Political System of Great Britain
I.
Pre-reading.
What kind of state is the UK?
Who is the head of the state in the
UK?
What are the Houses of the British
Parliament?
II.
Read the text and check your answers.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. It means that the sovereign reigns but
does not rule.
Britain
does not have a written constitution, but a set of laws.
Parliament
is the most important authority in Britain. Technically Parliament is made up
of three parts: the Monarch, the House of Lords; and the House of Commons. In
reality the House of Commons is the only one of the three which has true power.
The
monarch serves formally as head of state. But the monarch is expected to be
politically neutral and should not make political decisions.
The
present sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II. She was crowned in Westminster Abbey
in 1953.
The
House of Commons consists of Members of Parliament. There are 650 of them in the
House of Commons. They are elected by secret ballot. General elections are held
every five years. The country is divided into 650 constituencies. All citizens
aged 18 and registered in a constituency, have the right to vote. But voting is
not compulsory in Britain. Only persons convicted of corrupt and certain
mentally ill patients don't take part in voting.
There
are few political parties in Britain thanks to the British electoral system.
The main ones are: the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal /
Social Democratic Alliance.
Each
political party puts up one candidate for each constituency. The one who wins
the most votes is elected MP for that area.
The
party which wins the most seats in Parliament forms the Government. Its leader
becomes the Prime Minister. His first job is to choose his Cabinet. The Prime
Minister usually takes policy decisions with the agreement of the Cabinet.
The
functions of the House of Commons are legislation and scrutiny of government
activities. The House of Commons is presided over by the Speaker. The Speaker
is appointed by the Government.
The
House of Lords comprises about 1,200 peers. It is presided by the Lord
Chancellor. The House of Lords has no real power. It acts rather as an advisory
council.
It's
in the House of Commons that new bills are introduced and debated. If the
majority of the members are in favour of a bill, it goes to the House of Lords
to be debated. The House of Lords has the right to reject a new bill twice.
But
after two rejections they are obliged to accept it. And finally a bill goes to
the monarch to be signed. Only then it becomes law.
Parliament
is responsible for British national policy. Local governments are responsible
for organizing of education, police and many others.
III.
Read the text again and fill in the gaps.
In the UK there is no president, the
Queen is … of the … .
There are two Houses in the
Parliament: … and … .
People who sit in the … Commons are
called … .
People who sit in the … Lords are
called … .
British people … for MPs at a general
… .
The party which wins a general …
forms the … and their leader becomes … .
After the Queen approves the bill, it
becomes … .
IV.
Decide if the sentences are true, false or not stated.
- British Constitution is one of the
oldest in the world.
1) True
2) False 3) Not stated
- The House of Commons has the real
power in the country
1) True 2)
False 3) Not stated
3. The Monarch was responsible for political decisions till the 20-th
century.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
4. The present Monarch was crowned in Buckingham Palace.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
5. Members of the House of Commons are elected every five years.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
6. Citizens have the right to vote at the age of 18.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
7. The Conservative Party has the majority in the Parliament.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
8. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party which wins the most seats in
Parliament.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
9. The Speaker is chosen by the Members of Parliament.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
10. The House of Lords acts as an advisory council.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
11. A bill becomes law after it is accepted in the House of Lords.
1) True 2) False 3) Not stated
V.
“The political numbers” Find this numbers in the text
and answer the questions
-
What
period are the Members of the House of Commons elected for?
-
When
did Elizabeth II come to the throne?
-
How
many constituencies is the country divided into?
-
How
many members are there in the House of Lords?
VI.
Speaking. Speak about the political system of the UK
using the cluster. Compare the British and Russian political systems. Who has
more power the Queen of Great Britain or the President of the Russian
Federation?
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