THE EXECUTIVE POVER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

The UK is governed by the Government- a body of ministers who are responsible for the administration of national affairs. The ministers are the leading members of the political party, which wins a majority of seats in Parliament. The party which wins the second largest number of seats in Parliament becomes the official Opposition. The executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The ministers are appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, who is appointed directly by the Crown and is the leader of the political party which for the time being has a majority of seats in the House of Commons. The office of Prime Minister dates from the eighteenth century and is the subject of a number of constitutional conventions. The Prime Minister is the head of the government and presides over meetings of the Cabinet; by convention he is always a Member of the House of Commons. He consults and advises the Monarch on government business, supervises and to some extent coordinates the work of the various ministries and departments and is the principal spokesman for the government in the House of Commons. He also makes recommendations to the Monarch on many important public appointments, including the Lord Chief Justice, Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, and Lords Justices of Appeal. The Cabinet is the nucleus of government; its members consist of a small group of the most important ministers who are selected by the Prime Minister. The size of the Cabinet is today about 23 and its principal function, much of the work being carried out in Committee, is to determine, control and integrate the policies of the government for submission to Parliament. The Cabinet meets in private and its deliberations are secret; no vote is taken, and, by the principle of 'Cabinet unanimity', collective responsibility is assumed for all decisions taken. Ministers are responsible collectively to Parliament for all Cabinet decisions, and individual ministers are responsible to Parliament for the work of their departments. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and the Shadow Cabinet. The opposition under the direction of its leader forms a “Shadow Cabinet“. The ministers in the “Shadow Cabinet» deal with the same matters as the Cabinet of Ministers in the current government, debating with the actual cabinet ministers from the government side. The majority of ministers are members of the Commons, although the Government is also fully represented by ministers in the Lords. The British government is elected for 5 years and it is the Prime minister who chooses the date of the next General Elections. When the date is announced the Prime Minister usually asks the Queen to dissolve Parliament. So, the election campaign is launched all over the country and it usually lasts about three weeks. Voting takes place on Polling Day. When the results are known and it becomes clear what party has a majority of seats in the House of Commons, its leader forms a government by Her Majesty’s request. The central government ministries and departments give effect to government policies and have powers and duties conferred on them by legislation, and, sometimes, under the Royal Prerogative. Each is headed by a minister who is in most cases a member of either the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are over 100 ministers of the Crown at the present time:

-they include departmental ministers (e.g., the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs;

-Chancellor of the Exchequer (Treasury);

-Secretary of State for Social Services);

-non departmental ministers (e.g., Lord President of the (Privy) Council, Paymaster;

-General, Ministers without Portfolio);

-ministers of state (additional ministers in departments whose work is heavy);

-and junior ministers (usually known as Parliamentary Secretary or Parliamentary Under

-secretary) in all ministries and departments.

The Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers of the Crown deserve special mention at this point.

 

Task 1. Agree or disagree with the following sentences:

1) After an election a Government is formed.

2) Prime Minister is appointed by the Cabinet.

3) The Prime Minister selects the Ministers.

4) The Ministers form the House of Commons.

5) The Cabinet doesn’t determine Government policies.

6) The Parliament agrees to support or reject Government policies and laws.

7) The office of Prime Minister dates from the nineteenth century.

8) The Prime Minister consults and advises the Monarch on government business.

9) The Cabinet consists of the small group of the most important ministers who are elected by the Crown.

10) The Cabinet doesn’t meets in private and its deliberations are open.

11) By convention the Prime Minister is always a Member of the House of Lords

 

Task 2. Give the Ukrainian equivalents of the following expressions:

Polling Day, British government, General Elections, voting, House of Commons, request, Shadow Cabinet, dissolve Parliament, current government, determine government policy, co-ordinate government departments, have a majority of seats, administration of national affairs, official Opposition, the election campaign, meet in private, give effect, duties, at the present time, submission to Parliament, deliberations, principal function, various ministries, constitutional conventions.

 

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