Parliament

Parliament

The medieval kings were expected to meet all royal expenses out of their own revenue. If extra resources were needed the Sovereign would seek to persuade his barons to grant aid. During the 13^th century several E.kings found the private revenues and baronial aids insufficient to meet the expenses of g. and so they summoned not only the great feudal magnates but also representatives of counties, cities and towns, to get their assent to extra taxation. In this way the Great Council came to include those who were summoned and were representatives of communities by name – the commons. The two parts – the House of Lords and the House of Commons – together with the Sovereign, became known as ‘Parliament’.

The three elements make up Parliament – the Queen, the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons.

The main functions of P.:

· to pass laws;

· to provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of g.;

· to scrutinise g. policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure; and

· to debate the major issues of the day.

The H. of Lords consists of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal. The Lords Spiritual are the most senior diocesan bishops of the Church of E. The Lords Temporal consist of hereditary and life peers of GB. Peerages are created by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. They are usually granted in recognition of service in politics or other walks of life. Peers who attend the House receive no salary for their parliamentary work, but can claim for expenses incurred in attending the House and certain travelling expenses.

The House is presided over by the Lord Chancellor, who takes his or her place on the woolsack as ex-officio Speaker of the H. The woolsack is a seat in the form of a large cushion stuffed with wool from several Commonwealth countries, it is a tradition dating from the medieval period, when wool was the chief source of the country’s wealth.

In his absence a deputy takes his place. The first of the deputy speakers is the Chairman of Committees, who is appointed at the beginning of each session. The Clerk of the Parliaments is responsible for the records of proceedings of the H. of Lords and for the text of Acts of P., and is in charge of the administrative staff of the H. The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, usually known as ‘Black Rod’, is responsible for security, accommodation and services in the H. of Lords’ part of the Palace of Westminster (The Parliament is in Westminster Palace which overlooks the Thames).

The House of Commonsis elected by universal adult suffrage and consists of 650 Members of P. General elections are held after a P. has been dissolved and a new one summoned by the Q. When an MP dies or resigns, or is given a peerage, a by-election takes place. Members are paid an annual salary and an office costs allowance. The chief officer of the H. of Commons is the Speaker, elected by MPs to preside over the H. A Parliament has a maximum duration of 5 years, general elections are usually held before the end of this term. The life of a P. is divided into sessions. Each usually lasts for a year – normally beginning and ending in October or November. At the start of each session the Q.’s speech to P. outlines the G.’s policies and proposed legislative programme. Each session is ended by prorogation.

The party system, which has existed in one form or another since the 18^th century, is an essential element in the working of the constitution. For the last 150 years a predominantly two-party system has existed. Since 1945 either the Conservative Party, whose origins go back to the 18^th century, or the Labour Party, which emerged in the last decade of the 19^th century, has held power. A new party – the Liberal Democrats – was formed in 1988 when the Liberal Party, which traced its origins to the 18^th century, merged with the Social Democratic Party, formed in 1981. The party which wins most seats at a general election, or which has the support of a majority of members in the H. of Commons, usually forms the G. By tradition, the leader of the majority party is asked by the Sovereign to form a g. The largest minority party becomes the official Opposition, with its own leader and ‘shadow cabinet’.

Other parties – nationalistic parties – Plaid Cymru (ˌplaɪd ˈkʌmrɪ) and Scottish National Party; the Ulster Unionist Party, the Democratic Unionist Party – in Northern Island.

Britain is a democracy. Men and women over 18 years have a vote. They have the right to elect a representative to Parliament. Voting is not compulsory.

List of Prime Ministers

Name Time in office Political party

Boris Johnson 2019 – Incumbent Conservative
Theresa May 2016 – 2019 Conservative
David Cameron 2010 – 2016 Conservative
Gordon Brown 2007 – 2010 Labour
Tony Blair 1997 – 2007 Labour
John Major 1990 – 1997 Conservative
Margaret Thatcher 1979 – 1990 Conservative
James Callaghan 1976 – 1979 Labour
Harold Wilson 1974 – 1976 Labour
Edward Heath 1970 – 1974 Conservative
Harold Wilson 1964 – 1970 Labour
Alec Douglas-Home 1963 – 1964 Conservative
Harold Macmillan 1957 – 1963 Conservative
Anthony Eden 1955 – 1957 Conservative
Winston Churchill 1951 – 1955 Conservative

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