The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

1
The United Kingdom of Great Britain Northern
Ireland
2
The UK Whats in a Name?

• U.K. United Kingdom of Great Britain and
  Northern Ireland
• Jan 1, 1800 United Kingdom of Great Britain and
  Ireland
• Irish Republic gains independence, 1922
• 6 northern counties of N. Ireland (a.k.a. Ulster)
  remain with UK
• Other regions Scotland, Wales.
• British possess Jersey, Guernsey, and Isle of
  Man. Hong Kong given back 7/1/1999. Also own
  Diego Garcia in Indian Ocean and Gibraltar

3
The UK Demographics

• Size of Oregon but very urban (90 urbanized)
• Population 61.1 million (2009 est.)--Growth rate
  0.28
• England most prosperous, others Celtic and
  poorer. Median age40.2
• Ethnicity White 92.1 (English 83.6, Scottish
  8.6, Welsh 4.9, N. Irish 2.9) Black 2, Indian
  1.8, Pakistani 1.3, mixed 1.2, other 1.6
  (2001 census)
• Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic,
  Presbyterian, Methodist) 71.6, Muslim 2.7,
  Hindu 1, other 1.6, unspecified or none 23.1
  (2001 census)
• Unitary form of government with Parliamentary
  Democracy
• Life Expectancy 76.5/81.3/79 overall. 1.66
  children/woman
• 99 literacy rate
• Highest HS dropout rate in Europe only 10 aged
  18-24 attend college/university
• GNP 35,200, 2.2 Trillion economy, 80 in
  services
• Pax Britannica 17th-18th Cty, fell behind after
  WW I

4
Brief UK History

• 1215 Magna Carta
• 1532-36 Henry VIII breaks from Rome, Church of
  England, reformation
• 1642 Civil War (1649 Charles I beheaded)
• 1649-1658 Cromwell, disputes 1660 Charles II
• 1688 Glorious Revolution of William and Mary
• 1707 Union with Scotland, last veto by King,
  King let PM control Cabinet starting in 1721
  (Robert Walpole)
• 1800 Union with Ireland
• 1832 Reform Act adds Middle Class voting (7),
  also 1867 and 1884 Great Reform Act (all 21 men
  vote)
• 1911 House of Lords weakened
• 1914 Entered World War I
• 1918 Voting age now 21 for men, 30 for women
• 1922 Ireland gains independence
• 1928 All adults 21 and over may vote
• 1939-1945 World War II, Wartime coalition,
  Pyrrhic victory
• 1942 Beveridge Report and Collectivist consensus
• 1945 World War II ends, colonies begin gaining
  independence
• 1947 British India partitioned into
  India/Pakistan, given independence

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UK History (Continued)

• 1948 National Health Service (NHS) formed
• 1949 NATO formed
• 1951 Churchill and Conservatives return to
  power, do not dismantle NHS
• 1956 Botched Suez Canal incident
• 1973 Finally joins EEC, forerunner to EU (FRA
  had blocked)
• 1979-1997 Thatcher/Major governments
  (Conservatives)
• 1982 Falklands Warvictory over Argentina
• 1990 Thatcher resigns, replaced by major after
  Community Charge debacle
• 1994 Chunnel opens
• 1997 Conservatives lose power after 18 yrs
  Blair elected
• 1999 Elected assemblies (devolution) for Wales,
  Scotland, and Northern Ireland (suspended but
  later restored)
• 2000 Accepted ECHR as domestic law (1st real
  Bill of Rights)
• 2003 UK assists US in Iraq
• 2005 Blair narrowly holds on for third term
• May 31, 2007 Blair cedes power to Chancellor
  Gordon Brown
• 2008 Economic crisis begins, Northern Rock
  nationalized
• 2010 David Cameron and Conservatives return to
  power in coalition with Liberal Democrats

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More about the UK

• NO Written Constitution. Only Custom, history,
  tradition, and precedent (can include works of
  authorities like Blackstone). Example Magna
  Carta (1215). Now, includes European law.
• Huge trust in government people of incremental
  change.
• In Britain, civil rights and liberties are
  protected by political tradition and public
  opinion establishment derives its political
  power from public acceptance
• British slower to integrate into Europe than
  France, no Euro
• Single member districts virtually guarantee two
  party system
• Handguns outlawed in 1998.
• Uses common law as opposed to civil law
• Common law judge-made law based on
  tradition/precedent
• Civil/code law law based on legal codes, former
  church law

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Thinking about Britain Themes

• Britain has suffered from less unrest and has had
  a more consensual history than any other country.
  
