Electoral system of political parties.

For electoral purposes (в целях выборов) the U.K. is divided into 649 parliamentary constitutes (избирательные округа). Each constituency is a geographical area. It`s a single-member constituency (одномандатный округ). It`s means that voters (голосующие) who live in the area select 1 person to serve as a member of the House of Commons. Any number of candidates can stand for election (могут баллотироваться на выборы) in each constituency. The winner is the candidate who gets the largest number of votes? Who gets the majority, more votes than every other candidate even if the difference is only one vote.

That`s why this system is known as the Majority System (система большинства) which is often called First-Past-Post System. The system is simple but it means that the elected candidate may not necessary have received more than the half of the votes cast. Many people think that the majority system is unfair because the wishes of those who voted for the unsuccessful candidates are not represented at all.

 

General election

General election is held every 5 years and every Parliament is limited to the term of work. The Prime Minister is the person who chooses the date of the next General election and he doesn`t have to wait to the end of the 5 years. The time is chosen to give as much advantage as possible to the political party in power. The Prime Minister asks the Queen to dissolve Parliament (распустить). An election campaign lasts for about 3 weeks. Candidates campaign for support in the constituency (избирательные округа). The amount of money that candidate are allowed to spent to the company is limited.

But at national level the parties spend a lot of money on advertising (реклама) and media coverage (охват целевой группы). They can`t buy television time, each party is allowed a number of strictly limited party political broadcasts (трансляции). Each party also holds a daily televised news conference. Voting takes place on Polling day (День выборов), usually on Thursday. Voting is by direct and secret ballot (тайное голосование).

People who may vote:

- British citizens from 18 and over.

- Citizens of other Common Wealth countries and the Irish Republic, who are resident in Britain (постоянно проживающие).

- British citizens living abroad.

People who can`t vote – foreigners, people less than 18 years old, members of the House of Lords, mentally ill people (психически больные), prisoners.

 

Voting is not compulsory (не обязательно). About 75% of electored take part in general election.

On Polling day the voters are going to the polling station (избирательный участок, take a list with a candidate names. They place a cross against the candidate they choose and put the paper in the ballet-box (избирательная урна). Then the election officials count up the number of votes and the retuning officer (председатель счетной комиссии) announces the elected candidate. Who is returned as member to the Commons.

MP may be elected by an election. Which is help if an MP resins, died or maid a peer.

 

In theory in order to stand for election a candidate doesn`t require the baking (поддержка) of the political party, but in practice no independent candidates succeed in being elected. The 2 party dominants has existed since 18 century. About one third of the people vote for the Liberal party all the time, another third for the Conservatists.

The majority system maintains the dominants at the expands of the smaller ones.

28.05.12.

The last general election was held in the U.K. on the 6^th of May 2010 to elect members to the House of Commons. The election took place in 649 constituencies across the U.K. under the first-past-the post system. The Conservative party under David Cameron won the largest number of votes and seats.

Parties

Political parties first emerged in the U.K. in the late 17^th century. The oldest are the Conservative party. It`s nickname is Tory-Party (from 1867) and the Liberal party (also called Whigs).

Until the end of the 19^th century these 2 parties were the only ones elected to the House of Commons. But nowadays the situation is different. The two major political parties dominating British Political scene are the rivals (соперники) and they change each other.

The Conservative party is on the political right and the Liberals is to the left. The Conservative party is a right-wing party supporting capitalism and free enterprise (свободное предпринимательство). It formed the government in the U.K. from 1979 to 1997. During each time it`s leaders were Margaret Teacher and John Major. And returned to power in 2010 with it`s leader David Cameron.

The Liberal party was established to represent the interests of the working class. And it`s traditionally supported by triad unions. It formed its first government in 1924 under Ramsey Macdonald. Its Prime minister were Tony Blair.

There is also a party of liberal democrats. It was organized at 1988. It is considered to be a central party.

Each party has its own emblem and color. The Conservative has a blue torch. Liberal party has a red rose. And liberal democrats – a yellow bird.

The social democratic party was formed in 1981 and made an alliance with a liberal party in 1988.

Some other parties: the Scottish national party, The Walsh nationalist party, the Communist party of Great Britain.

 

Задание на семинар: State System. Население. Национальный состав Британии. Партии Виги и Тори. Откуда взялись такие названия. Альтернативные партии Великобритании.

 

 

04.06.12. The executive branch of the government.

The executive branch of the government is represented by the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Government. The seat of government is White Hall and it`s center is Downing street 10, where the Prime Ministers residents is situated. The British government is called Her Majesty`s government. But in spite of it`s name it`s not the queen who gives it`s authority and power. But it`s party representation in Parliament.

It is so because the party that wins the majority of seats in Parliament forms the government. The government of the U.K. consists of a group of ministers lade by the Prime Minister. The number of ministers in the government may vary from 82 to 100.

The Prime Minister is the head of government and the leader of the majority party. He is appointed (назначен) by the Monarch. But the appointment is a formality. And all the other ministers are also appointed by the queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

Ministers are attached to specialist departments (относятся к министерствам конкретным) which carry out (реализуют) government policy.

All ministers seat in Parliament and most in the House of Commons. Naturally the PM belongs to the Commons.

There are different ministers in the U.K:

1) The head of a major government department is called the Secretary of State (министр). There are 11 secretaries of state (11 глав министерств). For example the Secretary of State for foreign affairs (министр иностранных дел). He has a short name – a foreign secretary. The finance minister is known as the Chancellor of the Exchequer (канцлер казначейства) and he is the head of Treasury (министерство финансов).

2) Junior ministers (заместители министра) or parliamentary undersecretaries.

3) Some government departments are headed by ministers. For example minister of agriculture.

4) Non-departmental ministers or ministers without portfolio. The Lord Privy seal (лорд-хранитель печати).

 

Some departments for example the Ministry of Defense have responsibility for the whole of the U.K. But others cover only part. For example the department for education and skills which operates only in England and Wales.

Scotland and Wales have special departments. For example the Scottish office and the Walsh office bases in the capitals.

There is a strong tendency for devolution (делегирование власти) which involves the transfer of the politic power from a central government to a regional government.

As a result in 1999 the Scottish Parliament and the Walsh assembly were set up after a referendum in both Scotland and Wales.

 

The central institution of the government is the Cabinet. It consists of about 20 ministers chosen by the Prime Minister.