Great Britain: Quick Intro

02/13/12

The British Constitution

Lots of ingredients thrown together with a great deal of enthusiasm and then grated, squashed and drizzled over the years.

But you won't be able to find the recipe in one easy-to-read volume available at your local supermarket.

The famously unwritten constitution is made up different laws, customs and conventions, most of which have actually been written down

It is held together by Parliament which, in theory at least, has the power to repeal any law it likes “Parliamentary Sovereignty”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/issues/4372135.stm

Sovereignty, Authority and Power: Features of the Constitution

Remember: “Constitutions define both the role and constituent parts of a government and the limits and obligations of government with respect to the rights of citizens”

• Head of state: the chief public representative of a

country, • Head of Government (the title of the person who manages

the day-to-day activities of the government.)

• In the UK –2 separate offices

Sovereignty, Authority and Power: Features of the Constitution

Head of State

OCT. 17, 1957 With President Dwight D. Eisenhower

JULY 7, 1976 With President Gerald R.

Ford

MAY 15, 1991 With President George Bush

Queen Elizabeth with President Ronald Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl at Buckingham Palace in June 1984.

President Obama became the 11th president to meet Queen Elizabeth II when he and the first lady, Michelle Obama, visited Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, hosted the Obamas the day before the Group of 20 summit. In addition to the presidents in the following pictures, the queen also met with Jimmy Carter, Lyndon B. Johnson and John F . Kennedy.

May 8, 2007 Presidents come and go, but for more than half a century, the queen has always been the queen.So it was perhaps no surprise that Washington went a little gaga on Monday, as Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, began an official two-day visit to the capitalIt was a day for pomp and circumstance — a military color guard, a fife and drum band in white wigs, red jackets and tricornered hats — punctuated by a presidential slip of the tongue that lightened the moment during Mr. Bush’s welcoming remarks. Mr. Bush reminded the 81-year-old queen that she had already dined with 10 American presidents. “You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 —— ” he went on, stopping to correct himself before 1776 could slip out. The crowd erupted in laughter, and the president and the queen turned to each other for a long, silent gaze. Then, Mr. Bush turned back to the crowd with an explanation. “She gave me a look,” he said, “that only a mother could give a child.”Mr. Bush had been the recipient of such a look once before in the queen’s presence — from his own mother, back in 1991, when the first President and Mrs. Bush played host to their own state dinner for the queen. By several different accounts, including Mr. Bush’s own, Barbara Bush told the queen that she had seated her son far away from Her Majesty, for fear he might make a wisecrack.Then, to his mother’s horror, he did, telling the queen that he was his family’s black sheep and asking, “Who’s yours?” The queen, apparently not amused, replied tartly, “None of your business.”

A White-Tie Dinner for Queen’s White House Visit

1997 2007Tony Blair Prepares for a Subdued

Exit

Head of Government

The Browns are moving into 10 Downing Street

.Published: Wednesday 12 May 2010 Updated: Wednesday 12 May 2010 After five days of negotiations, Cameron enters 10 Downing Street as Britain’s new prime minister in a full coalition government with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg as his deputy.

British Prime Minister David Cameron welcomes Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (R) to Downing Street for their first day of coalition government on 12 May 2010 in London

In its first term, Labour introduced far-reaching constitutional changes.

Devolution: Scottish Parliament approves civil unions first

Open up: New law now in force

The Freedom of Information Act, in force New Years 2005

Growing use of Referendum

.

Tony Blair's "Devolution within the UK" agendaEvidence of decentralization . . . .

Part of 1997 election campaign was devolution of legislative powers to regionally elected assemblies

September, 1997 referendums in Scotland and Wales approve (more popular in Scotland and give power to tax and more primary authority to make law)

May, 1999 Scotland and Wales elected MPs using system of proportional representation--led to coalition govt

Powers to make legislation in certain areas have been 'devolved'. . . . However, power in many other areas, such as defense and foreign affairs (known as 'reserved' matters), still resides with the House of Commons.

The Scottish Parliament can pass primary legislation in such areas as agriculture and health. The Welsh Assembly's powers only allow it to pass secondary legislation in the form of statutory instruments

Other Devolved areas: • North Irish Assembly Good Friday Peace Accord

established a regional assembly for NI• approved in a referendum by a large majority of

Catholics and a small majority of Protestants • 2002 Blair suspends the Catholic/Protestant assembly

and imposes direct rule due to evidence Sinn Fein (the Catholic paramilitary group associated with the IRA) had targets for political violence (that’s what it means to be devolved)

• May 2007 reinstated it (and that is devolved vs federal)

Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party, spoke to supporters on Friday near an image of himself, as the party celebrated its victory.

Scottish Nationalists Upset Labor in Elections By ALAN COWELL

LONDON, May 4 — In a historic reversal, the separatist Scottish National Party emerged Friday as the biggest political grouping in Scotland, ending 50 years of dominance there by the governing Labor Party and redrawing Britain’s political landscape.

Levels of Government . . .or cleavages or sov authority and power

Erosion of Parliamentary sovereignty?

devolution of power to regional assemblies in Scotland (Scottish Parliament), Wales (Welsh Assembly) and Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Assembly). Although, since the UK is a unitary system, these assemblies are not sovereign, and the assemblies can be suspended, as has happened with the Northern Ireland Assembly. Still, such a decision would (currently) be highly unpopular with the electorate in both places.

EU law trumps British law,

the Human Rights Act 1998 incorporates the European Convention on human rights, and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) asserts the power to exercise judicial review over UK law

increasing use of referendums.

Supreme Court is separate

More features of the Const: Parliamentary system

• Majority party or coalition in Parliament selects the prime minister– prime minister is not elected by popular vote– normally the head of majority party or coalition

• Cabinet responsibility to parliament– major legislation and votes of confidence

voters Parliament

Majority party

Minority party

Prime minister& cabinet

Who sits where in the Commons

The change of government means many MPs have changed where they sit in the House of Commons.The Conservatives are back on the government benches for the first time in 13 years - but now they have been joined by the Liberal Democrats. Labour are on the opposition benches. Members of the coalition cabinet are sitting on the government front bench - including Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg sitting side-by-side. The remaining Lib Dems are sitting in a block on the government side - opposite where they used to sit.