The Overall Review Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen as the head of state. Britain is divided into four parts: England (London capital), Wales (Cardiff), Scotland (Edinburgh) and Northern Ireland (Belfast). Wales was`politically linked in 1536. The English and Scottish crowns were united in 1603 and their parliaments in 1707. Ireland became the part of this union in 1801 but in 1922 the most of Ireland (Roman Catholic) became a separate state. Now it is the Irish Republic (Dublin capital). The problems between majority Protestant and minority Roman Catholic people is one of the causes of lasting civil disturbances in Northern Ireland. Terrorism and fights between the troops of British and IRA (Irish Republican Army) Armies continue and Northern Ireland is the region of political and social unrest. Locally is Britain divided into counties. The capital of the whole Britain is London. Other big cities according to population are Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bradford and Bristol. Britain is the member of nearly all important international organizations – UN and all its specialized agencies, NATO, EC and OECD.
The Constitution, Legislative and Executive Powers The Constitution of the UK is unwritten, it is based on custom, tradition and common law. The supreme law-making body in the country is Parliament. It consists of: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. British parliamentary sysťem is one of the oldest in the world, it developed slowly during 13th century after King John's signature of Magna Carta in 1215. The Commons has 650 elected and paid Members of Parliament (MPs) - 523 from England, 72 from Scotland, 38 from Wales and 17 from Northern Ireland. The Lords is made up of hereditary and life peers (Lords Temporal), 2 archbishops and 24 bishops of the Church of England (Lords Spiritual). The major part of Parliament's work is revising the Government's work. On the first day when the Parliament session is opened the Queen reads a speech that outlines the Government's policy. This opening ceremony takes place in the House of Lords. From Monday to Thursday all ministers must answer MPs' questions for one hour (questioning time). Two days a week the Prime Minister must answer MPs' questions. Another important parliamentary task is law-making. A proposal of some new law - a bill - must pass through both Houses and then is sent to the Queen for Royal Assent. General elections to choose MPs are every five years, but . Voting is not compulsory and is from the age of 18. The Government is formed by the party which has the majority in Parliament and the Queen appoints its leader as the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister appoints a team of main ministers as the Cabinet (about 20 people) who take decisions on major policy. The second largest party forms the official Opposition with its own leader and "shadow cabinet".
Justice Power The independent judiciary is headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature, which is composed of the Appeal Court, the High Court of Justice, and the Crown Court. Scotland has a distinct legal system based on Roman law. There is no right of judicial review of legislation.
Role of the Queen The reigning monarch is permanent head of state. Royal powers are largely honorific; for instance, the right to veto legislative acts has not been exercised since the early 18th century. The main role of the Queen is to be a symbol, which links the executive, legislature, judiciary, armed forces, and Church of England. Although in practice almost all responsibilities are deferred, the monarch and the royal family are a source of unity and national spirit.
Two-party System A two-party system has existed in the United Kingdom since the late 17th century, though it is occasionally threatened by a third party. The Conservative Party and the Labour Party are the dominant parties of the modern era. (In the early 20th century, Labour displaced the Liberals as one of the two dominant parties.) After a long era of Conservative's hegemony, now reigns the Labour party, leaded by prime minister Tony Blair. Foreign Orientation of the United Kingdom On the world stage, the United Kingdom is part of the European Communities, while retaining links with parts of its former empire through the Commonwealth. It also benefits from historical and cultural links with the United States and is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This diversity of interests, together with a network of international relations, means that the United Kingdom is not easily identified as belonging to a specific geographic block among the Western industrialized nations.
Part of the Royal Family Tree