- A constitution is a set of principles by which a country is governed.
- It includes all of the institutions that are responsible for running the country and how their power is kept in check.
- The constitution also includes laws and conventions.
- The British constitution is not written down in any single document, and therefore it is described as ‘unwritten’.
- This is mainly because the UK, unlike America or France, has never had a revolution which led permanently to a totally new system of government.
- Our most important institutions have developed over hundreds of years.
- Some people believe that there should be a single document, but others believe an unwritten constitution allows for more flexibility and better government.
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Constitutional institutions
- In the UK, there are several different parts of government.
- The main ones are: the monarchy, Parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords), the Prime Minister, the cabinet, the judiciary (courts), the police, the civil service, local government.
- In addition, there are devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have the power to legislate on certain issues.
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The monarchy
- King Charles III is the head of state of the UK.
- He is also the monarch or head of state for many countries in the Commonwealth.
- The UK has a constitutional monarchy.
- This means that the king or queen does not rule the country but appoints the government, which the people have chosen in a democratic election.
- The monarch invites the leader of the party with the largest number of MPs, or the leader of a coalition between more than one party, to become the Prime Minister.
- The monarch has regular meetings with the Prime Minister and can advise, warn and encourage, but the decisions on government policies are made by the Prime Minister and cabinet.
- The King has reigned since his mother’s death in September 2022.
- He is married to Queen Camilla.
- His eldest son, Prince William (the Prince of Wales), is the heir to the throne.
- The King has important ceremonial roles, such as the opening of the new parliamentary session each year.
- On this occasion the King makes a speech which summarises the government’s policies for the year ahead.
- All Acts of Parliament are made in his name.
- The King represents the UK to the rest of the world.
- He receives foreign ambassadors and high commissioners, entertains visiting heads of state, and makes state visits overseas in support of diplomatic and economic relationships with other countries.
- The King has an important role in providing stability and continuity.
- While governments and Prime Ministers change regularly, the King continues as head of state.
- He provides a focus for national identity and pride.
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System of government
- The system of government in the UK is a parliamentary democracy.
- The UK is divided into parliamentary constituencies.
- Voters in each constituency elect their Member of Parliament (MP) in a General Election.
- All of the elected MPs form the House of Commons.
- Most MPs belong to a political party, and the party with the majority of MPs forms the government.
- If one party does not get a majority, two parties can join together to form a coalition.
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The House of Commons
🧠 COMMONS vs LORDS
COMMONS = elected, 650 MPs, powerful · LORDS = appointed, not elected
- The House of Commons is regarded as the more important of the two chambers in Parliament because its members are democratically elected.
- The Prime Minister and almost all the members of the cabinet are members of the House of Commons (MPs).
- Each MP represents a parliamentary constituency, which is a small area of the country.
- MPs have a number of different responsibilities.
- They: Represent everyone in their constituency, Help to create new laws, Scrutinise and comment on what the government is doing, Debate important national issues.
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The House of Lords
- Members of the House of Lords, known as peers, are not elected by the people and do not represent a constituency.
- The role and membership of the House of Lords has changed over the last 50 years.
- Until 1958, all peers were: ‘hereditary’, which means they inherited their title, or, senior judges, or, bishops of the Church of England.
- Since 1958, the Prime Minister has had the power to nominate peers just for their own lifetime.
- These are called life peers.
- They have usually had an important career in politics, business, law or another profession.
- Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- They also include people nominated by the leaders of the other main political parties or by an independent Appointments Commission for non-party peers.
- Since 1999, hereditary peers have lost the automatic right to attend the House of Lords.
- They now elect a few of their number to represent them in the House of Lords.
- The House of Lords is normally more independent of the government than the House of Commons.
- It can suggest amendments or propose new laws, which are then discussed by MPs.
- The House of Lords checks laws that have been passed by the House of Commons to ensure they are fit for purpose.
- It also holds the government to account to make sure that it is working in the best interests of the people.
- There are peers who are specialists in particular areas, and their knowledge is useful in making and checking laws.
- The House of Commons has powers to overrule the House of Lords, but these are not used often.
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The Speaker
- Debates in the House of Commons are chaired by the Speaker.
- This person is the chief officer of the House of Commons.
- The Speaker is neutral and does not represent a political party, even though he or she is an MP, represents a constituency and deals with the constituents’ problems like any other MP.
- The Speaker is chosen by other MPs in a secret ballot.
- The Speaker keeps order during political debates to make sure the rules are followed.
- This includes making sure the opposition has a guaranteed amount of time to debate issues which it chooses.
- The Speaker also represents Parliament on ceremonial occasions.
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Elections
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UK elections
- MPs are elected at a General Election, which is held at least every five years.
- If an MP dies or resigns, there will be a fresh election, called a by-election, in his or her constituency.
- MPs are elected through a system called ‘first past the post’.
- In each constituency, the candidate who gets the most votes is elected.
- The government is usually formed by the party that wins the majority of constituencies.
- If no party wins a majority, two parties may join together to form a coalition.
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Contacting elected members
- All elected members have a duty to serve and represent their constituents.
- You can get contact details for all your representatives and their parties from your local library and from www\.parliament.uk.
- MPs, Senedd members (SMs) and members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are also listed in The Phone Book, published by BT.
- You can contact MPs by letter or telephone at their constituency office, or at their office in the House of Commons: The House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A OAA, telephone 0207 219 3000.
- In addition, many MPs, SMs and MSPs hold regular local ‘surgeries’, where constituents can go in person to talk about issues that are of concern to them.
- These surgeries are often advertised in the local newspaper.
✅ Self-check — can you explain each of these?