Constituion

Question 1

What are the four main themes of Blair’s Constitutional Reform?

Answer 1

Modernisation of political institutions
Greater Democracy in the system
Devolution of powers
Greater Human Rights

Question 2

What three reforms have been passed to modernise political institutions?

Answer 2

House of Lords Act 1999
CRA 2005
Succession to the Crown Act 2013

Question 3

What is the House of Lords Act 1999?

Answer 3

Removed most hereditary peers, leaving only 92
Allowed for the introduction of more life peers
Did not allow for elected members

Question 4

What is the Constitutional Reform Act 2005?

Answer 4

Created a Supreme Court to replace the Law Lords
Created a greater sense for judicial independence and separation of powers

Question 5

What is the Succession to the Crown Act 2013

Answer 5

Enabled the eldest child of the monarch to become the monarch regardless of gender
Only applied to offspring born after Oct 2011
Allowed an heir who marries a Roman Catholic to retain their right to the succession to the throne

Question 6

How has modernisation of political institutions succeeded?

Answer 6

House of lords has undergone significant transformation, is smaller, more diverse and less conservative
Supreme Court can be politically neutral
Gender equality has reached the royal family

Question 7

How has modernisation of political institutions failed?

Answer 7

We still have an entirely unelected second chamber (unique in the world)
Monarch still can’t be a Roman catholic

Question 8

What acts have allowed for Greater Democracy in the political system?

Answer 8

Greater London Authority Act 1999
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011
2011 Fixed Term Parliaments Act

Question 9

What is the Greater London Authority Act 1999?

Answer 9

Allowed for the setting up of a directly elected mayor for London
Followed by the Local Government Act 2000 which contained provisions for elected mayors in other regions

Question 10

What is the Police Reform and Social Responsibolity Act 2011?

Answer 10

Allowed for the direct election of police commissioners
First election took place in 2012

Question 11

What is the 2011 Fixed Term Parliaments Act?

Answer 11

Required the PM to secure the support of at least 2/3rds government to doa. snap election
Installed that elections are automatically every 5 years

Question 12

How has democratisation in the UK government succeeded?

Answer 12

Greater autonomy in some cities, with power extending to Manchester in 2017
Increased opportunities for political participation

Question 13

How has democratisation in the UK failed?

Answer 13

devolution has only been extended to the mayor of London, and with other regions it is less popular, such as Torbay who got rid of their mayor in 2016
Lack of enthusiasm has been shown for evolving the electoral system, as seen in the 2011 AV referendum
FTPA has been overturned in 2017 and 2019 to bring about snap elections

Question 14

What act has established devolution in the UK?

Answer 14

Scotland, Wales, NI Act 1998

Question 15

How did the Scotland, Wales and NI Acts 1998 establish devolution?

Answer 15

Following referendums, set up elected devolved bodies in these countries
Further powers have also been transferred, such as in the Scotland Act 2016

Question 16

How was devolution succeeded in the UK?

Answer 16

Number of evolved powers has increased, as well support for devolution
It helped to put an end to the Troubles in Ireland

Question 17

How has devolution failed in the UK

Answer 17

Led to policy disagreements and a scandal over renewable energy and the suspending of the assembly from Jan 2017-Jan 2020
Support for English devolution has not increased.

Question 18

What acts have increased human rights protection?

Answer 18

Human Rights Act 1998
Equality Act 2010
Freedom of Information Act 2000

Question 19

What is the Human Rights Act 1998

Answer 19

Encorporated the EHCR into UK law
Gave the UK courts the right to consider it when judging HUman RIghts cases

Question 20

What is the Freedom of Information Act 2000?

Answer 20

Gave individuals greater access to information held by public bodies and governments

Question 21

What is the equality act 2010?

Answer 21

Compiled 116 measures against discrimination into one act
Areas and characterises protected included race, gender, sexuality and disability

Question 22

How did growth of human rights succeed?

Answer 22

Increased awareness and visibility for rights, especially for minority groups
Everyone’s rights have been enhanced, especially through privacy

Question 23

How has growth of human rights failed?

Answer 23

Has led to the rise of identity politics
Growing role for the courts in HR cases has led to controversy, such as freezing the rights due to anti-terror legislation
Many requests for information are declined for various reasons with the FOI, 40$ requests being denied July-Sept 2020

Question 24

How could the constitution be reformed more?

Answer 24

Lowering voting age to 1
Making voting compulsory
Elected element of the HoL
Not using FPTP