INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH

POLITICAL SYSTEM

Instructor: Nguyen Duy Mong Ha, PhD.

USSH, VNU-HCMC
Email: ndmongha@gmail.com
Office hours: Monday afternoon, DTH Campus
 Content
• A short review of British history and people
• British political system
Political life (Chapter 6)
British Monarchy (Chapter 7)
British Government (Chapter 8)
British Parliament (Chapter 9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f98HtyjcWxE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkfC8J95lGw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4IRR4CFwIQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAMbIz3Y2JA
 Short review of British history and people
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcnSsEVsrf0 )

British History British people

• Earliest times: Celts (800BC) • Ancestors of Scottish, Irish, Welsh
• Roman invasion (43-410) • Military control, mixed with Celts
• Anglo-Saxon invasion (5thC) • Large settlement, English ancestors
• Viking invasion (8thC) • Intermingled with Anglo-Saxon
• Norman conquest (1066) • French upper-class aristocrats
• Middle ages (1066-1485) • Anglo-Saxon dominated & Old
• Tudor, Stuarts, Georgian, English was developed into Middle
Victorian (1485-1900s) and then Modern English language
• Modern Britain (20thC): • Multicultural society with dominant
immigrants English language, culture & values
https://www.studocu.com/row/document/universite-mohammed-v-
souissi/english/summaries/british-history-summary-britain-students-book/946257/view
The political system of the UK
Who is the How is the
UK run by? UK run?

Government Constitution?

Role of the
Mechanism:
Queen, Prime
Parliament
Minister?

MONARCHY OR DEMOCRACY? WHO HAS REAL POWER?

Magna Carta was signed in 1215, Origin of British constitution
 The origin of Parliament
• What? • Symbol of democracy, an assembly of the
nobles where the Speakers/ (elected)
representatives can speak/ raise their
voice and the King had to listen to them
• When?
• In 1295, after King John signed Magna
Carta to follow the government’s rules in
1215
• Why? • To limit the King’s absolute power &
strengthen the Parliament’s power
• How? • By signing Magna Carta
• Who? • The nobles (later the commoners)
 Unwritten constitution of the UK
• No single written document as the highest
law: British constitution is unwritten;
• There are statutes, common law and practices,
rules, principles, regulations, procedures... for
running the country
• There are customs, conventions, ....
 Constitutional monarchy
• CONSTITUTION: LAWS PASSED
• MONARCH: BY PARLIAMENT, ELECTED BY
KING/QUEEN PEOPLE;
(FIGUREHEAD)
• THE COUNTRY IS RUN BY
GOVERNMENT, LED BY PRIME
MINISTER
• Britain has a Parliamentary
democracy/ Constitutional
Queen monarchy with a Monarch as
Elizabeth II Head of State (Figurehead) who
(1926-2022) King Charles III,
(1948-) accepts advice of Parliament
 Chapter 6: Political life
• Public attitude to politics: suspicion, lack of trustworthiness
(lying><doing anything illegal)
• Unenthusistic/not passionate about politics & making new laws
(< half know name of local MP, many do not know names of
important ministers, party leaders, few rules)
• Lack of generosity with regard to politician‘s expenses
• DEMOCRACY: confidence in stability and workability of the
system & deep respect for principle of law (little systematic
lawbreaking and tax invasion) but little voting, referendum
• Respect for privacy and love for secrecy (Freedom of
Information Act >< Official Secrets Act)
• Cooperation among politicians of different parties
• Conflicts: tradition of free speech>< anti-discrimination law
 Chapter 7: The Monarchy (The
current king: King Charles III)
Appearance (In theory) The reality (In practice: figurehead)
• Parliament - the Commons
• Parliament - Accept the request by the PM
- Open the Parliament to dissolve the Parliament
- Dissolve the Parliament - Not refuse the royal assent to a
- Pass the law with royal assent bill by the Parliament
• Government (“my government”) • Government
- Pick anyone as Prime Minister - Choose the head of the
and ministers & dismiss them winning party to be the PM
• Court system - Prime Minister chooses cabinet
- Send anyone to one of Her & ministers + make policies
Majesty‘s prisons • Court system
- Above the law - No power + pay tax
 Roles of the Monarch
Personal embodiment of the government
Final check on the government (royal assent
on the Bill, refuse the request & dismiss PM)
Figurehead & representative of the country
(ceremonial duties)
Queen Elizabeth II/King Charles III: figurehead
- Head of the State
- Head of the Armed Forces
- Head of the Church of England
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/king-charles-iii-diagnosed-with-
cancer-203634245908
 Value of the Monarch
• Symbol of continuity, national pride, important to economy
• Queen‘s birthday, royal weddings, ceremony events, changing of
the guards,...bring color to life
• Public less enthusiam but the Queen is still widely admired
 The UK government
Prime Minister

