1. Politicians don’t have a good reputation with the British people

2. Many people don’t even know names of the important government ministers or leaders

3. Nobody regards that politics as a dangerous topic of conversation, a lot of people think- that it is boring topic of conversation

4. The last demonstration took place 160 years ago

5. Politicians don’t worry about the negative picture

6. In Britain- it is generally accepted that the politics is a dirty business

1. The British have a deep respect for the principle of law

2. Few rules telling the indivudal what he or she must or mustn’t do

3. Few rules telling the government what it can or cannot do

4. Citizen don’t have identity card

5. Citizen don’t have to have driving license in car

6. People usually have to pay tp get the informations

7. The OFFICIAL SECRETS LAW- obliges many government employee not to tell anyone about the details of their work

8. DUTIES:

• Not breaking the law

• Paying taxes

• People are not obliged to vote at elections

• People don’t have to register a change of address

1. If government wants to make an important change in the way that the country is run- to change- it does not ask the people.

2. In Britain has only one countrywide referendum in history (1975) on whether the country should stay in the European Community

3. People choose who is to govern the country.

THE CONSTITUTION

Britain is a CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY. It means that a country governed by a king or queen who accepts the advice of a parliament.

It is also: THE PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY.

Government is controlled by a parliament elected by the people.

• Britain doesn’t have a constitution

• There are rules, regulation, principles and procedures, but there is no single written document, which can be appealed to as the highest law of the land

• Some of them are written down in laws agreed by Parliament, some have been spoken and then written down

• Some of them have never written down (e.g.: who can be PRIME MINISTER, or what the powers of the PRIME MINISTER are). Even thought that person is propably the most powerful person in the country.

• THE RIGHTS NOT TO BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINTS ON THE BASIS OF SEX AND RACE- have been formally agreed by Parliament in certain laws

• THE RIGHTS NOT TO BE DESCRIMINATED AGAINST ON THE BASIS OF RELIGIOUN or POLITICAL VIEWS- haven’t been formally agreed by Parliament in certain laws

• Parliament and government, there is a tendency for important decision to be taken NOT AT OFFICIAL PUBLIC MEETINGS- but at PRIVATE MEETINGS- by at lunch or over drink; the HOUSE OF COMMONS often called “THE MOST EXLUSIVE CLUB IN LONDON”

• PARLIAMENT have absolute control over and the highest power in the land.

• PALACE of WESTMINISTER- the home of Parliament

• Britain is describe as having a ‘TWO-PARTY SYSTEM’.

Because:

Members of just two parties normally occupy more than 85% of all of the seats in the HOUSE OF COMMONS; one of them- controls the government

Reason:

1 reason for the existence of this situation is THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Second reason the origin of British political parties

• Leader of the second biggest party in Parliament receives title “LEADER OF HER MAJESTY”S OPPOSITION”

Gets an extra salary

He or she- chooses a “shadow cabinet”

• Parties don’t extend into every area of public life in the country

• Members:

• Elect the party leader

• They can make their views known at the annual party conference

• Has to power to decide who is going to be the party’s candidate for MP in its area at the next election.

1. CONSERVATIVE PARTY

• In the early nineteent

• century

• Right of the centre

• leader has relatively great degree of freedom to direct policy

• Traditional outlook:

• To reduce income tax

• To reduce internal law

• VOTERS:

-the richer section of society

- a large minority of the working class

• MONEY donations from BUSINNES PEOPLE

2. LABOUR PARTY:

• Of the twentieth century

• First government in 1923

• Left on the centre

• OUTLOOK:

• stand for equality (równość)

• for the weaker people in society

• more goverment involvement in the economy

• leader has more power than implies

• VOTERS:

• Working class

• A small-middle-class intelligentsia

• MONEY mostly from business people

3. LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY:

• In thle late 1980 s, from a UNION OF THE LIBERALS and the SOCIAL DEMOCRATS

• Regarded as centre or slighty left of the centre

• OUTLOOK:

• Believes in giving great powers to local government

• Believe in reform of the electoral system

• More emphasis of the environment than other parties

• VOTERS:

• From all classes, but more- from MIDDLE class

• MONEY- more poorer than the big two

4. NATIONAL PARTIES:

BOTH “PLAID CYMRU”

• “Party of Wales”

• SNP- Scottish National Party

STAND ULTIMATELY for INDEPENDENCE from the UK.

5. Parties

In NORTHERN IRELAND:

4 main parties represent either the Protestant or the Catholic communities.

THE PROTESTANT:

• DEMOCRATIC UNIONISTS

• ULSTER UNIONUSTS

THE CATHOLIC:

• SINN FEIN

• SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC

• LABOUR PARTY

6. OTHER PARTIES:

• The GREEN PARTY- which is supported by environmentalists

• The BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY- which campaigns against immigration

• The UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENCE PARTY- which wants Britain to withdraw from the European Union

None of this parties has ever won a seat in Parliament.