Introduction to UK Politics
HEAD OF STATE – The Queen PRIME MINISTER – Head of Government – Gordon Brown House of Commons House of Lords Elected MPs (646 members) – of which: Labour (356) Conservative (198) Liberal Democrat (62) 735 members – Hereditary or Life Peers
Leader: Gordon Brown MP Deputy: Harriet Harman MP
Leader: David Cameron MP
Leader: Nick Clegg MP
Leader: Lord Pearson of Rannoch
Leader: Caroline Lucas MEP
Leader: Nick Griffin
Spending/Budget: Immediate cuts No cut to Health. Education, Law & Order Afghanistan: No walk-out Gradual hand-over of power Troops have adequate equipment Tax: 50p for earnings over £150,000 Gradual hand-over of power Troops have adequate equipment ID Cards: Push ahead with plan but no immediate need to make compulsory Jobs: All under-25s out of work for a year to be offered work or training More funding for job centres and sixth-form colleges Immigration: E-borders by 2014 Clear asylum backlog by 2011 Tighten entry restrictions Health: Maintain funding Find £15bn - £20bn wastage Data for performance of doctors Education: Save £2bn by axing senior staff Restructuring of pay Improve school discipline
Spending/Budget: Immediate cuts No cut to Health, International Development End to subsidised food and alcohol for MPs and cut to salaries Afghanistan: Restructure withdrawal Ensure more helicopters and equipment Tax: Keep current system Some changes to pensions Increase on alcopops and high strength beer/cider ID Cards: Scrap plans Restrict storage of DNA Jobs: Scrap RDA and New Deal Tax breaks for new and small businesses Immigration: Place annual limit on numbers admitted Attract brightest and best migrants New border force Health: Maintain funding with increase by 2012 Performance tables for every medic Over-65s residential costs paid for with one-off £8000 fee Reform dentistry including school checks Education: Encourage privately set up schools Failing schools to be taken over
Spending/Budget: Immediate cuts to all areas Save by scrapping new building schemes, compulsory education to 18 Afghanistan: Not ruled out walk- out – will follow US strategy Tax: Increase for most wealthy Raise threshold to £10,000 Mansion tax Higher road/flying tax ID Cards: Scrap – remove all innocent people from DNA database Strengthen data protection Jobs: Guaranteed work or training for all young people out of work for more than 90 days Immigration: Earned citizenship for illegal immigrants New border force Charge more for work permits and use to retrain British workers Health: Downsize Department of Health Ward sisters to take control of budgets Tax breaks for living healthy lifestyles Education: Scrap 50% higher ed target End selection Scrap National Curriculum
Democracy "Democracy is the most valued and also the vaguest of political terms in the modern world." (Daniel Robertson, 1986)
Democracy Based on the belief that every citizen over a certain age should has the right to vote on political issues and that the majority decision leads to law
Democracy Every citizen invited to political meetings and able to take part in free discussion
Democracy Also offers the rights to stand for political office
Democracy Applies to all regardless of gender, religious belief, race, sexuality, ability etc. Prisoners excluded – democratic rights suspended (controversial)