• Britains relative economic standing declined
  dramatically in the second half of the 20th
  century.
• UK as dependent on world events rather than
  master of them
• The conservative governments of Margaret Thatcher
  and John Major in the 1980s and 1990s redefined
  political life.
• Gradual change
• Relative economic decline
• Impact of Blair and New Labour

8
Government Structure

• Constitutional Monarchy
• Queen has only ceremonial duties, symbol of unity
  but stays informed has audiences with PM.
  Access to secret documents.
• Queen gives Speech from the Throne written by
  new PM at each Parliament opening. Imitated in
  Commonwealth countries.
• House of Commons 646 members (change 2005)
• House of Lords 724 members (changed recently)
• Prime Minister heads govt, leads majority party
  in Commons
• PM names Cabinet of MPs In US, lack of fusion
  causes problem Sec State and NSA often dont get
  along! 5 year fixed theoretical term. PM calls
  elections, can call them skillfully or not so
  skillfully
• Parliament can call for a vote of no
  confidence if PM loses, must resign and call
  new elections
• If no party has majority, Queen names PM in
  consultation with current PM, 3 times since 1952
• The British do not need to love their Prime
  Minister. They love their Queen.

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The Electoral System

• Voters elect members of the House of Commons in
  single-member districts.
• Every 5 years, PM can call whenever
• 70-75 turnout
• Election campaigning limited to 3-4 weeks
• Carpetbaggers generally accepted
• System is first past the post just like US,
  requires plurality (SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS)
• In no election since 1935 has 1 party gotten a
  majority
• April 1997 Labour 43
• 1951 Conservatives won but had lower popular
  vote
• 1979 Thatcher 43
• By-elections occur when a member resigns or
  dieswatched carefully as a political harbinger
• European Parliament elections as well

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Political Participation

• The British electorate
• Long time class-based politics upset by
  radicalism and Thatcher victories
• Rather than realignment, it was a dealignment
• Labour victories probably the result of voter
  fatigue with Conservative government and
  Labours success in appealing to middle class and
  post-materialist voters
• Labor has tried to increase support among women
  by nominating them to elected and appointed
  positions

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Political Participation

• Interest groups
• Trades Union Council and Confederation of British
  Industries are dominant peak associations
• Lobbying must be done at highest levels where
  bills are drafted

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House of Commons (646)

• Much like US House, debates, makes laws. But PM
  and Cabinet, who are members, introduce all bills
• Prime Minister Question Hour on Wednesdays!
• US debate filtered thru committees, not in
  Britain
• 14 select committees were established in 1979
• Salary about 70,000 (compare to 145K in US)
• Speaker of the House retains position in
  Parliament, traditionally runs unopposed.
• Party leaders usually tested ex-Cabinet
  officials. Must deal with the show and the
  substance
• Cabinet/PM are primary initiators of legislation,
  known as frontbenchers
• Backbenchers have staged revolts, worked in 1990
  against Thatcher. Vote of no confidence/issue
  of confidence designation can also bring down a
  government
• Party whips enforce loyalty strictly

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House of Lords (724)

• 790 Hereditary peers, almost all eliminated in
  1999. 92 left.
• 500 Lifelong peers remain (granted by PM or
  monarch)
• Religious leaders 2 church archbishops and 24
  bishops are members
• 3 areas of power Immigration, Health Services,
  and Transportation
• Not elected, independentreelection concerns
  dont preclude sticky issues (homosexuality,
  abortion)
• Members cant be expelled
• Limited legislative functions no veto power over
  Commons, but debates and can delay legislation
  (30 daysfinance, 1 year on other bills). Can
  amend bills but a Commons vote can reverse
• Law Lords serve as final court of appeals.
  (Pinochet case, extradition to Spain)
• Law Lords nominated from bar hear appeals but
  cannot declare anything unconstitutional (Human
  Rights Act makes this technically possible, but
  we shall see)

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Prime Minister and Cabinet

• David Cameron (Conservative)2010
• In coalition with Liberal Democrats
• Lives _at_ 10 Downing Street head of majority party
  in Commons. Votes less and less in Commons.
• PM must balance cabinet for internal party
  reasons Cabinet expected to be loyal
• Most Cabinet members MPs, then junior ministers,
  before ascending to Cabinet. At any one time,
  100 MPs serve in the Executive branch.
• More Cabinet members resign under duress than in
  the United States (Pym under Thatcher)
• Cabinet is directly accountable and more
  harmonious.
• Not always expert in their portfolio.
• More Presidential because of nuclear weapons,
  television, growth of interest groups.

