A SENSE OF IDENTITY

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

England (London), Scotland (Edinburgh), Wales (Cardiff) and Northern Ireland (Belfast).

The British Isles

are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain, Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. Two sovereign states are located on the islands: Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK).
The British Isles also include three dependencies of the British Crown: the Isle of Man and, by tradition, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands, although the latter are not physically a part of the archipelago.

The British Empire n the Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is a group of 54 countries, spread all over the globe, north to south, east to west. Historically, the modern Commonwealth is a product of the British Empire, and began in the late 1940s, after India and Pakistan gained independence. The Heads of Government Meeting is held every two years, where the leaders of the member states get together to discuss current issues. Commonwealth Day is held in the second week of March.

-50 membr states, 1.8 billion people

-citizens can register to vote in other Commonwealth countries

-sport education and cultural ties

The north-south divide

Refers to the perceived economic and cultural differences between Southern England and the rest of Great Britain (Northern England, Wales and Scotland). The divide cuts through the English Midlands.

-Health conditions are generally seen as being worse in the north

-House prices are higher in the south

-Earnings are higher in the south and east

The core and periphery division

Sunset and sunrise areas

The sunset areas are broadly those where traditional industries have collapsed during the past 30 years, for example cotton good in Lancashire.

The sunrise areas are mainly it the outer core of Britain, the most notable is the 'M4 Corridor'. The town of Bracknell is also a good example.

MONARCHY

the royal prerogative

is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognised in the the UK as the sole prerogative of the Sovereign. Many of the executive powers of British government, vested in a monarch, have been bestowed under the mandate of the royal prerogative.

Prerogative powers were formerly exercised by the monarch acting on his or her own initiative. Since the 19th century, by convention, the advice of the prime minister or the cabinet - who are then accountable to Parliament for the decision—has been required in order for the prerogative to be exercised. The monarch remains constitutionally empowered to exercise the Royal Prerogative against the advice of the prime minister or the cabinet, but in practice would only do so in emergencies or where existing precedent does not adequately apply to the circumstances in question.

Today the royal prerogative is concerned with several areas critical to the government of the United Kingdom, including the conduct of foreign affairs, defence, and national security. The monarchy has a significant constitutional presence in these and other areas, but very limited power, because the prerogative is nowadays in the hands of the prime minister and other ministers or other government officials.

the royal pardon
an official order given by a king or queen to stop the punishment of a person accused of a crime

the royal assent

is the final step required for a parliamentary bill to become law. The assent of the sovereign to a bill which has passed both houses of Parliament, after which it becomes law.

heir, heiress to the throne

the person provisionally scheduled to become monarch, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of another person with a better claim to the throne

the plan to abolish the rule of male primogeniture

consort the spouse of a monarch

coronation the act of ceremony of crowning a sovereign or the sovereign's consort

abdication a formal resignation and reunviation of powers, stepping down

royal family members (Elizabeth II, her consort and children)

Elizabeth - Her Majesty the Queen

Prince Philip - the Duke of Edinburgh

Charles - the Prince of Wales

Camilla - the Duchess of Comwall

Andrew - the Duke of York

Edward - the Earl of Wessex

Anne - the Princess Royal

royal residences
Buchingham Palace, Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Balmoral Castle, Kensington Palace.

interregnum
a period between monarchs

the Civil List

is the name given to the annual grant that covers some expenses associated with the Sovereign performing their official duties, including those for staff salaries, State Visits, public engagements, ceremonial functions and the upkeep of the Royal Households. The cost of transport and security for the Royal Family, together with property maintenance and other sundry expenses, are covered by separate grants from individual Government Departments. Started in 1689.

THE PARLIAMENT
the Westminster

the House of Lords (unelected)

recent reforms of the upper house

the Supreme Court of Justice, the Constitutional Reform Act of 2005

Lord Speaker

Lords Temporal The Lords Temporal are made up of hereditary Peers elected under Standing Orders, life Peers, Law Lords, the Earl Marshal and the Lord Great Chamberlain.
Lords Spiritual 26 most senior bishops and archbishops of the church of England.

