British Parliament in English. UK Parliament

To use presentation previews, create a Google account and log in to it: https://accounts.google.com

Slide captions:

The British Parliament

THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy composed of 4 constituent countries England Scotland Wales & Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy consisting of 4 administrative and political parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Union Jack The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its design includes the flags of England Scotland and Ireland The Union Jack (also known as the Union Jack) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its design includes the flags of England, Scotland and Ireland

The Royal coat of arms The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion. The shield is quartered, depicting in the first and fourth quarters the three passant guardant lions of England; in the second, the rampant lion and double tressure flory-counterflory of Scotland; and in the third, a harp for Northern Ireland. The crest is a statant guardant lion wearing the imperial crown, himself on another representation of that crown. The dexter supporter is a likewise crowned English lion; the sinister, a Scottish unicorn. According to legend a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast; therefore the heraldic unicorn is chained The Royal Arms of Great Britain is the official coat of arms of the British monarch (currently Elizabeth II). The usual version of the coat of arms has two lions and seven heraldic leopards: six golden leopards with azure arms on the shield, three each in the 1st and 4th fields of the quadruple shield (they correspond to England). The scarlet, lion with azure arms in the second field represents Scotland. Crowned leopard wearing a crest. A golden crowned lion as a shield holder supports the shield on the right. On the other side, the shield is supported by a chained unicorn.

A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French parlement, the action of parler (to speak): a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which such a discussion took place. It acquired its modern meaning as it came to be used for the body of people (in an institutional sense) who would meet to discuss matters of state. Parliament is the highest representative and legislative body, especially in those countries whose government system is based on the Westminster system. The name “parliament” comes from the French parlement (parler - to speak, parlement - to discuss). The term means a meeting in which a group of people discuss government issues. Parliament

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a monarch as its Head of the State. The monarch reigns with the support of Parliament. The powers of the monarch are not defined precisely. Everything today is done in the Queen’s name. It is her government, her armed forces, her law courts and so on. She appoints all the Ministers, including the Prime Minister. Everything is done however on the advice of the elected Government, and the monarch takes no part in the decision-making process. In Britain the Queen is the Head of State, but in fact she does not rule the country as she has no power. The Queen is a symbol of the country history and its traditions. She is very rich. She travels about the united kingdom, meets different people and visits schools, hospitals and other special places. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the Head of State is the Monarch. The monarch rules with the support of Parliament. The powers of the monarch are not precisely defined. Everything today belongs to the name of the Queen: the government, the armed forces, the courts and so on. She appoints all Ministers, including the Prime Minister. However, the governed function on the council belongs to the elected government, and the monarch does not take part in the decision-making process. In Great Britain, the Queen is the Head of State, but she does not actually rule the country, since she has no power. The Queen is a symbol of the country's history and traditions. She is very rich. She travels around the United Kingdom, meeting various guests and visiting schools, hospitals and other special places.

The Government The most powerful person is the Prime Minister. He is the leader of his party, he is the head of the government and has a seat in the House of Commons. He chooses the Cabinet-Ministers, who are the Foreign-, Home- and Defense-Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He recommends a number of appointments to the monarch. The Cabinet takes decisions about new policies, the implementation of existing policies and the running of the various government departments. The most popular Prime Ministers are Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and present one, Tony Blair. The most powerful person is the Prime Minister. He is the leader of his party, he is the head of the government and has a seat in the House of Commons. He selects the Cabinet Ministers, who are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance. He recommends appointments to the monarch. The cabinet makes decisions on new policies, implementation of existing policies and management of various departments. The most popular Prime Ministers are Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and, to date, Tony Blair.

The British Parliament is the oldest in the world. It originated in the 12th century. Parliament consists of: The House of Commons (646 elected Members of Parliament or MPs) The House of Lords (approximately720 unelected members, most of them appointed for life) The Queen (hereditary monarch) The British Parliament is the oldest in the world and was founded in 12th century. Parliament consists of: House of Commons (646 elected Members of Parliament) House of Lords (approximately 720 unelected members, most of them appointed) The Queen (hereditary monarch)

