UK Government Flashcards
Name 6 key developments in the UK Constitution and their year
Magna carta (1215)
Bill of rights (1689)
Act of settlement (1701)
Parliament act I (1911)
Parliament act II (1949)
European communities act (1972)
What was the significance of: the magna carta, the bill of rights, the act of settlement
MC: First time people had power: free trials, Church free from royals
Bill of rights: Free elections, freedom of speech in Parliament
Act of Settlement: Parliament can choose monarch, monarch needs parliament consent for war
What was the significance of: Parliament Acts, European communities act
PA 1911: Removed power from Lords
PA 1949: Further removed Lords power - delay bill by 1 yr
ECA: UK joined 3 European institutions, no UK law can contradict EU law, challenging P. sovereignty
Name 5 constitutional reforms passed after 1997, their date, and what party passed them
Human Right Act 1998 (Lab)
House of Lords Act 1999(Labour) and 2014(Con)
FOI act 2000 (Lab)
FTPA act 2011 (Con)
Name 3 sources of the UK constitution and examples
Academics: AV dicey
Convention: queen signs all legislation
International treaties: UK NATO affects decisions
Name 2 examples where the UK constitution doesn’t defend citizens rights
No rights entrenched due to parliamentary sovereignty
FOI requests often refuse
Name a way that the UK constitution defends citizen’s rights
Certain acts passed e.g HRA - could be abolished theoretically but would be very hard to in practice
Name 3 ways where individual rights and collective rights are in disagreement
Free speech/Freedom from discrimination
Right to privacy/Free press
Individual freedom from discrimination/Collective freedom of religiom
Name 3 examples of Parliament checking the executive
Parliamentary questions: PMQs
Oppositions: chooses debate topic 20 days per year
Select Committees: departmental committees ‘shadow’ government departments and scrutinise the spending, administration and policy of each department
Name 3 theories of parliamentary representation in action
Burkean: Rees-Mogg consistently votes against gay people
Constituency: MPs ‘redress of grievances’ procedure after exams in COVID
Delegate: Zac Goldsmith resigned in 2016 after party backed a 3rd runway at Heathrow
Name an example of the whip system weakening the Burkean model of representation
21 Tory MPs voted to block a no deal Brexit and had the whip removed
Name a significant investigation by a select committee, the date, and a drawback
Media, culture and sport 2011 inquiry into phone hacking scandal - summoned many witnesses
Rupert Murdoch still v successful
Name an example of a collective responsibility resignation
Iain Duncan Smith resigned over welfare reforms in 2016 - couldn’t support party
Name an example of an individual responsibility resignation
Priti Patel dismissed for breaching ministerial code after having secret meetings with Israeli officials
Name 3 examples of the PM enacting his roles
Handling national crises - COVID
Manage relationship with Parliament: PMQs
Foreign relations: COP26, G7
Name 4 examples of the PM determining policy making (and for 2 of these, their drawbacks)
Blair - Good Friday Agreement
Johnson - COVID COBRA meetings
Blair - Iraq invasion 2003 (reports about WMDs were false)
Thatcher Poll Tax 1990 (pushed through gov., warnings ignored)
Name 2 examples of cabinet ministers being removed, one personal scandal and one during a cabinet reshuffle
Personal scandal: Matt Hancock, Dominic Raab
Cabinet Reshuffle: Gavin Williamson
Name 2 ways policy is made, and an example of these (UK)
Government decisions e.g Levelling Up
Senior civil servants e.g Government economic service, 2012 olympics
Name 2 ways Cabinet has been limited in recent years
Less frequent meetings
Takes fewer decisions than in past
Name an example of the PM preventing Cabinet from deciding on policy
Thatcher kept the issue of joining the European Exchange Rate Mechanism away from Cabinet to avoid challenge
Name an example of a vote of no confidence removing the government
1979 James Callaghan after Scottish Devolution Bill defeated
Name an example of the PM appointing Cabinet committees
Boris Johnson created the Climate Change Committee in 2019
Name an example of a Cabinet committee considering issues and deciding policy, and decisions being binding
COBRA committee decisions during COVID
Name an example of descriptive representation in action
All-women shortlists - Labour
Name 2 examples of reacting policy
Brexit Referendum outcome
COVID-19 policy
Name 2 examples of directing policy
Extending free childcare (May manifesto pledge)
2011 AV referendum (LibDems wanted better chance)
Name an example of a minister resigning after Cabinet failed to settle a dispute
Michael Heseltine over the Westland affair, couldn’t agree over the future of a helicopter company’s rescue bid.
