Preparatory Documents for TD n°1 – A Recap on Parliament

Preparatory Documents for TD no. 1 – A Recap on Parliament

I - Read you lecture notes on Parliament and answer the questions below. You may also use the following links to help find information.

http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom

How to become an MP

1. How do you get elected to Westminster?
2. What criticisms have been made of this system?
3. What are the advantages of this system?

How to become a peer

1. How do you become a member of the House of Lords?
2. What power does the House of Lords have? What can they do and what can they not do?
3. What is the difference between a working peer and a cross-bencher?
4. What is the current political composition of the House of Lords?

How Parliament works

1. What are the main stages in the legislative process in the House of Commons?
2. What are the main stages in the legislative process in the House of Lords?
3. What happens when there is disagreement between the House of Commons and the House of Lords?

II - Look at the results of the 2015 General Election in the UK and answer the questions below

http://www.bbc.com/news/election/2015/results

Current Composition of the House of Commons

1. What is the current political composition of the House of Commons ? How many deputies does each party have?
2. Who is the Prime Minister? What do you know about her?
3. What is the main opposition party?
4. Who is the leader of the opposition? What do you know about him?
5. What are the other parties in Parliament? Who do each of them represent?
6. Who is the Speaker of the House of Commons?
7. What role does he have?

III - Look at the following report from the BBC on this year’s Queen’s Speech and answer the questions below.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32898443

1. What is the Queen’s Speech?
2. What for you is the most important piece of legislation that the Conservative government is proposing for this parliamentary session?
3. Describe in your own words the changes proposed by the new law.
4. Why is it so important in your eyes?

IV - Look at the following of Theresa May’s first prime minister’s question time exchange with Jeremy Corbyn. You should look at the video from 2:19 to  5:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAYGk4XP23M

Before you watch:

1. What is prime minister’s question time?
2. What is the Orgreave enquiry into police brutality about?

NOTE: The advocate general referred to in Jeremy Corbyn’s first question is the government’s spokesperson on justice in the House of Lords, Lord Keen.

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