The House of Lords The first one, which is less important, is the House of Lords. It can be described as politically conservative. It consists of different groups. There are the Lord Spiritual. Those are archbishops and bishops. Furthermore the Lords Temporal. These are hereditary peers, which got their titles from their fathers or grandfathers, and life peers, which got their titles for their whole life, and finally there are the Lords of Appeal, which are the High Court Judges. The Lords` main functions are to examine and to discuss the Bills introduced in the House of Commons. They can also delay the legislation for a year, but they can´t stop those Bills completely. They have also the function to introduce Bills which are mostly unimportant and non-controversial. They must approve a Bill, before it becomes an act. The House of Lords is less important. It is a politically conservative party made up of various groups. Lords Spiritual - represented by the clergy of the English Church. Lords of the Secular are hereditary peers, who received the title from their fathers or grandfathers, and life peers, and finally judicial peers, who are members of the Supreme Court. The House of Lords has the function of examining and debating Bills introduced in the House of Commons. They can also delay legislation for a year, but they cannot stop it completely. They have the function of introducing Bills that are mostly minor and uncontroversial. They must approve the bill before it becomes an act.

The House of Commons The second House is the House of Commons. The 651 Members of Parliament (MPs) who sit in the Commons are elected representatives of the British people. Each MP represents one of the 651 constituencies into which the UK is divided. The House of Commons has a maximum term of five years, at the end of which a general election must be held. However, a general election can be called in the government at any time. MPs sit on parallel rows of seats known as benches with those who support the government on the one side and the opposition on the other. The important persons are the front-benchers, the less important ones are the back-benchers. The Commons` main functions are to define and to pass the laws and regulations governing the UK and to examine closely all the activities of the government. The Second House is the House of Commons, comprising 651 Members of Parliament who sit in the House of Commons and are the elected representatives of the British people. Each Member of Parliament represents one constituency out of the 651 constituencies into which the UK is divided. The House of Commons has a maximum term of office of five years, at the end of which a general election is held. However, general elections can be called within the government at any time. Members of Parliament sit in parallel rows known as benches, with those who support the government on one side and the opposition on the other. Important people are front benchers, less important people are back benchers. The House of Commons has the function of defining and passing laws and regulations, and examining the actions of the government.

The Party System Britain is normally described as having a two-party-system. One of the two big parties is the Conservative Party, also known as the Tories, which is right of center and standing for hierarchical interference in the economy. They would like to reduce income tax and the give a high priority to national defense and internal law and order. A famous Tory is John Major, the former Prime Minister. The second big party is the Labor Party, which is left of center and stands for equality, for the social weaker people and for more government involvement in the economical issues. Another smaller party is the Liberal Democratic Party. It was formed from a union of Liberals and the Social Democrats - a breakaway group of Labor politicians. The UK is usually described as having two party systems. One of the two large parties is the Conservative Party, also known as the Tories, which is a legal party and denotes hierarchical intervention in the economy. They would like to reduce income taxes, increase the priority of national defense and domestic law over law and order. Notable Tories are John Major, former Prime Minister. The second largest party is the Labor Party, called the left or center-left, aimed at equality and protection of weaker people and for greater government involvement in economic issues. Another smaller party is the Liberal Democratic Party, formed from an alliance of Liberals and Social Democrats—a splinter group of Labor Party politicians.

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a monarch as its Head of the State. The monarch reigns with the support of Parliament. The powers of the monarch are not defined precisely. Everything today is done in the Queen’s name. It is her government, her armed forces, her law courts and so on. She appoints all the Ministers, including the Prime Minister. Everything is done however on the advice of the elected Government, and the monarch takes no part in the decision-making process.
Once the British Empire included a large number of countries all over the world ruled by Britain. The process of decolonization began in 1947 with the independence of India, Pakistan and Ceylon. Now there is no Empire and only a few small islands belong to Britain. In 1997 the last colony, Hong Kong, was given to China. But the British ruling classes tried not to lose influence over the former colonies of the British Empire. An association of former members of the British Empire and Britain was founded in 1949. It is called the Commonwealth. It includes many countries such as Ireland, Burma, the Sudan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others. The Queen of Great Britain is also a Head of the Commonwealth, and also the Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand…

The British Constitution. The British Constitution is to a large extent a product of many historical events and has thus evolved over many centuries. Unlike the constitutions of most other countries, it is not set out in any single document. Instead it is made up of statute law, common law and conventions. The constitution can be changed by Act of Parliament, or by general agreement to alter a convention.
The Monarchy in Britain. When the Queen was born on 21 April 1926, her grandfather, King George V, was on the throne and her uncle was his heir. The death of her grandfather and the abdication of her uncle (King Edward VIII) brought her father to the throne in 1936 as King George VI. Elizabeth II came to the throne an 6 February 1952 and was crowned on 2 June 1953. Since then she made many trips to different countries and to the UK also. The Queen is very rich, as there are other members of the royal family. In addition, the government pays for her expenses as Head of the State, for a royal yacht, train and aircraft as well as for the upkeep of several palaces. The Queen’s image appears on stamps, notes and coins.

