Fluent Essays

The British constitution. The uncodified constitution, its history, reforms.Term paper on a theme, chosen by the students from the syllabus and approved by the lecturer, to be sent by the end of the autumn semester (January 25). Requirements: as to size: 8-10 pages, as to contents: using two sources or more (scholarly books, articles, and e-materials, if serious enough). political_system_of_the_united_kingdom.docx Unformatted Attachment Preview 1 2 3 POLITICAL SYSTEM OF THE UNITED KINGDOM 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 The official name of the country, we usually call England and occasionally Great Britain, is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The U. K. is situated on the group of islands, lying just off the mainland of north-western Europe. The British Isles include Great Britain proper, Ireland and a number of smaller islands. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales. The southern part of Ireland is occupied by Great Britain and is called by native citizens the Republic of Eire. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel, the narrower part of which is called the Strait of Dover. The British Isles are surrounded by the shallow waters of the Irish Sea, on the west, the North Sea on the north and northeast, the Norwegian Sea on the east. Britain is comparatively small, but there is hardly a country, in the world where such a variety of scenery can be found. There are wild desolate mountains in the northern Highlands of Scotland — the home of the deer and the eagles. Northern England Mountains and the Cambrian Mountains in Wales are much lower. In the extreme south of England are the famous chalk hills, some of which form the Dover Cliffs. The southern and south-eastern parts of the island form lowlands. The rivers of the region are short and of no great importance as waterways. The biggest of them is the Thames, which is a little over 200 miles long. Britains principal ports are London, Liverpool, Manchester, Hull, and Glasgow. They have splendid harbours. Owing to the shape of the country, any point in Great Britain is no more than 70 miles from the sea. The warm currents in the Atlantic Ocean make the climate of Great Britain mild. The winters are not severely cold, while summers are rarely hot. The British Isles are well — watered throughout the year. The cloudiness is rather dense; fogs along the coast frequently hide the sun. The fogs of London with city smoke have a worldwide reputation. The grass remains green all the year round. Thanks to climatic conditions, 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 Britain looks like one great well-ordered park with its old trees and green meadows. Great Britain, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles, off Western Europe. It is separated from France by only 34 kilometres of water. The countrys total area is over 244 thousand square kilometres. The country is often referred to as Great Britain, Britain or the UK. But to be precise, Great Britain comprises England, Wales and Scotland on the island of Great Britain, while the United Kingdom includes Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. The capital of the United Kingdom is London, in England. The capitals of Scotland, Ireland and Wales are Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff respectively. Great Britain is the fourth most populous country in Europe, it has about 57 million inhabitants. The English are more than 80 \% of the countrys population. English is the official language of Great Britain. The Church of England, also called the Anglican Church, is the official church in England. Although a small island, Great Britain has a remarkable variety of landscapes. To the north and west are highlands — the mountains of Scotland, Cambria and Wales, and the Pennine Chain. To the east are flat plains, and in the south are lowlands broken by low ranges of hills. To the southwest are the bleak moors of Devon and Cornwall. A warm ocean current, the Gulf Stream, washes Britains western shores and accounts for the mildness of its climate. Great Britain is one of the worlds leading industrialized nations. It has achieved this position despite the lack of most raw materials needed for industry. The country also must import about 40 \% of its food supplies. The largest industries include machine tools; electric power, automation, and railroad equipment; ships, motor vehicle, aircraft; electronic and communications equipment; metals; chemicals; petroleum; coal; food processing; paper, textiles, and clothing. By the late 1990s, banking, insurance, business services, and other service industries accounted for two thirds of the GDP and employed almost 70 \% of the workforce. The main industrial and commercial areas are the great conurbations, where about one third of the countrys population lives. The administrative and financial centre and most important port is Greater London. 71 THE POPULATION OF THE BRITISH ISLES 72 The British Isles are the home of four nations — English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish. Even though foreigners often call all British people English, and sometimes have difficulty in appreciating the distinctions, the component nations of the United Kingdom are well aware of their own individual characteristics. 73 74 75 76 77 78 The Scots, Welsh and Irish regard themselves as largely Celtic peoples, while the English are mainly AngloSaxon in origin. 79 British society as a whole does not have a uniform cultural identity. 80 In 1993 the population of the United Kingdom was about 58 million inhabitants. This figure gives a population density of 600 persons per square mile (284 per square km). 