1. Chapter 3: Who Rules Britain?
Politics in the United Kingdom

2. History System evolved over time From king and nobility to commoners
Magna Carta
Civil war gives basis for constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy

3. Winner take all – the Electoral System
House of Lords + House of Commons =
Parliament
646 Members of parliament
Each MP represents one constituency
Max. five years between elections

4. The Election Process Dissolve parliament Campaign – three weeks
Candidates
Election Day – Thursday
Polling stations

5. The Election Process First-past-the-post Unfair system?
Compare with the Norwegian proportional system

6. System of Government Prime Minister Parliament
leader of the strongest party
leads government
PM and government can lose support
Parliament
House of Commons
elected members - MPs
House of Lords
not elected; less power

7. System of Government What does House of Commons do?
Makes laws – legislation
Passes the budget
Monitors the government
Debates issues
“Recruiting office”
Can force a government to resign

8. System of Government What does House of Lords do?
Reviews/revises legislation
Debating chamber
Monitors the government
Life peers with expertise
Is the House of Lords necessary? - Reform in 1999 was quite cautious - Relatively slow reform process

9. System of Government What does the PM do? Chooses cabinet
Decides the overriding strategy of government
Patronage
Can call an election
Meets foreign leaders
Debates in Parliament

10. System of Government The Cabinet: Approximately 20 members
Responsible for Government’s policies
Some of the major posts:
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Foreign Secretary
Home Secretary

11. Political Parties Conservative Party Self-reliance, self-management
Free market
Relatively low taxation
Relatively low public spending
Yes to privatisation
”conservatism”: slow change/traditional values/family

12. Political Parties The Labour Party What is New Labour?
Working-class/socialist
Welfare state
Nationalisation of key industries
NHS
More taxation, especially of the wealthy
What is New Labour?

13. Political Parties The Liberal Democrats
Combination of two parties Liberals and Social Democrats
Freedom of the individual
Opposed to both socialism and conservatism
In favour of devolution
Believe in market but not necessarily “Big Business”
What is their biggest problem?