The Powers of Parliament. The three elements, which make up Parliament – ​​the Queen, the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons – are constituted on different principles. They meet together only on occasions of symbolic significance such as the State Opening of Parliament, when the Commons are invited by the Queen to the House of Lords.

Parliament consists of two chambers known as the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Parliament and the monarch have different roles in the government of the country, and they only meet together on symbolic occasions such as coronation of a new monarch or the opening of Parliament. In reality, the House of Commons is the only one of the three which is true power. It is here that new bills are introduced and debated. If the majority of the members aren’t in favor of a bill it goes to the House of Lords to be debated and finally to the monarch to be signed. Only than it becomes law. Although a bill must be supported by all three bodies, the House of Lords only has limited powers, and the monarch hasn’t refused to sign one.

The Functions of Parliament. The main functions of Parliament are: to pass laws; to provide, by voting taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government; to scrutinize government policy and administration; to debate the major issues of the day. In carrying out these functions Parliament helps to bring the relevant facts and issues before the electorate. By custom, Parliament is also informed before all-important international treaties and agreements are ratified.

A Parliament has a maximum duration of five years, but in practice general elections are usually held before the end of this term. Parliament is dissolved and rights for a general election are ordered by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. The life of a Parliament is divided into sessions. Each usually lasts for one year – normally beginning and ending in October or November. The adverse number of “sitting” days in a session is about 168 in the House of Commons and about 150 in the House of Lords. At the start of each session the Queen’s speech to Parliament outlines the Government’s policies and proposed legislative programme.

The House of Commons. The House of Commons is elected and consists of 651 Members of Parliament (MPs). At present there are 60 women, three Asian and three black Mps. Of the 651 seats, 524 are for England, 38 for Wales, 72 for Scotland, and 17 for Northern Ireland. Members are paid an annual salary of ‡30,854. The chief officer of the House of Commons is the Speaker, elected by the MPs to preside over the House. The House of Commons plays the major role in law making.

MPs sit on two sides of the hall, one side for the governing party and the other for the opposition. Parliament has intervals during its work. MPs are paid for their parliamentary work and have to attend the sittings. MPs have to catch the Speaker’s eye when they want to speak, then they rise from where they have been sitting to address the House and must do so without either reading a prepared speech or consulting notes.

The House of Lords. The House of Lords consists of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal. The Lords Spiritual are the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the 24 next most senior bishops of the Church of England. The Lords Temporal consists of: all hereditary peers of England, Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom; all other life peers. Peerages, both hereditary and life, are created by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. They are usually granted in recognition of service in politics or other walks of life. In 1992 there were 1,211 members of the House of Lords, including the two archbishops and 24 bishops. The Lords Temporal consisted of 758 hereditary peers and 408 life peers. The House is presided over by the Lord Chancellor, who takes his place on the woolsack as the Speaker of the House.

The division of Parliament into two Houses goes back over some 700 years when feudal assembly ruled the country. In modern times, real political power rests in the elected House although members of the House of Lords still occupy important cabinet posts.

The Political Party System. The present political system depends upon the existence of organized political parties, each of which presents its policies to the electorate for approval. The parties are not registered or formally recognized in law, but in practice most candidates in elections, and almost all winning candidates, belong to one of’ the main parties.

For the last 150 years there were only 2 parties: the Conservative Party and the Labor Party. A new party – the Liberal Democrats – was formed in 1988. Social Democratic Party is also the new one founded in 1981. Other parties include two nationalist parties, Plaid Cymru (founded in Wales in 1925) and the Scottish National Party (founded in 1934 ).

The effectiveness of the party system in Parliament rests largely on the relationship between the Government and the Opposition parties. Depending on the relative strengths of the parties in the House of Commons, the Opposition may seek to overthrow the Government by defeating it in a vote on a “matter of confidence”. In general, however, its aims are to contribute to the formation of policy and legislation by constructive criticism; to oppose government proposal — it considers objectionable; to seek amendments to government bills; and to put forward its own policies in order to improve its chances of winning the next general election.

