The British Political System

The British Political System

Plan :

• The monarchy
• Parliament
• The government
• A United Kingdom
• The UK and Europe

• What do you already know ?
• Can you recognize any of the following ?
• The Quenn and her role

-Head of State

• Parliament and how it works

-The house of commons

-The house of lords

-The prime minister’s role

PART 1 : The Monarchy

• The UK’s system of governement is known as a constitutional monarchy.
• Definition : A system of governement in which the head of state is a monarch whose power is shared with a constitutionally organised government
• Different from a republic

Head of state is a president

With more or less power

HIGGINS (president of IRELAND)

What role does the Sovereign play in the British political system ?

• A very important symbolic one in the three branches of governement :

1. In the executive branch (the government)
2. In the legislative branch
3. In the judicial branch (the courts and judges)

The Sovereign and the Executive Branch

• The Government is known as her majesty’s government
• The Sovereign appoints the Prime Minister and the Cabinet

• The Sovereign can also use the Royal Prerogative

-This allows the Sovereign to take certain decisions whitout approval by Parliement

• The Sovereign is head of the armed forces

The Sovereign and the Legislative Branch

• Th Queen in Parliament
• The Sovereign needs to approve of a bill which passes through Parliament before it becomes law.

-Royal Assent

• All laws are made in the name of the Sovereign
• The Sovereign opens and prorogues Parliament
• The only one who can do this

-During the opening of Parliament the Sovereign reads a speech explaining what laws their Governement plans to enact

-The Quenn’s Speech

The Sovereign and the Judicial Branch

• The Sovereign is considered to be the Foubt of Justice
• The most important judges are appointed by the Sovereign
• The courts are run in the name of the Sovereign

-Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service

• Criminal cases are initiated by the Crown Prosecution Service

-On behalf of the crown

-Regina

How much real power does the Monarch have ?

• Very little
• The Prime Minister is the leader of the majority in the House of commons

-The Prime minister tells the Sovereign who to appoint as ministers.

• The Royal Prerogative powers are almost all exercised on the advice of the Government
• Any important decisions about the army made by the government

How much real power does the Monarch have ?

• When a bill has passed through Parliament, Royal Assent is a formality.

-The Sovereign always assents.

• The Queen’s Speech is written by the Government
• The decision to prorogue or to dissolve Parliament is determined by law
• Almost all judges are appointed by a Judicial Appointments Commission.

-They select judges from a list of candidates

-Give their appointee to the Government who generally approves it

-The Government passes the name on to the Monarch who automatically makes the appointment.

CONCLUSION :

• The legislative, executive and judicial power previously held by the Crown has gratly diminished.
• It now plays a symbolic role in these institutions ;

-They are traces of the past when it held real power

-This is no longer the case.

• We say that « the sovereign reigns but does not rule »

PART 2 :

How then, did the Monarch come to lose its power ?

• A gradual historical procerss
• It resembles a rise and fall more than a gradual decline
• The Monarchy strengthened its power during the Renaissance
• This brought it into conflict with Parliament
• Parlialment won and the monarchy lost

Let’s start with the Norman Invasion in 1066

• Led by William the Conqueror
• Defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hasting
• Took control of most of England and Wales
• Governed using a feudal system

-Noble families who helped William win the thrones were rewarded with lands

-In return they helped to maintain William on the  throne

• Also needed to have the Church on his side

Abuse of Royal Power

• The relations between a King and his nobles was not alaways easy.

-If he asked them for too much money or military service

-If he confiscated their lands

-If he lost their lands in battle

-If he abused his royal power

• At the beginning of the 13th century King John did all of these things
• He also got in trouble with the Church

-He was excommunicated

The baron’s Rebellion

• The main noble families rebelled against John in 1215
• They forced him to promise that he would no longer abuse his royal power
• They wrote these promises down and made hip sign it
• The documentnwas called the Magna Carta
• A very significant document in English constitutional history

The Magna Carta – Main aspects

• It was a peace treaty between the king, the baron s and the church
• The king agreed to limit his royal power

-He would ensure the freedom of the church

-He would not require high taxes to be paid by his feudal lords.

-He would not detain a freeman arbitrarily

-He would ensure trial by jury

-He would accept a council of 25 barons to ensure that the Magna Carta was observed.

Signifiance of Magna Carta

• Very Significant symbolically in the long term.

-It etablished certain principales

-The limitation of the king’s arbitary power

  °The king is not above the law

  °He is subject to it.( The beginning of the rule of law (état de droit))

...