The political system of the United Kingdom is a very interesting blend of modern-day democracy, convention, and history. In the UK, politics are what determine who comes into power, how and in what manner legislation is developed, and how the country is managed. It is often characterised as being a parliamentary democracy in a constitutional monarchy. A good way into the basics of UK politics may be to take an Introduction to the Study of Politics course, or some other, similar, introductory course. We are going to tell clearly and simply about the main components of the functioning of the UK political system in this article.
The United Kingdom’s political system
The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Parliament thus has real political authority, exercised by elected members of Parliament, whilst the reigning monarch, Charles III, is the constitutional head of state. Although the UK has many centuries of history, its government is firmly rooted in the ideas of democracy, with the people electing MPS to serve in their interest. On the contrary, the House of Lords is largely composed of appointees with diverse specializations. This house works as a revising chamber in which laws that have been passed by the Commons are checked and changes are suggested.
The Lords are necessary in the enactment of laws and in checking the administration, even though they cannot effectively stop legislation. Not only is the UK a unitary state, but its constituent countries, such as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, have devolved administrations.. The focus of these parliaments on devolved matters (such as health, education, and transportation) occurs because the UK Parliament has reserved jurisdiction over such matters as military and international policy. Other political parties dominate the political arena, although the two most significant of them are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. Other parties, compared with the governing parties, such as the Green Party, Scottish National Party (SNP), and Liberal Democrats, also have a major role to play in coalition or minority governments.
The three branches: the Executive, the legislature, and the judiciary
The United Kingdom conventionally uses the three-part division of the government: executive, legislative, and judicial. This division provides checks and balances in that no individual branch should become too powerful.
- The Executive has the mandate of running the government and implementing laws and mandates. It is made up of the UK Government, the head of which is the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet, and the Crown, which is the monarch. Besides being the head of government activities and setting up government policy, the executive is accountable to parliament.
- Parliament or the Legislature is the law-making body. It comprises three bodies: the Crown, the House of Commons (which houses the elected members of Parliament, MPs), and the House of Lords (which is the appointed and hereditary members). Laws are made in parliament, amended, and passed. It also holds the government to account, as MPs and Lords question, debate, and examine the work of ministers with committees.
- The Judiciary: The Judiciary is a body that consists of both the judges and the courts of the United Kingdom, and until recently, there was the Supreme Court, which is the highest court of the Judiciary. The judicial branch explains and administers laws, oversees their compliance, and has the power to challenge the lawfulness of the actions made by the government or any other public authority. The judges are autonomous, and they are appointed through merit to provide a check on the rule of law.
Unlike systems in strict separation where the branches operate quite autonomously, the UK system encounters some form of overlap: e.g, after becoming a minister in the executive, one tends to remain an MP in the legislature. Nonetheless, proper checks and balances are present, i.e., parliamentary oversight of the government and the court system of justice, so that neither the government nor the judges has complete control in the system.
Political parties and elections
The UK political playing field has been characterized by three major parties with different ideologies and priorities:
- By 2025, there will be a Conservative Party government in power led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
- Labour is centre-left and takes the position of increased government intervention in terms of equality and publicly funded institutions like healthcare and education. Labour lays great emphasis on social justice and giving support to the needy. Currently in the lead is Sir Keir Starmer, who is the Official Opposition leader.
- The Liberal Democrats assume a middle-of-the-road position as they advocate the importance of balancing individual freedoms and social justice. They protest the reforms of the constitution, environmental, and civil liberties. The leader, of course, is Sir Ed Davey.
The Prime Minister and the cabinet
The prime prerogative of the Prime Minister is the organization of the functioning of the government, as well as the prioritization and making of key decisions on the national level.
Other roles of the Prime Minister include representation of the UK at international platforms and the ability of the Prime Minister to meet leaders of other nations, as well as direct national defense and security policies, including the deployment of military forces. They are the main government spokesperson and set the agenda in Parliament. Significantly, the Prime Minister must retain the support of the House of Commons to remain in office; losing this support usually leads to resignation or a general election. Along with overseeing the goings-on at the government level, the Prime Minister oversees the civil service or the permanent personnel who assist in policy changes set out by the government. They also guide the monarch on major appointments and honours, thus highlighting their major role in the political and administrative system in the UK.
Devolved governments
As well as the central UK government, there are devolved governments in the countries and regions of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Devolution can be interpreted as delegating some of the powers accorded to the UK parliament at Westminster to these regional administrations in order to make more decisions on certain local matters to the people found within their local jurisdiction. The devolved institutions came in the aftermath of public referendums in 1997 and 1998 and include the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd (previously known as the National Assembly of Wales), and the Northern Ireland Assembly of 1998. There are their own elected members and governments to take care of zones such as health, education, environment, and transport.
- The Scottish Parliament: The Scottish Parliament also has extensive powers to legislate and can enact laws on most matters that are not reserved to Westminster. The Scottish Government provides daily governance of the country, which is presided over by the First Minister of Scotland.
- Wales: The Welsh Senedd has grown over time in its authority. It enacts laws and determines policies in areas that have become devolved, like health and education, but the Welsh Government implements the policies.
- Northern Ireland: The Northern Ireland Assembly functions with a special power-sharing arrangement owing to the political and social conditions. It shares power with the civil affairs of justice, health, education, and infrastructure, although certain things are still reserved for the UK government.
The UK parliament is still sovereign, although it is not commonly in a position to legislate in devolved areas, and would normally seek the consent of the devolved legislatures to do so. Devolved governments have ministers and civil service departments distinct from those of the UK government. Regions get to solve their problems in this system, and this does not compromise the integrity of the UK.
How are laws made?
Bills in the United Kingdom are the root of all laws, as they are suggestions to make changes to an existing policy or create a new policy. This can be presented as government or individual MPs’ bills. The vast majority of bills originate in the House of Commons, although some bills originate in the House of Lords. The steps that a bill undergoes to become a law are very rigorous and contain some important steps in both houses of parliament:
- First Reading: This is the first time that the title of the bill is read and made known to the public. At this point, it is a formality; no debate is allowed.
- Second Reading: In the case of a bill of either House of Parliament, the main principles and overall purpose of the bill are debated. At the point of this argument, a vote is cast. When the bill is rejected, it does not go any further.
- Committee Stage: The bill is studied by a committee of MPs or Lords. They can propose amendments, which are changes to the bill that they feel could change it in order to make it better.
- Report Stage: The committee advises the whole House, and more scrutiny and amendment may now be undertaken. There is a debate on the changes, followed by a vote by the members.
- Third Reading: This is the debate of the final draft of the bill. And this is the final opportunity to discuss the contents until the final vote.
When a bill has cleared these three steps (first in one House and then in the other), the process is repeated in the second House, giving a second reading stage and a third reading stage. At times, the two chambers may also differ on the wording of the bills, and in case of occurrence, the ping pong effect may take place, whereby the bill passes back and forth until it reaches a consensus. Once both the Houses agree to the text of the bill, it is presented to the monarch, who finalizes the Royal Assent, also called the formal approval. After Royal Assent, the bill is an Act of Parliament, and this is a legally binding law. This elaborate procedure means that laws are well thought out, argued out, and smoothed before people in different parts of the UK can be influenced by them.