Because of the electoral method in use, only two major parties obtain seats in the House of Commons. People belonging to smaller political parties join one of the larger parties and work from within to make their influence felt. The exception to this are members of the Scottish National and Welsh Nationalist Parties, who, because their influence votes are concentrated in specific geographical areas, can manage to win seats although their total support is relatively small.

Her Majesty’s Government: Prime Minister, the Cabinet. Her Majesty’s Government is the body of ministers responsible for the administration of national affairs. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Queen, and all other ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Most ministers are members of the Commons, although the Government is also fully represented by ministers in the Lords. The composition of governments can vary both in the number of ministers and in the titles of some offices. New ministerial offices may be created, others may be abolished and functions may be transferred from one minister to another.

The Prime Minister is also, by tradition, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. The Prime Minister’s unique position of authority derives from majority support in the House of Commons and from the power to appoint and dismiss ministers. By modern convention, the Prime Minister always sits in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister presides over the Cabinet, is responsible for the allocation of functions among ministers and informs the Queen at regular meetings of the general business of the Government. The Prime Minister's Office is located at 11 Downing Street.

The Cabinet is composed of about 20 ministers chosen by the Prime Minister. The functions of the Cabinet are initiating and deciding on policy, the supreme control of government and the co-ordination of government departments. The exercise of these functions is vitally affected by the fact that the Cabinet is a group of party representatives, depending upon majority support in the House of Commons. The Cabinet meets in private and its proceedings are confidential. Its members are bound by their oath as Privy Counselors not to disclose information about their proceedings, although after 30 years Cabinet papers may be made available for inspection.

- (Parliament, British), the highest legislator. organ in Great Britain and North. Ireland. It consists of the monarch as the head of state and two houses sitting in the Palace of Westminster, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Prime Minister, and the cabinet (the leadership group of the Min... The World History

UK Parliament- Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster) Ve ... Wikipedia

Procedure for elections to the UK Parliament- Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy headed by the Queen. Parliament is the highest legislative body in the United Kingdom and the Royal Overseas Territories. The parliament is bicameral, includes an upper house called the Chamber... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda- (English Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda) legislative body of Antigua and Barbuda. Composition The modern parliament consists of a monarch and two chambers: The Queen of Great Britain The Upper House The Senate of Antigua and Barbuda (eng. Senate of Antigua and ... Wikipedia

Parliament- (Parliament), the highest legislative body of Great Britain. It consists of the king as the head of state and two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Originated in the 13th century. during meetings of the king with members of his government and naib, influential representatives of the nobility. With... ... The World History

PARLIAMENT- (English parliament from French par1er speak) the generic name of the highest representative and legislative body in democratic states. Actually P. this body is called in Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Belgium, etc.; in the USA and... Legal dictionary

Scottish Parliament- Chamber of the Scottish Parliament. Great Britain ... Wikipedia

Parliament- This term has other meanings, see Parliament (meanings) ... Wikipedia

parliament- A; m. [English] parliament, French parlement] 1. The highest state legislative representative assembly, built entirely or partially on an elective basis. Join parliament. Member of Parliament. Parliamentary elections. // Joking. ABOUT… … encyclopedic Dictionary

Parliament of Australia- This article is part of the topic Politics and Government of Australia ... Wikipedia

New Zealand Parliament- Politics Portal: Politics New Zealand This article is part of a series ... Wikipedia

Books

• English for lawyers. Textbook. In 2 parts. Part 2 , . This textbook was prepared by a team of authors from the Department of English Language No. 1 of the Moscow State Law University named after O. E. Kutafin (MSAL) and is the second part... Buy for 290 rubles
• English for lawyers. Textbook. Part 2 , . This textbook was prepared by a team of authors from the Department of English No. 1 of the Moscow State Law University named after O. E. Kutafin (MSAL) and is the second part...