Law Lords aka the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, 9 of the most senior judges.

Last two are non- hereditary

the House of Commons (elected)

the Speaker
The chief official of the House of Commons whose role is to chair all debates and proceedings and to keep order in the Chamber.

Hansard
the daily report of parliamentary debates that gives a verbatim account of all proceedings in the House of Commons.

hung parliament
The term used to describe the situation where no single political party has a majority of MPs in the House of Commons. If this happens, two or more parties may decide that they have enough in common to form a coalition Government. Alternatively another general election may be held in the hope that it delivers a more decisive result.

recess

the period of time such as the summer holiday or between the ending of one Parliament and the neginning of a new one, when Parliament is closed.

despatch boxes

is a wooden box used as a lectern from which frontbench members of Parliament deliver speeches to their parliamentary chamber. In each House situated on either side of the Table which separates the Government from the Opposition.

Sergeant at Arms

is responsible for security and keeping order within the Commons part of the parliamentary estate. There are also some ceremonial aspects to the role.

Ceremonial duties involves carrying the House of Commons mace during the Speaker's procession. This is when the Speaker and his staff walk to the House of Commons chamber before each sitting. The Serjeant sits in the Commons chamber and is responsible for security for the duration of the sitting. He wears a traditional uniform and a sword.

question time

During 'question time' MPs are able to ask Government Ministers or other MPs questions on any point they may choose.

motion

a proposal to be discussed in Parliament.

how a bill becomes an Act of Parliament

the Civil Service

is the permanent bureaucracy that supports the Government Ministers responsible to the Sovereign and Parliament in administering the United Kingdom. It is staffed by professional civil servants and is responsible for implementing the policies of the current government at all levels of national life.
In the British system of Civil Service, civil servants are career employees recruited and promoted on the basis of their administrative skill and technical expertise, and as such do not include, nor are appointed by, elected officials or their political advisors. Civil servants are expected to be politically neutral, and may be prohibited from taking part in political campaigns.

THE GOVERNMENT
the Whitehall

the Cabinet
is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. The Cabinet is is the supreme decision-making body in the British political system.

the Shadow Cabinet
a group of opposition MPs who oversee the work of government ministers. Should the opposition win the next general elections, these shadow ministers will normally become government ministers.

current PM and the most important Secretaries of State

Coalition government of Conservatives and Lib Dems

PM: David Cameron, Deputy PM: Nick Clegg

His Majesty Most Loyal opposition (Ed Milliband, the Labour Party)

THE PARTY SYSTEM
leaders and policy of the main parties

the Conservative Party

the Liberal Democratic Party

the Labour Party

other parties: SNP, Plaid Cymru, the main parties in Northern Ireland

party whips
MPs or peers who have been selected by the leadership of their party to act as a channel of communication between leadership and members in each House. They keep party discipline and make sure that MPs and peers vote in accordance with the part policies.

GENERAL ELECTION
Elections in the UK
The United Kingdom has five distinct types of elections: general, local, regional, European and mayoral. Elections are traditionally held on Thursday.

General elections
United Kingdom general elections are the elections held when the Members of Parliament (MPs) forming the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom are elected. Following the Parliament Act 1911, parliamentary sessions last five years, and are ended with the dissolution of Parliament. The last election took place on 6^th May, 2010.

Candidates aim to win particular geographic constituencies in the United Kingdom (UK). Each constituency elects one MP by the first past the post system of election. At the 2010 general election, there were 650 constituencies. The party with the most seats forms the government, and the second largest party is Her Majesty's Opposition. Almost all candidates are members of a political party and the majority of voters in the UK choose who to vote for based on the candidates' parties, rather than the personalities or opinions of the individual candidates.

constituencies

the Boundary Commission

the first past the post electoral system: its advantages and disadvantages

the failure of the Alternative Vote referendum in 2011

crossbencher

an independent MP who doesn't belong to any political party.

green

the official colour of the House of Commons.

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