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Parliamentary democracy in Britain has a special character which stems from the fact that the British Constitution is not to be found in a single document. This does not mean, however, that Britain does not have a formal and controlled system of government. British Democracy has evolved over time. The rules which collectively form the "British constitution" are a description of current practice.

Treaties like the Act of Union between England and Scotland in 1707 and the treaty with the Irish Free State in December 1921 have helped to shape the Constitution as it is today. Similarly, statute laws have established constitutional principles which have been interpreted and developed by the courts. The main institutions of government have developed gradually since the 12th century.

Great Britain is a monarchy, but the powers of the King or Queen are limited. The monarchy is hereditary to the sons of the Sovereign in order of seniority, or if there is no sons, to the daughters. According to law, the Queen is the head of the state, the commander-in-chief of all Armed Forces of the Crown; she opens the new session of Parliament. But in each case the Queen acts not on her own, but on the advice of the government which she cannot constitutionally ignore.

The British Parliament is the supreme legislative body in the country. Parliament consists of two Houses-the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The members of the House of Commons (called Members of Parliament or MPs for short) are chosen by the electors. There must be a general election every five years, but the Government can order a general election at any time within that period. Each session of the House of Commons lasts for about 160-175 days. Parliament has 5 intervals during its work. Members of Parliament are paid for their Parliamentary work and have to attend the sittings.

The party that has won the general election makes up the majority in the House of Commons and forms the Government. Since the Second World War the great majority of MPs have belonged to either the Conservative or the Labor party. The leader of the party that wins most seats at a general election is by convention invited by the Monarch to form a government. He or she becomes Prime Minister and chooses the ministers who will together form the government. Government ministers – the executive- are all members of the House of Commons or House of Lords.

A modern British Prime Minister has very considerable powers, greater than those of many leaders of democratic states. The party with the next largest number of members in the House, or sometimes a combination of other parties, forms the official opposition, and the Leader of the Opposition is a recognized post in the House of Commons. Important members of the House of Commons are the Speaker and so called party whips. Speaker is the chairmen of the House of Commons. He is elected at the beginning of each new Parliament. Party whips are party organizers, who receive special salaries for their duties. They arrange each day's program in Parliament and tell members when they must attend debates.

"Democracy", said Winston Churchill," is the worst form of the government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." Democratic states take many forms, but all have a system of representative government whereby the citizens can elect and also dismiss their political leaders. For over 150 years Britain's system of parliamentary democracy has been based on organized political parties competing to form governments.

Democracies may also be recognized by their adherence to 'democratic values'. These are values which enable democracy to function properly. Obviously no human institution can ever be perfect and most democracies fail, in some respect, to meet the high standards required. Still, broadly speaking, in democratic states, the rights and liberties of the individual are safeguarded. The rule of law is respected. The courts of law are free from government interference. The media (newspapers, radio and television) are free to present uncensored news and views on political issue. Without these freedoms it is difficult for democracy to survive.

Words and expressions

treaty – договор

to evolve – развиваться, эволюционировать

sovereign – монарх

sovereignty – верховная власть

statute law – статутное право; право, выраженное в законодательных актах

hereditary – наследственный, передаваемый по наследству

representative government - представительное правительство

 

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