The state system of Great Britain - Governmental structure of Great Britain

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy (1). The power of the Queen is limited by the Parliament. It means that the sovereign reigns (2) but does not rule. Britain does not have a written constitution, but a set laws (3). Parliament is the most important authority in. Britain. It comprises (4) the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Monarch in its constitutional role. In reality the House of Commons is the only one of the three, which has true power.
The Monarch serves formally (5) as head of state. But the Monarch is expected to be politically neutral (6) and should not make political decisions. The present sovereign of Great Britain is Queen Elizabeth II (the second). She was crowned (7) in Westminster Abbey in 1953.
The House of Commons has 650 elected Members of Parliament (MPs), each representing a local constituency (8).
They are elected by secret ballot. General elections are held every five years. The country is divided into 650 constituencies. All citizens aged 18 have the right to vote (9), but voting is not compulsory in Britain. The candidate polling the largest number (10) of votes in a constituency is elected. The functions of the House of Commons are legislation and scrutiny (11) of government activities. The House of Commons is presided over by the Speaker. The Government appoints the Speaker.
The House of Lords comprises about 1,200 peers (12). It is presided over by the Lord Chancellor. The House of Lords is made up of hereditary (13) and life peers and peeresses and the two archbishops (14) and 24 most senior bishops of the established Church of England. The House of Lords has no real power. It acts rather as an advisory council (15).
There are few political parties in Great Britain thanks to the British electoral system. They are the Conservative Party, the Labor Party and the Liberal Democratic Alliance (16). Each political party puts up one candidate for each constituency. The one who wins the most votes is elected MP for that area. The party which wins the most seats in Parliament forms the Government. Its leader becomes the Prime Minister. As head of the Government the Prime Minister appoints ministers, of whom about 20 are in the Cabinet - the senior group which takes major policy decisions (17). Ministers are collectively responsible (18) for government decisions and individually responsible for their own departments.
The second largest party forms the official Opposition, with its own leader and "shadow cabinet" (19). The Opposition has a duty to criticize government policies and to present an alternative program (20).
The new bills are introduced and debated in the House of Commons. If the majority of the members are in favor of a bill it goes to the House of Lords to be debated. The House of Lords has the right to reject a new bill twice. But after two rejections they are obliged to accept it. And finally the bill goes to the Monarch to be signed. Only then it becomes a law.
Parliament is responsible for British national policy. Much legislation applies through out Britain. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own legal systems with differences in law and practice.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen's power is limited to Parliament, which means that the monarch reigns and does not govern. Britain does not have its own constitution, but only a set of laws. Parliament is given the greatest power. It consists of: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch, in his constitutional role. In fact, only the House of Commons has significant power.
The monarch performs the function of head of state formally. He must take a neutral political position and not make political decisions. The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth, who was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1953.
The House of Commons has 650 members of parliament representing local constituencies.
They are elected by secret ballot. General elections are held every 5 years in 650 electoral districts into which the entire country is divided. All citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote, although this is not mandatory. The candidate who receives the most votes is considered elected. The function of the House of Commons is to legislate and scrutinize government affairs. The House of Commons is headed by a chairman appointed by the government.
The House of Lords consists of 1,200 peers. The Lord Chancellor presides here. This includes the hereditary and living peri, two archbishops and the 24 most senior bishops, who are elected by the English Church. In reality, the House of Lords does not have full power to influence policy. It functions more as an advisory board.
Thanks to the British electoral system, the UK has the following political parties: the Conservative Party, the Labor Party and the Liberal Democratic Union. Each political party proposes its own candidate in each constituency. Whoever gets the most votes will become the Member of Parliament for that constituency. The party that wins the most seats in parliament forms the government. Its leader becomes prime minister. As chairman of the government, the prime minister appoints ministers, 20 of whom form the Cabinet of Ministers, which makes major policy decisions. Ministers are collectively responsible for government decisions and individually responsible for the work of their ministries.
The second largest party forms an opposition with its own leader and “shadow cabinet.” Her responsibility is to criticize government policies and introduce an alternative program.
New laws are presented to the House of Commons and discussed here. If the majority of members agree on the law, it is sent to the House of Lords for further discussion. The House of Lords has the right to repeal a new law twice and after the second rejection is obliged to pass it. Finally, the law falls into the hands of the monarch for signature. Only now can it be considered law in full.
Parliament is responsible for British national legislation, which applies to the whole of Britain. It is true that England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own legal systems with differences in laws and in their practical application.