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Cabinet

• Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Foreign Secretary
• Defense Secretary
• Home Secretary (police, internal governance)
• Lord Chancellor (Law Lords, heads judiciary)
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• International Development
• Work and Pensions
• Transport, Local Government, and the Regions
• Health
• Northern Ireland
• Wales
• Scotland
• Trade and Industry
• Education and Skills
• Culture, Media, and Sport

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British Prime Ministers Since World War II

• Clement Attlee 1945-1951 Labour, welfare state
• Winston Churchill 1951-1955 Tory
• Anthony Eden 1955-1957 Tory
• Harold MacMillan 1957-1963 Tory
• Alec Douglas-Home 1963-1964 Tory
• Harold Wilson 1964-1970 Labour
• Edward Heath 1970-1974 Tory
• Harold Wilson 1974-1979 Labour
• Margaret Thatcher 1979-1990 Tory
• John Major 1990-1997 Tory
• Tony Blair 1997-2007 Labour
• Gordon Brown 2007- 2010 Labour
• David Cameron 2010-present Tory

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Current UK Party Leaders

• Coalition leadership in govt since 2010
• Conservatives David Cameron
• Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg (Deputy PM in
  coalition)
• Labour Ed Miliband (since 2010)
• Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru has three Members of
  Parliament at Westminster, no 1 leader
• Scottish National Party Angus Robertson

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The Conservatives

• Traditionally pragmatic politicians
• Historically practiced noblesse oblige
• Opening organization to more democratic processes
  led to Thatchers election
• Party strong during Thatcher years
• Since Thatcher, party struggled to find success
• Party has had five leaders since 1997
• Today they are stronger contenders because of
  public dissatisfaction with Labour Partyand now
  in power
• Views on Europe not shared by majority of
  British, aging party leadership (except Cameron)
• They were flexible and changed policies
• They emphasized market forces but maintained
  responsibility to poor
• They have an elitist but effective organization

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The Labour Party

• Began as alliance of unions, socialists, and
  cooperative associations in the early 20th
  century.
• Wanted three things originally 1) Home rule 2)
  Minimum wage increase 3) Prohibition
• Clause 4 Formally repudiated by Blair
• Economic crisis and New Left activists led to
  leadership by partys left wing
• Leaders more interested in electoral success than
  ideology were chosen in mid-80s
• New Labour Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and
  younger, more moderate leaders took over in
  mid-1990s

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The Liberal Democrats

• Product of 1987 merger of Liberal and Social
  Democratic parties
• First past the post system prevent from winning
  as many seats
• Currently challenging as second-largest party
• It has capitalized on dissatisfaction with
  conservatives to build base
• The party has fared better under new leadership,
  especially Nick Clegg

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Political ParticipationMinor Parties

• Rise in Scottish, Welsh, and Irish nationalism
  has led to moderate growth in support for
  regional parties
• What is devolution?
• In recent general elections they have often come
  second in their regions
• Regional parties have always dominated Northern
  Ireland
• Other minor parties

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Margaret Thatcher

• British disease of de-industrialization, weak
  economy led to Thatcher Revolution in 1979
• The Old Testament prophets did not say,
  Brothers, I want a consensus. They said, this
  is my faith, this is what I passionately believe.
  If you believe it too, then come with me.
• Strong relationship with Reagan/Bush
• Produce before you can consume
• Neo-Conservative, promoted home ownership, breaks
  to entrepreneurs. Dry conservative, not Wet
• Powerful wartime PM (Falklands)

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The Falklands War

• Argentine military Junta takes over in 1982, led
  by General Galtieri. They try to play on public
  opinion by seizing Falklands. Falklands
  administered by Britain since 1833, all British
  stock.
• April 1982 Invades Falklands (Malvinas Islands
  to Argentinians)
• Margaret Thatcher determined to get islands back,
  tries diplomacy and UNSC. Not much luck. US
  plays mediator, but backs UK.
• British naval expedition wins islands back
• Galtieri deposed by his own people soon after
• Thatcher soars in popularity.

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Margaret Thatcher contd

• Freed economy from state intervention
  privatization and deregulation. Economy grew by
  leaps and bounds. Silicon Glen
• Euroskeptic favored common market but not a
  superstate
• Gave way to John Major in 1990 after domestic
  issue turbulencepoll tax or tax for every
  adult person to replace property tax. Major
  rescinded the tax.