Name 3 examples of limitations of the power of the House of Lords
Hunting Act 2004: invoked P. acts and overrode alords
C-LD gov. invoked financial privilege for Welfare Reform Bill so Lords couldn’t debate
Cannot vote on confidence motions
What is the current composition of the SC like? (uk)
Justices all white, one woman, many went to private schools and Oxbridge, very educated and experienced
Name 2 examples of ministers acting ‘ultra vires’
2016: Lord Chancellor Grayling acted ultra vires when he amended the Legal Aid Act to introduce a controversial ‘residence test’ in 2012 which prevented aid
Boris Johnson 2020 advising queen to suspend Parliament during Brexit was unlawful
Name 2 examples of the UKSC impacting government and parliament
Vote on Article 50 after Miller v. Secretary of State 2017 - referendum was non-binding
Limited the significance of the Scotland bill 2018, as certain parts went beyond devolved powers like those relating to control over agriculture
Name an example of judicial review being limited in the UK
Can’t strike down laws, only set precedent
Name an example of the government using parliamentary sovereignty to overturn SC decisions
Gordon Brown introduced Terrorist Asset-Freezing Act, after SC ruled he had acted ultra-vires in HM Treasury v. Ahmed 2010
Name 3 examples of judicial independence being maintained in the UK
Security of Tenure
Independent appointments- no ‘secret soundings’
Guaranteed salaries
Name 3 examples of judicial neutrality being achieved
Cannot be involved in parties
SC decisions published on website
Must have held high judicial office for 2 yrs or be a qualifying practitioner for 15 yrs
Name an example of the European Court of Human rights ruling (ECtHR)
Al Skeini and others v. United Kingdom - caused civilian deaths
Name the most recent piece of legislation relating to each devolved nation and what it created
Scotland Act 2016: power to set income rates
and bands, more tax and benefit power
Wales Act 2017: Welsh Parliament a permanent feature of UK constitution, assembly and local elections, tax powers
Good Friday Agreement 1998: NI allowed some devolved power
Name the pieces of legislation that established Scotland and Wales as devolved nation
Scotland Act 1998
Government of Wales Act 1998
What was the extra stage of the legislative process that gave more power to England, and when was it abolished
English Votes for English Laws, abolished July 2021
Give an example where EVEL would have changed the outcome of legislation
2004 foxhunting ban - had Scottish MPs not voted for, would still be law.
Name an example for and against England being further devolved
For: 2004 foxhunting ban
Against: Regional Assembly for NE rejected in 2004
What is an example for Westminster having limited power due to devolution?
Agreed not to devolve on Scottish matters without consent in Scotland Act 2016
Scotland and Wales have primary legislative powers, challenging Parliamentary sovereignty
Name an example of the devolved nations being limited in power
Limited in defence, Brexit negotiations
Name an example of devolution causing varying policy in the UK
COVID restriction
name 2 examples of pm policy BEFORE 1997: date, what PM, what it was, was it good/bad
- Poll Tax, 1990, Thatcher, flat tax rate that was very unpopular and led to her resignation
- Right to Buy, 1980, Thatcher, council house tenants can buy houses, helped tenants onto proerty ladder
name 3 examples of PM policy AFTER 1997: date, what PM, what it was, was it good/bad
- Iraq war, 2003, Blair, war in Iraq, unpopular as there weren’t actually WMDs in Iraq and lost trust with public
- Counter terrorism act, 2008, Gordon Brown, responded to current situation with 7/7 bombings, but was overturned by a later 2015 Act
- Austerity, David Cameron, 2010-2019, aimed to reduce UK budget deficit but caused major inequality and worse public services
Name an example of common law
Murder
Name 3 statistics showing underrepresented groups in the House of Commons
35% women
3% muslim
10% minority ethnic backgrounds
