Power and decision making Flashcards
Describe, in detail two features of a democracy
P-Right to vote.
E-People in the UK can choose to vote for who represents them in the UK Parliament from a choice of different candidates and parties.
E-Neale Hanvey beat candidates from Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives to be elected as the MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.
p- Right to protest.
E-People in the UK can take part in demonstrations to show their support or disapproval of an issue.
E- Many people took part in protests across the UK in February 2022 to show their support to Ukraine after they were invaded by Russia.
Describe in detail two rights and responsibilities which Uk citizens have
P- Freedom of speech.
E-This means that they are allowed to criticise the government if they disagree with their policies such as how they have tackled the coronavirus pandemic. Their responsibility is not to slander other people or to incite religious or racial hatred.
E- Abu Hamza was imprisoned in the UK for inciting violence and then extradited to the USA and found guilty of terrorism charges.
P-Stand as a candidate in elections.
E- UK citizens could stand as a candidate to become an MP, MSP or councillor if they are over 18. Their responsibility is to conduct their campaign within the rules, act honestly and not tell lies to influence voters.
E- Lesley Laird (Labour) and Neale Hanvey stood in the 2019 General Election for the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency.
Describe in detail two political rights people in the UK have
P-Right to vote.
E-This means that they can vote for who they want to represent them in the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament and local council. E- People in Kirkcaldy voted for Neale Hanvey to represent them in the UK Parliament and David Torrance of the SNP to represent them in the Scottish Parliament.
P- Right to protest.
E-They may wish to do this to show support for a cause or their disproval.
E- In February 2022 many people took part in protests around the UK to demonstrate their support for Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia
Describe in detail one right and one responsibility people in the uk have
P- Right to protest.
E- They may wish to do this to show support for their cause and try to get the government to take action.
E-Many people took part in Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020.
P-Remain within the law.
E-They should not damage property or trespass as part of their protest and should inform the police of the plans for their demonstration.
E- Members of Extinction Rebellion were arrested after they stripped to protest about the climate crisis in the House of Commons public gallery.
Describe in detail the reserved powers of the UK parliment in Scotland
P- One reserved power is defence.
E-This means that the UK Parliament can make decisions regarding the UK armed forces and taking military action against other countries.
E-British troops are in Iraq helping to secure Daesh’s (ISIS) defeat. They have trained over 60,000 Iraqi Security Forces members.
p- Another reserved power is employment.
e-This means that the UK Parliament can make decisions that affects workers and their employers. E-The UK Government introduced the furlough scheme for employees during the coronavirus pandemic. This allowed workers who were unable to work to get 80% of the wage paid by the Government.
Describe in detail two ways in which MPs can represent their constituents in the UK parliment
P-Introducing a Private Members Bill.
E-This is an idea for a law which is not introduced by a member of the Government. E- Neale Hanvey MP introduced the Cold Climate Allowance Bill which aims to give a top up to those on benefits to help them with the cost of heating.
P- Asking a question to the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions.
E- This takes place every Wednesday and allows MPs to question the PM on issues of importance to their constituency.
E-In February 2021 Ian Blackford MP questioned the Prime Minister for visiting a vaccine production firm in Scotland despite a coronavirus outbreak at the site.
Describe in detail two ways in which MPs can represent their constituents in their constituency.
P-Attending meetings about local issues.
E-The MP can give advice, listen to concerns and collect information about the constituency or they can raise their constituents’ concerns with others who are in a position to do something about it.
E- Neale Hanvey MP met with Scotrail bosses to discuss accessibility at Burntisland train station.
P- Contacting the media.
E-This allows them to highlight and draw attention to important issues in their constituency.
E- Neale Hanvey has contacted the local media about the closure of TSB branches in his constituency
Describe, in detail two powers of the prime minister in the Uk government
P- They are leader of the UK Government.
E-The responsibility of the government is to pass laws affecting the lives of people in the UK under the direction of the Prime Minister.
E- At present Boris Johnson (Conservative) is the Prime Minister and leader of a majority government.
P- They choose members of the Cabinet.
E- They can’t run the country on their own, so they appoint Cabinet Secretaries to help look after policy areas. The Prime Minister also has the power to ‘hire and fire’ showing that they are in charge.
E- Boris Johnson appointed Priti Patel as the Home Secretary and Alistair Jack as the Scottish Secretary.
Describe in detail two roles of the prime minister in the UK government
P- Chair Cabinet meetings and set the agenda.
E- During these meetings Cabinet Ministers will discuss important issues of government policy.
E- The Cabinet meets on a weekly basis in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street.
P- The spokesperson for the country.
E- When there is a crisis the Prime Minister will act as the voice of the government/nation and will also attend high-profile meetings such as the G7 and G20.
E- Boris Johnson condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (Boris Johnson has given regular press briefings during the coronavirus pandemic)
Explain in detail why the prime minister is very powerful
P- The leader of the largest party in the House of Commons.
E- In 2019, Boris Johnson was returned as Prime Minister with 365 MPs.
E- This allowed the Conservatives to form a majority government and allows the Prime Minister to implement government legislation which will affect the lives of citizens in the UK regardless of opposition from other parties.
P- They can appoint peers to the House of Lords.
E- All Bills will be discussed and voted in the Lords and therefore the Prime Minister wants supporters of their party in the Lords to make it easier for them to pass their bills.
E- In May 2018 Theresa May appointed nine Conservative supporters to the House of Lords following the government being defeated a number of times in the Lords over Brexit.