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Tony Blair

• Neil Kinnockmoved Labour towards center, paved
  way for Blairs third way
• Won 1997, 2001, and 2005 elections
• Came in with talk of change, delivered.
• Eliminated Clause 4 from Labor Party platform
  (societal ownership of means of production)
• Devolution for Welsh, Scottish, and Irish
  (Parliaments)
• Advocated House of Lords reform, eliminating
  hereditary peers.
• Sought to fortify US/Britain relationship (not
  typical of Labour).
• Favors judicial review being established
• Wanted Bill of Rights, got it indirectly thru
  EUs ECHR
• Banned handguns and fox hunting
• Semi-scandals with wife, oldest son
• Almost Presidentialnot prima inter pares

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The End of the Blair Decade

• Successes and popularity of first term did not
  last
• Dissatisfaction with Labour
• Unpopularity of Iraq war
• Gordon Brown became PM in June 2007

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Gordon Brown

• Former Chancellor of the Exchequer under PM Blair
  1997-2007
• Prime Minister 2007-2010
• Kept UK out of Euro with Five Tests scheme
• Reneged on promise to hold referendum on Treaty
  of Lisbon
• Nationalized Northern Rock bank, 2008
• Popularity sank, doomed 2010 election

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David Cameron

• Prime Minister since 2010
• Devised Austerity budget to cut budget
  deficitincluding military budget (RAF/Navy
  squablle-won by Royal Navy)
• 2.5 rise in VAT plus massive spending cuts

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British Bureaucracy

• Known as Whitehall DO NOT confuse with
  Westminster (Parliament bldg.)
• Highly specialized, oversees and fleshes out law.
  Filters info, presents options.
• Minister, Secretary, Undersecretaries appointed,
  Permanent secretaries stay on job and are elites.
• British top ministers rotated more frequently
  (remember this was a goal of the U.S. SES)
• No. 10 Downing Street links to No. 11
  (Chancellor) and No. 12 (Party Whip), as wellas
  Foreign Office

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Political Parties in the UK

• Labour Control since 1997, won 2002 elections
  overwhelmingly.
• Conservative (a.k.a Tories) Lost 1997
  elections, controlled govt 1979-1997. Margaret
  Thatcher and John Major. Current leader David
  Cameron. Pro-status quo, pro-religion. Believes
  in noblesse oblige (obligation of nobility to
  help those less well off)
• Liberal Democrats. Led by Nick Clegg.
• Ulster Unionist Party
• Scottish National Party
• Welsh parties (Plaid Cymru)
• Party not in power forms shadow cabinet

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British Political Culture

• Tony Blair has raised consciousness of population
  to idea that they cannot forget Europe.
• Most significant Lack of antagonism, no deep
  ideological differences among people. Minor
  disagreements only. Society operates on
  consensus.
• Party voting well disciplined party can deny
  renomination
• Referendums not used much in UK (circumvents
  Parliament). Last big one Withdrawal from EC
  (lost), also devolution
• Overwhelming support for parliamentary system
• Minor rumblings about monarchy, North Sea oil,
  written Constitution
• Media more partisan than US papers, exposes
  scandals. Even so, more strictly regulated than
  US
• UK Conservative, only tiny social movements
  (Chartist movement of 1848). Trafalgar square
  protests.

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Political Culture, contd

• Oxbridge/ public schools are the way to
  leadership--education very elitist (3 years)
  Also Rhodes Scholarships.
• Britain used to be a good example of class
  votingnot so much anymore (like Reagan Democrats
  and Clinton Republicans in US). Swing votes key.
  Deferential culture.
• Heckling common in Parliament (Was even aimed at
  Thatcher at the end, ditch.)
• Irish Republican Army/Sinn Fein has become less
  of a threat
• 25 Unionized workforce Trades Union Congress is
  most significant union group, opposed by
  Confederation of British Industry (like US
  Chamber of Commerce)
• CBI mostly liked Thatcher, except for withdrawal
  of subsidies.
• Racism an issue, Islam fastest growing British
  religion
• National Health Service probably there to
  staysome success, healthier but costs
  skyrocketing
• Created after WW II, British are healthier but
  costs have skyrocketed
• More bureaucrats than beds
• Private medical care now had by 13--quietly
  returned legally
• QUANGOs

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The politics of protest toward an uncivic
culture?