PM & Cabinet

Cabinet
(Central)
Government
Ministers/Secretary
of State...
(+ civil servants)
Ministers &
departments
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT Managing
Parliament activities
 The Secretaries of State
(The most important ministers )
• The most important Secretaries of State are:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance)
The Foreign Secretary (international affairs)
The Home Secretary (internal affairs)
The Lord Chancellor (the legal system)
The Secretary of State for Education
The Secretary of State for Transport and the
Environment.
 Chapter 8: British Government
• Parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy
(Multi-party system, Fusion of executive and legislature)
• The Parliament and Government mean two different
things: Parliament represents the people; Government
runs the country and is also elected by the people
• Being an MP (member of Parliament) is not the same as
being in Government. The political party that has more
seats than all the others runs the country.
• Single-party government (members of government
belong to the same political party) with collective
responsibility >< Coalition government (1915-22, 1931-45)
 Prime Minister & Cabinet
The Prime Minister
• Runs government (Civil service)
with a great deal of real power
• Appointed by Monarch as the
Leader of the winning party (most
MPs in the House of Commons)
• Chooses the ministers (patronage),
Heads of Government Department
and controls the cabinet
• Comply with the law made by the
parliament, appears a lot on TV
and newspapers
• Makes policies, decides topics for
discussion in the Cabinet
The Cabinet & Civil Service
• Leading politicians of
governing party
• Meets once a week
• Makes & implements policies
• Discusses and summarizes the
topics (collective
responsibility)
• Busy Cabinet Office for
communication, Committees
• Senior civil servants
(Permanent Secretary):
political impartiality
 Central & Local governments
• The UK: not federal as the US, Canada, Germany
• Central government gives local authorities powers
• System of local government: same as national with elected
representatives (councillors), meet in Council Chamber Town
Hall/County Hall to make policies for the local
• Counties (oldest, before Norman conquest), Boroughs (large &
important towns), Parishes (smallest unit, villages on local church)
• Local councils manage public services, collect property tax, but
> half of local council‘s income is given by central gov
• Greater control from central government, autonomy to locally
provided services (stakeholders make decisions?)
• Suspicious of idea for directly elected mayor
• Local government services (public environment, sports, libraries)
 Chapter 9: The Parliament
Short description
• Functions:
- Make laws, decisions for the UK
- Check government’s activities
• Location: The Palace of
Westminster
• Structure: 2 houses:
- House of Lord
- House of Commons
- The Queen (final check)
 The main functions of Parliament
• to pass laws (in order for a Law to be passed it must
have a majority in both the Houses of Commons
and Lords)
• to provide, by voting for taxation, the means of
carrying on the work of government (give authority
for the government to raise & spend money)
• to scrutinize government policy & administration,
including proposals for expenditure (committees to
investigate the government’s activities)
• to debate the major issues of the day
 House of Commons and House of Lords
House of Commons
• More important, more real
power, held no > 5 years apart
• 650 MPs (members of
Parliament) are elected by
people, represent people
• Discuss, debate & make laws
• Salaries + expenses (not big)
• Working hard, professionals,
Full time or part time, long
holidays, visit constituencies
(weekends), listen to problems:
• Most belong to a political party
House of Lords
• Less important, little/no real
power (abt 280 members daily)
• Not elected until 1958
(Aristocrats, clergy, judges,
distinguished retired people,
upper class people, no more
hereditary element), appointed
by PM, parties...
• Double check/delay Bills…
• No salaries, just expenses
• Giving consultation, Prestige
• Not depend on party politics
 2 chambers (meeting rooms) inside the
Parliament
Benches for MPs of governing party (left) and opposition party
(right): confrontation (400 seats, no desks, informal)
 Debates in the Parliament
The House of Commons The House of Lords
The speaker: chairs and controls discussions in the House,
decides which MP is going to speak next (rule of procedures)
 How the Bill becomes Law
Steps in the House of
Commons Steps in the House of Lords
• First reading: introduction • First reading: introduction
• Second reading: first debate • Second reading: first debate
• Committee stage: examines • Committee stage: examines
details (small groups of MPs details
who examine the Bill in
• Report stage: consider the
details)
amendments
• Report stage: consider the
• Third reading: debate the
amendments
whole amendments
• Third reading: debate the
whole amendments + vote
ROYAL ASSENT (Since 1952, The Queen Become official LAW
has given Royal Assent to 3135 Acts of
Parliament)
 The political parties
• There are 3 major political parties:
- Labour – Left Wing politics (early 20th
century: trade union & intellectuals, first gov.
in 1923)
- Conservative – Right wing politics (Tories-
early 19th century, 1830)
- Liberal Democrat – Centre politics
• Other parties: Green Party
• In recent years Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland also have their own local Parliaments
 Review: British Constitution
• Customs and conventions
• Supremacy of parliament (noone can declare
it unconstitutional)
• Seperation of powers: Legislature, Executives
& Judiciary
• 2 Houses of Parliaments
- House of Commons (makes laws)
- House of Lords (double check)
• Prime Minister, Ministers & Cabinets (policies)
 Quizzes
https://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz6583078bed8.html
https://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz602966e9cc8.html
https://www.esolcourses.com/content/lifeintheuk/politics/gener
al-elections-reading-quiz.html
https://www.engvid.com/uk-politics-elections/#quiz
https://global.oup.com/uk/orc/law/public/faragher_concentrate
4e/resources/mcqs/ch01/
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-
school/quizshow.php?title=british-parliament&q=3
Democracy in the UK test questions
UK Political system quizziz
Chapter 6: Workbook

H, E, D, B, C, A, F, G
 CHAPTER 7 -
WORKBOOK

1C 2A 3B 4B 5A 6A 7B
 CHAPTER 8 -
WORKBOOK

1B 2A 3C 4A
8C 9B 10A 11B
B. Westminster C. Whitehall

5B 6C 7A 12C 13A 14B

 CHAPTER 9 -
WORKBOOK

1A 2C 3C 4B 5B 6A 7C
a6 b7 c5 d3 e4 f1 g2
 Review game: key words about UK
political system
Group A Group B
Example: Find the word which
means “The group of people
elected to make laws of the UK”

P A R L I A M E N T
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