4 are within the Royal Family.
How are laws passed in the HOC?
Bills must be agreed by both Houses of Parliament and receive Royal Assent from the Queen before they can become Acts of Parliament which make the law
Third Way political ideology
Created by Tony Blair and the Labour Party to reconcile the left and the right. Also, stands for a modernized social democracy, passionate in its commitment to social justice. Basically another form of socialism in UK.
What documents make up the UK Constitution?
-Magna Carta
- Acts of Parliament
- Human Rights Act of 1998
- Bill of Rights