• growing unrest in 1970s
• Northern Ireland a battlefield
• Urban race riots
• Radicalization of unions in face of growing
  unemployment and economic decline
• Renewed activism of anti-nuclear, anti-war
  movements
• polarization of politics and alienation of the
  center

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QUANGOS

• QUasi-Autonomous Non Governmental Organizations
• An ostensibly non-governmental organization which
  performs governmental functions, often with
  government funding or other support
• The UK government's definition of a
  non-departmental public body or quango in 1997
  was
• "A body which has a role in the processes of
  national government, but is not a government
  department or part of one, and which accordingly
  operates to a greater or lesser extent at arm's
  length from Ministers."
• US has them Fannie Mae provides mortgage
  insurance
• In UK Press Council and the Law Society, among
  about 600

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Foreign Policy

• 3 circles Former Colonies, USA, European Union
• British invest heavily in NA assets/interests
• Not expansion oriented
• Since 1945, relative ECN/POL decline, with that,
  decline in prestige
• Joined EEC, 1973 for tariff relief, elimination
  of barriers to trade
• UK joined EU. Why? 1) Practical necessity 3
  trading blocks of 21st Century are NAFTA, EU,
  Asian-Pacific 2) UK has European interests EU
  moves as one.
• Tidbit European Declaration of Human Rights is
  first written guarantee of rights in UK!
• Atlanticist Foreign Policy. April 1982 Falklands
  War, Britain helps in Gulf War, War on Terrorism,
  Iraq.
• Special relationship with US

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Major Issues

• Terror War/Iraq
• Diplomacy with Iran
• Global warming
• Northern Ireland going to backburner Mitchell
  Plan working. IRA disarming. (IRA is military
  wing of Sinn Fein)
• EU involvement, CFSP???
• Education
• Devolution
• Foxhunting
• Gay rights (Labour in favor)

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Constitutional Changes in the UK Since 1980s
40
Will there always be a Britain?

• Identification with the UK has declined in past
  40 years
• Resurgence of support for regional parties in
  Scotland and Wales
• Devolution (regional parliaments)
• Monarchys loss of influence and prestige
• Increasing racial diversity (most born in the UK)
• Growing importance of the EU

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Learning ObjectivesAfter mastering the concepts
presented in this chapter, you will be able to

• Gain general knowledge of the history of the
  political system in the United Kingdom.
  Recognize the importance of Magna Carta and the
  role of monarchy in Great Britain.
• Understand the concept of gradualism while
  analyzing the development of British political
  system.
• Define civic culture and civil society and assess
  the importance of both in the British political
  system.
• Understand the position of Euroskeptics
• Recognize devolution and its impact on the
  development of British state.
• Define patterns of collective responsibility in
  the British executive government.
• Describe British cabinet government.
• Comprehend the role of the political opposition
  in the British parliament and define the shadow
  cabinet in the functionality of British
  legislature.
• Understand the nature of parliamentarian
  sovereignty.
• Describe the work of British parliament
• Recognize the specification of British electoral
  system. Learn the difference between
  winner-take-all and proportional representation
  electoral systems.
• Describe the impact of Margaret Thatcher and Tony
  Blair governments on the political and economic
  system in the United Kingdom.
• Understand the impact of nationalization and
  privatization on economic and political
  development of the British state.

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Learning Objectives, continued

• Explain how the economic problems faced by
  Britain have had such dramatic political
  consequences.
• Define and give examples of gradualism within the
  context of British political history.
• Describe examples of the changes made by Prime
  Ministers Thatcher and Major to the
  political/economic culture of Britain.
• Describe how New Labour differed from Old
  Labour and from Thatcherism.
• Identify 4-6 major developments in the creation
  of the current regime.
• Describe the basic elements of the collectivist
  consensus.
• Describe several ways in which the civic culture
  of the collectivist consensus broke down in the
  1970s.
• explain why the three major parties in Britain
  are considered catch-all parties today.
• identify the main characteristics of the
  Conservative Party that ensured its success and
  survival.
• describe the conflict between ideological and
  pragmatic politics within the Labour Party that
  eventually led to Tony Blairs election as party
  leader.
• explain in general terms how interest groups
  function in Britain.
• explain the roles of the parliamentary party, the
  shadow cabinet, and collective responsibility in
  the functioning of Commons.
• describe the basics of the debates in Britain
  over the countrys relationship with Europe.
• Be able to analyze the 2010 General Election and
  why the voters removed the Labour Party from
  power.