Vocabulary

1. monarchy ["mɔnəkɪ] - monarchy
2. sovereign reigns - the monarch reigns
3. set of laws - set of laws
4. comprise - contain in oneself
5. serves formally -In formally speaking
6. neutral ["njuːtr(ə)l] - neutral
7. to be crowned - to be crowned
8. a local constituency - local constituency
9. vote - vote
10. polling the largest number - the one that received the most votes
11. scrutinizing - careful study
12. peer - peer (honorary title in Great Britain)
13. hereditary - hereditary
14. archbishop - archbishop
15. it acts rather as an advisory council - acts more like an advisory council
16. alliance - union
17. to take decisions - make decisions
18. to be (responsible for) - to be responsible (for)
19. "shadow cabinet"
20. to present an alternative program - introduce an alternative program

Questions

1. What is the most important authority in Great Britain?
2. Is the Monarch expected to be politically active?
3. How are the Members of Parliament elected?
4. What are the main political parties in Great Britain?
5. What are the functions of the House of Commons?

BRITAIN AND THE BRITISH

THEBRITISHPARLIAMENT

The UK Parliament is one of the oldest representative established in the world, having its origins in the middle of the 13th century. From the 14th century, parliamentary government in the United Kingdom has been based on a two-chamber system. The House of Lords (the upper house) and the House of Commons (the lower house) sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The relationship between the two Houses is governed largely by convention but is in part defined by the Parliament Acts. The legislative process involves both Houses of Parliament and the Monarch.

In the beginning, Great Britain was an absolute monarchy, but in the 17th century, tensions increased between parliament and monarch. Civil War broke out the following year, leading to the execution of King Charles 1 in January 1649. Following the restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, the role of parliament was enhanced by the events of 1688-89 (the 'Glorious Revolution') which established the authority of Parliament over the King. The state political system became to be Parliament monarchy. Nowadays the Monarch is no more but a symbol and tradition of the nation.

The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons and the Queen.

Today the House of Commons plays the major role in law-making. It consists of Members of Parliament. Each of them represents an area in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Members of Parliament are elected either at a general election or at a by-election following the death or retirement of one of them. Parliament has a maximum duration of five years. At any time up to the end of this period, a general election can be held for a new House of Commons and it is the Prime Minister who decides on the exact day of the election. The minimum voting age is 18. The election campaign lasts about three weeks, the British parliamentary system depends on political parties. The party which wins the majority of seats forms the government and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister. The Prime Minister chooses about 20 MPs from his party to become the cabinet of ministers. Each minister is responsible for a particular area in the government. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and “shadow cabinet”. The leader of the opposition is a recognized post in the House of Commons. The parliament and the monarch have different roles in the government and they only meet together on symbolic occasions, such as coronation of a new monarch or the opening of the parliament. In reality, the House of Commons is the one of three which has true power.

The House of Commons is made up of six hundred and fifty elected members, it is presided over by the speaker, a member acceptable to the whole house. MPs sit on two sides of the hall, one side for the governing party and the other for the opposition. The first two rows of seats are occupied by the leading members of both parties. Each session of the House of Commons lasts for 160-175 days. MPs are paid for their parliamentary work and have to attend the sittings. As mentioned above, the House of Commons plays the major role in law making. The procedure is the following: a proposed law (“a bill”) has to go through three stages in order to become an act of parliament; these are called “readings”. The first reading is a formality and is simply the publication of the proposal. The second reading involves debate on the principles of the bill. And the third reading is a report stage. This is usually the most important stage in the process. When the bill passes through the House of Commons, it is sent to the House of Lords for discussion, when the Lords agree it, the bill is taken to the Queen for royal assistance, when the Queen signs the bill, it becomes act of the Parliament and the Law of the Land.

The House of Lords has more than 1000 members, although only about 250 take an active part in the work of the house. Members of this Upper House are not elected, they sit there because of their rank and the chairman of the" House of Lords is the Lord Chancellor. And he sits on a special seat, called "Woolsack". It is another tradition of Great Britain . The members of the House of Lords debate the bill after it has been passed by the House of Commons. Some changes may be recommended and the agreement between the two houses is reached by negotiations.

QUESTIONS

1. When was the UK Parliament established?

2. When did the parliamentary government in the United Kingdom begin to be based on a two-chamber system?

3. How is the upper house called?

4. How is the lower house called?

5. How is the relationship between the two Houses governed?

6. Who are involved in the legislative process in the British Parliament?

7. Whom does the real power in the Parliament belong to?

8. When did the Monarchy restoration happen?

9. What happened to King Charles I?

10. When was the King Charles I executed?

11. Does the Monarch have the real legislative power in Great Britain nowadays?

12. Is the state political system of Great Britain an absolute monarchy today?

13. What political system does Great Britain have today?

14. Who decides on the exact day of the election to be held for a new House of Commons?

15. Who always stands in the official opposition in the Parliament?

16. How many members are there in the House of Commons?

17. How many members are there in the House of Lords?

18. Are members of the House of Lords paid for their parliamentary work?

19. What is the minimum voting age in Great Britain?

20. What is a maximum duration for the Parliament?

VOCABULARY

representative - flight, representative

origins - origin, beginning

two-chamber system - bicameral system

the House of Lords - House of Lords (upper house of the British Parliament)

