Political System of UKLucie Kolářová, 4.A.

Basic informations

• Country name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• UK is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system

• In fact, it is a parliamentary monarchy

The UK Parliament

• The supreme1 body of legislatures2

• Third component: The Queen• Bicameral3: consisting4 of the House of

Commons and the House of Lords• Seat5: the Palace of Westminster in London

Palace of Westminster in London

House of Commons6

• The lower house7 of Parliament• Democratically elected body• Consisting of 650 members, who usually

belong to a political party• The Commons have supremacy over the Lords• Leader: Andrew Lansley, Conservative;

Shadow Leader: Angela Eagle, Labour; Speaker: John Bercow

Andrew Lansley, John Bercow

House of Lords

• The upper house8 of Parliament• Independent9 from the Commons• 826 members currently10

• Two types: Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual• Leader: Lord Strathclyde, Conservative;

Opposition Leader: Baroness de Royall of Blaisdon, Labour; Lord Speaker: Baroness D´Souza

House of Lords

Lord Strathclyde

British Monarch

• The Sovereign11

• “His/Her Majesty12”• The constitutional monarch of 16 states –

Commonwealth • The Supreme Governor13 of the Church of

England

Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II

• Elizabeth Alexandra May• Born 21 April 1926 to King George VI and

Elizabeth The Queen Mother• Coronation14: 2 June 1953• Spouse15: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh• Children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward

Prime minister of the UK

• David William Donald Cameron• Prime minister of the United Kingdom• First Lord of the Treasury17

• Minister of the Civil Service• Leader of the Conservative Party• Residence: 10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street

3 Major Political Parties:

• Conservative Party• Labour Party

• Liberal Democrats

Conservative Party

• Centre-right party• Blue Colour• Ideology: British unionism, soft euro-

scepticism, conservatism• 177 000 members, 306 Commons, 217 Lords• Leader: David Cameron (Prime Minister)• Known members: Margaret Thatcher

Labour Party

• Centre-left party• Red colour• Social Democracy• 193 961 members, 285 Commons, 212 Lords• Leader: Ed Miliband (Leader of the

Opposition)• Known members: Clement Attlee, Tony Blair,

Gordon Brown (preceding18 Prime Minister)

Ed Miliband

Tony Blair, Gordon Brown

Liberal Democrats

• Radical centre to centre-left party• Yellow colour• Ideology: liberalism, social liberalism, cultural

liberalism)• 57 Commons, 79 Lords• Leader: Nick Clegg (Deputy19 Prime Minister)

Nick Clegg