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 England has an average density of 980 persons per square mile (364 per square km). This average does not reveal the even higher densities in some areas of the country, such as south-east parts. Within Europe only the Netherlands has a higher population that England. A typical British family used to consist of mother, father and two children. But in recent years there have been many changes in family life. For example, since the law made it easier to get a divorce, the number of divorces has increased. That is why 24\% of British children live with only one parent, usually their mother. The contemporary British child doesnt have a lot of companionship from brothers and sisters, because the average family has only one or two children. Most British children live with their parents at least until they finish school at the age of 17 or 18. Then many go away to college, leaving some parents sad and lonely in their empty nest and others enjoying their release from parental responsibilities. But many adults stay with their parents during their college years or return home after graduation. Todays parents cannot even be sure that their married children have moved out forever. After a divorce they may return to the parental home temporarily or even on a long-term basis. 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 Older people take pride in their independence, enjoy their freedom and dont want to be a burden to their children. The telephone, the car and the airplane keep them in close contact even when they live in different parts of the country. Members of family — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins-keep in touch, but they see less of each other than they used to. This is because people often move away from home town to work and so the family becomes scattered. Christmas is the traditional season for reunions. Although the family group is smaller nowadays than it used to be, relatives often travel many miles in order to spend the holiday together. Family parties may be all the more joyous when they bring together relatives who havent seen each other for a while. 115 116 NATIONAL EMBLEMS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM 117 The United Kingdom (abbreviated from The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is the political name of the country which consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster). 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 Great Britain is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, whereas the British Isles is the geographical name of all the islands off the north-west coast of the European continent. In everyday speech Britain is used to mean the United Kingdom. The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross on a white background is the cross of the 1st George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross on a blue background is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, The red diagonal cross on a white background is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The Welsh flag, called the Welsh dragon, represents a red dragon on a white and green background. St. Georges Day falls on 23 April and is regarded as Englands national day. On this day some patriotic Englishmen wear a rose pinned to their 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 jackets. A red rose is the national emblem of England from the time of the Wars of the Roses (15th century). St. Andrews Day (the 30th of November) is regarded as Scotlands national day. On this day some Scotsmen wear a thistle in their buttonhole. As a national emblem of Scotland, thistle apparently first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence. The Order of the Thistle is one of the highest orders of knighthood. It was founded in 1687, and is mainly given to Scottish noblemen (limited to 16 in number). St. Patricks Day (the 17th of March) is considered as a national day in Northern Ireland and an official bank holiday there. The national emblem of Ireland is shamrock. According to legend, it was the plant chosen by St. Patrick to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish. St. Davids Day (the 1st of March) is the church festival of St. David, a 6th-century monk and bishop, the patron saint of Wales. The day is regarded as the national holiday of Wales, although it is not an official bank holiday. On this day, however, many Welshmen wear either a yellow daffodil or a leek pinned to their jackets, as both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems of Wales. In the Royal Arms three lions symbolize England, a lion rampant — Scotland, and a harp — Ireland. The whole is encircled and is supported by a lion and a unicorn. The lion has been used as a symbol of national strength and of the British monarchy for many centuries. The unicorn, a mythical animal that looks like a horse with a long straight horn, has appeared on the Scottish and British royal coats of arms for many centuries, and is a symbol of purity. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies most of the territory of the British Isles. It consists of four main parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. London is the capital of England, Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Cardiff— of Wales and Belfast — of Northern Ireland. The UK is a small country with an area of some 244,100 square kilometres. It occupies only 0.2 per cent of the worlds land surface. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north-west, north and south-west and separated from Europe by the 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 North Sea in the east and by the English Channel in the south. The Strait of Dover or Pas de Calais is the narrowest part of the Channel. The North Sea and the English Channel are often called the narrow seas; they are not deep but are frequently rough. In the west the Irish Sea and the North Channel separate the UK from Ireland. The seas around Britain provide exceptionally good fishing grounds. The country has many bays favourable for shipping. In their shelter are Britains main ports such as London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Hull and others. One will not find very high mountains or large plains in Great Britain. Everything occupies very little place. Nature, it seems, has carefully adapted things to the size of the island itself. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland, 4,406 feet high. The longest river is the Severn in England. The population of the United Kingdom is over 57 million people. Foreigners often call British people English, but the Scots, the Irish and the Welsh do not consider themselves to be English. The English are Anglo-Saxon in origin, but the Welsh, the Scots and the Irish are Celts, descendants of the ancient people, who crossed over from Europe centuries before the Norman Invasion. It was this people, whom the Germanic Angles and Saxons conquered in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. These Germanic conquerors gave England its name — Angle land. They were conquered in their turn by the Norman French, when William the Conqueror of Normandy landed near Hastings in 1066. It was from the union of Norman conquerors and the defeated Anglo-Saxons that the English people and the English language were born. The official language of the United Kingdom is English. But in western Scotland some people still speak Gaelic and in northern and central parts of Wales people often speak Welsh. The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the worlds largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics» textile» aircraft, and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, Head of the State is Queen. In practice, the country is ruled by the elected government with 205 206 207 208 the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. 213 The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The big red cross is the cross of Saint George, the patron saint of England. The white cross is the cross of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. 214 ENGLAND 215 England is the largest and the richest country of Great Britain. The capital of England is London but there are other large industrial cities, such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and other famous and interesting cities such as York, Chester, Oxford and Cambridge. Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric places in the world. This ancient circle of stones stands in Southwest England. It measures 80 metres across and made with massive blocks of stone up to four metres high. Why it was built is a mystery. 209 210 211 212 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 Not far from Stonehenge stands Salisbury Cathedral. It is a splendid example of an English Gothic Cathedral; inside there is one of four copies of Magna Charta and the oldest clock in England. Chester is very important town in the north-west of England. In the past it used to be a Roman fort; its name comes from the Latin word castra, meaning fortified camp. In Chester there is a famous museum which contains over 5000 ancient and modern toys. Oxford is the home of the oldest university of England. The most famous college is Christ Church. It has a great hall which was built during the reign of Henry VIII and its chapel has become the Cathedral of Oxford. Cambridge is the home of Britains second oldest university. York was the capital of Northern England. It is one of the best preserved medieval cities of Europe. It was built by Romans, conquered by AngloSaxons and ruled by the Vikings. Birmingham is often called the City of 1,500 trades because of the great variety of its industries. 239 POLITICAL SYSTEM OF GREAT BRITAIN 240 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. It means that the sovereign reigns but does not rule. 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 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. 252 253 PARLIAMENT: THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER. 254 Britain is administered from the Palace of Westminster in London. This is also known as the Houses of Parliament. Parliament is made up of two chambers — the House of Commons and the House of Lords. 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 Reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster in the times of Henry VIII 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 The Palace of Westminster known as Houses of Parliament, where the two chambers of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, meet The members of the House of Lords are not elected: they qualify to sit in the House because they are bishops of the Church of England, aristocrats who have inherited their seats from their fathers, people with titles. There has been talk of reform in this century because many Britons think that this system is undemocratic. The House of Commons, by contrast, has 650 seats which are occupied by Members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected by the British citizens. The United Kingdom is divided into constituencies, each of which elects one MP in the House of Commons. Each of the major political parties appoints a representative (candidate) to compete for each seat. Smaller parties may have a candidate in only a few constituencies. There may be five or more parties, fighting for one seat, but only one person — the candidate who gets the greatest number of votes — can win. Some parties win a lot of seats and some win very few, or none at all. The Queen, who is the Head of State, opens and closes Parliament. All new laws are debated (discussed) by MPs in the Commons, then debated in the Lords, and finally signed by the Queen. All three are part of Parliament in Britain. 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 dont 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. 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 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. Its in the House of Commons that new bills are introduced and debated ... Purchase answer to see full attachment