the House of Commons - House of Commons (lower house of the British Parliament)

to constitute - to constitute; establish; create

to govern - to rule, to manage

convention - agreement, agreement, treaty, convention

to define - to define, to define

to involve - collect

tension - contradictions, tension

to break (past broke, p.p. broken) out - break out

restoration - source Restoration (1660 p. in England)

to enhance - increase, strengthen

to elect - choose, choose

retirement - retirement; retirement; retirement

the Prime Minister - Prime Minister

to depend on - depend on MP - short for member of parliament)

responsible - responsible, responsible, responsible

coronation - coronation

to make (past made, p.p. made) up - here: consist of

the speaker - speaker

row - row

to attend - to attend; be present

to mention - mention, refer to

bill - bill, bill

proposal - proposal; plan

royal assent - royal approval, approval, permission

rank - rank

chairman - chairman

the Lord Chancellor - Lord Chancellor

negotiations - negotiations

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

The British Parliament is one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world, dating back to the mid-13th century. Since the 14th century, parliamentary government in Great Britain has been based on a two-house system. The House of Lords (upper house) and the House of Commons (lower house) sit separately, and their composition is based on completely different principles. The relationship between the two houses is largely by convention, but is partly determined by acts of parliament. The legislative process involves both houses of parliament and the monarch.

At first, Great Britain was an absolute monarchy, but in the 17th century tensions between Parliament and the monarch increased. A year later, civil war broke out, which led to the execution of King Charles I in January 1649. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the role of parliament was strengthened by the events of 1688-1689, which established the priority power of parliament over the king. The state political system became a parliamentary monarchy. In our time, the monarch is nothing more than a symbol and tradition of the nation.

The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the Queen.

Today the House of Commons plays a major role in legislation. It consists of members of parliament. Each of them represents an area in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Members of Parliament are elected either in general elections or in by-elections after the death or resignation of one of them. Parliament is elected for a maximum term of five years. At any time before the end of this period, a general election may be held to form a new House of Commons, the exact date of the election being set by the Prime Minister. The minimum voter age is 18 years. The election campaign lasts approximately 3 weeks, the British parliamentary system depends on political parties. The party that wins the most seats forms the government, and its leader usually becomes prime minister. The prime minister selects approximately 20 members of parliament from his party who serve on the cabinet. Each minister in the government is responsible for a specific area. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and "shadow cabinet". The Leader of the Opposition is a recognized position in the House of Commons. Parliament and the monarch have different roles in government, and they only meet together on symbolic occasions, such as the coronation of a new monarch or the opening of parliament. In reality, the House of Commons is one of the three branches of government that has real power.

The House of Commons consists of six hundred and fifty elected members, headed by a Speaker, whose candidacy must be approved by the whole House. Members of parliament sit on both sides of the hall: one side for the ruling party, and the other for the opposition. The first 2 rows of seats are occupied by leading members of both parties. Each session of the House of Commons lasts for 160-175 days. Parliament has intervals in its work. Members of Parliament receive a salary for their parliamentary work and are required to attend meetings. As stated above, the House of Commons plays a major role in legislation. The procedure is this: a proposed bill must go through three stages to become an Act of Parliament: these are called “reading”. The first reading is a mere formality, it is simply the publication of the proposal. Rereading constitutes a debate about the substance of the bill. And the third reading is the announcement stage. This is usually the most important stage of the process. When a bill passes the House of Commons, it is sent to the House of Lords for debate; when the lords agree, the bill is sent to the queen for her assent, when the queen passes the bill, it becomes an act of parliament and the law of the state.

The House of Lords has more than 1,000 members, although only about 250 take an active part in its work. Members of the upper house are not elected, they sit there due to their status, the chairman of the House of Lords is the Lord Chancellor. He sits on a special place called a “vulsek” (wool bag). Members of the House of Lords discuss the bill after it has passed through the House of Commons. Some changes may be recommended and agreement between the two houses may be reached through negotiations.