The UK Government, the Law and Your RoleChapter 5

How often must a general election be held?

What is the minimum age for voting in a UK general election?

Is this statement true or false? The UK has a constitution written down in a single document.

How many members are there on a jury in England, Wales and Northern Ireland?

Who appoints the Cabinet?

Which TWO of these have devolved governments or administrations?

Wybierz DWIE odpowiedzi

What is the role of the Speaker of the House of Commons?

At what age can you drive a car or motorcycle in the UK?

Chcesz pełną bazę pytań, śledzenie postępów i plan? Zacznij za darmo — bez karty.

Co obejmuje ten rozdział

Democracy means the whole adult population has a say in government — usually by electing representatives.
At the beginning of the 19th century Britain was NOT yet a democracy: only a small group of male property owners could vote.
The Reform Act of 1832 increased the electorate and abolished the old "rotten boroughs" (tiny constituencies controlled by one person), redistributing seats to growing towns and cities.

A constitution is the set of principles by which a country is governed, including the powers of its institutions and the rights of the people.
The British constitution is UNWRITTEN — not contained in a single document; it has developed over centuries through laws and conventions.
Some people argue an unwritten constitution allows flexibility; others want a single written document.

The UK Parliament sits at Westminster and has two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The House of Commons is the more important chamber because its members (MPs) are democratically elected.
Each MP represents a geographic area called a constituency.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party in power.
The PM appoints the members of the cabinet and controls many important public appointments.
The PM's official residence is 10 Downing Street, in central London near the Houses of Parliament; the PM also has a country house called Chequers.

Since 1997 some central government powers have been devolved to give the UK nations more control over matters directly affecting them.
There has been a Welsh Assembly and a Scottish Parliament since 1999, and a Northern Ireland Assembly (with interruptions) since 1999 under the Good Friday Agreement (1998).
Policy areas remaining under UK central government control: defence, foreign affairs, immigration, taxation and social security.

Towns, cities and rural areas are governed by democratically elected councils, often called local authorities.
Some areas have both district and county councils sharing functions; most large towns and cities have a single local authority.
Local authorities provide services such as education, housing, planning, social services, roads, libraries, and rubbish collection; they are funded partly by central government and partly by local taxes (council tax).

The Commonwealth: an association of countries, most with historic links to the British Empire; membership is voluntary.
The monarch is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth, which (at the time of the handbook) had 54 member states.
The Commonwealth has no power over its members, but it can suspend membership; it is based on core values of democracy, good government and the rule of law.

Every person in the UK — resident or visitor — must obey the law; the law applies equally to everyone, including the police and government.
Britain prides itself on the rule of law: no one, however rich or powerful, is above the law.
UK law is divided into criminal law (offences against the community, investigated by police and punished by courts) and civil law (disputes between individuals or groups).

The judiciary — judges — interpret the law and ensure trials are conducted fairly; judges are independent of the government.
The government cannot interfere in judges' decisions about legal disputes; sometimes judges rule that government actions are illegal, and the government must change its policies or ask Parliament to change the law.
Judges also decide disputes between members of the public and legal cases against public bodies and newspapers.

Britain has a long history of respecting individual rights and ensuring people are treated fairly — from Magna Carta (1215) to the Habeas Corpus Act (1679) and the Bill of Rights (1689).
After WWII, the UK helped draft and was one of the first countries to sign the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), in 1950.
Key ECHR principles include: the right to life; prohibition of torture; prohibition of slavery and forced labour; the right to liberty and security; the right to a fair trial; no punishment without law; respect for private and family life; freedom of thought, conscience and religion; freedom of expression (speech).

Income tax is paid on: wages from employment, self-employment profits, most pensions, savings interest, rental income, and some state benefits.
Income tax pays for services such as roads, education, police and the armed forces.
Most employees pay income tax automatically through PAYE ("Pay As You Earn"), deducted by the employer from wages.

Becoming a UK citizen or permanent resident means agreeing to shared values and responsibilities: obeying the law, being tolerant, treating others fairly, and looking after your family, your local area and the environment.
Being a good neighbour: introduce yourself, be considerate about noise, keep your property tidy, and only put rubbish bins out on collection days; offering help (e.g. shopping for a sick neighbour) builds community.
Volunteering benefits both community and volunteer: meeting people, improving your English, and gaining useful work experience for job applications.