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politics examples > UK Government > Flashcards

UK Government Flashcards

1
Q

Name 6 key developments in the UK Constitution and their year

A

Magna carta (1215)
Bill of rights (1689)
Act of settlement (1701)
Parliament act I (1911)
Parliament act II (1949)
European communities act (1972)

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2
Q

What was the significance of: the magna carta, the bill of rights, the act of settlement

A

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

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3
Q

What was the significance of: Parliament Acts, European communities act

A

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

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4
Q

Name 5 constitutional reforms passed after 1997, their date, and what party passed them

A

Human Right Act 1998 (Lab)

House of Lords Act 1999(Labour) and 2014(Con)

FOI act 2000 (Lab)

FTPA act 2011 (Con)

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5
Q

Name 3 sources of the UK constitution and examples

A

Academics: AV dicey

Convention: queen signs all legislation

International treaties: UK NATO affects decisions

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6
Q

Name 2 examples where the UK constitution doesn’t defend citizens rights

A

No rights entrenched due to parliamentary sovereignty

FOI requests often refuse

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7
Q

Name a way that the UK constitution defends citizen’s rights

A

Certain acts passed e.g HRA - could be abolished theoretically but would be very hard to in practice

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8
Q

Name 3 ways where individual rights and collective rights are in disagreement

A

Free speech/Freedom from discrimination

Right to privacy/Free press

Individual freedom from discrimination/Collective freedom of religiom

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9
Q

Name 3 examples of Parliament checking the executive

A

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

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10
Q

Name 3 theories of parliamentary representation in action

A

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

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11
Q

Name an example of the whip system weakening the Burkean model of representation

A

21 Tory MPs voted to block a no deal Brexit and had the whip removed

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12
Q

Name a significant investigation by a select committee, the date, and a drawback

A

Media, culture and sport 2011 inquiry into phone hacking scandal - summoned many witnesses

Rupert Murdoch still v successful

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13
Q

Name an example of a collective responsibility resignation

A

Iain Duncan Smith resigned over welfare reforms in 2016 - couldn’t support party

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14
Q

Name an example of an individual responsibility resignation

A

Priti Patel dismissed for breaching ministerial code after having secret meetings with Israeli officials

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15
Q

Name 3 examples of the PM enacting his roles

A

Handling national crises - COVID

Manage relationship with Parliament: PMQs

Foreign relations: COP26, G7

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16
Q

Name 4 examples of the PM determining policy making (and for 2 of these, their drawbacks)

A

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)

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17
Q

Name 2 examples of cabinet ministers being removed, one personal scandal and one during a cabinet reshuffle

A

Personal scandal: Matt Hancock, Dominic Raab

Cabinet Reshuffle: Gavin Williamson

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18
Q

Name 2 ways policy is made, and an example of these (UK)

A

Government decisions e.g Levelling Up

Senior civil servants e.g Government economic service, 2012 olympics

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19
Q

Name 2 ways Cabinet has been limited in recent years

A

Less frequent meetings

Takes fewer decisions than in past

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20
Q

Name an example of the PM preventing Cabinet from deciding on policy

A

Thatcher kept the issue of joining the European Exchange Rate Mechanism away from Cabinet to avoid challenge

21
Q

Name an example of a vote of no confidence removing the government

A

1979 James Callaghan after Scottish Devolution Bill defeated

22
Q

Name an example of the PM appointing Cabinet committees

A

Boris Johnson created the Climate Change Committee in 2019

23
Q

Name an example of a Cabinet committee considering issues and deciding policy, and decisions being binding

A

COBRA committee decisions during COVID

24
Q

Name an example of descriptive representation in action

A

All-women shortlists - Labour

25
Q

Name 2 examples of reacting policy

A

Brexit Referendum outcome

COVID-19 policy

26
Q

Name 2 examples of directing policy

A

Extending free childcare (May manifesto pledge)

2011 AV referendum (LibDems wanted better chance)

27
Q

Name an example of a minister resigning after Cabinet failed to settle a dispute

A

Michael Heseltine over the Westland affair, couldn’t agree over the future of a helicopter company’s rescue bid.

28
Q

Name 3 examples of limitations of the power of the House of Lords

A

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

29
Q

What is the current composition of the SC like? (uk)

A

Justices all white, one woman, many went to private schools and Oxbridge, very educated and experienced

30
Q

Name 2 examples of ministers acting ‘ultra vires’

A

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

31
Q

Name 2 examples of the UKSC impacting government and parliament

A

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

32
Q

Name an example of judicial review being limited in the UK

A

Can’t strike down laws, only set precedent

33
Q

Name an example of the government using parliamentary sovereignty to overturn SC decisions

A

Gordon Brown introduced Terrorist Asset-Freezing Act, after SC ruled he had acted ultra-vires in HM Treasury v. Ahmed 2010

34
Q

Name 3 examples of judicial independence being maintained in the UK

A

Security of Tenure

Independent appointments- no ‘secret soundings’

Guaranteed salaries

35
Q

Name 3 examples of judicial neutrality being achieved

A

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

36
Q

Name an example of the European Court of Human rights ruling (ECtHR)

A

Al Skeini and others v. United Kingdom - caused civilian deaths

37
Q

Name the most recent piece of legislation relating to each devolved nation and what it created

A

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

38
Q

Name the pieces of legislation that established Scotland and Wales as devolved nation

A

Scotland Act 1998

Government of Wales Act 1998

39
Q

What was the extra stage of the legislative process that gave more power to England, and when was it abolished

A

English Votes for English Laws, abolished July 2021

40
Q

Give an example where EVEL would have changed the outcome of legislation

A

2004 foxhunting ban - had Scottish MPs not voted for, would still be law.

41
Q

Name an example for and against England being further devolved

A

For: 2004 foxhunting ban

Against: Regional Assembly for NE rejected in 2004

42
Q

What is an example for Westminster having limited power due to devolution?

A

Agreed not to devolve on Scottish matters without consent in Scotland Act 2016

Scotland and Wales have primary legislative powers, challenging Parliamentary sovereignty

43
Q

Name an example of the devolved nations being limited in power

A

Limited in defence, Brexit negotiations

44
Q

Name an example of devolution causing varying policy in the UK

A

COVID restriction

45
Q

name 2 examples of pm policy BEFORE 1997: date, what PM, what it was, was it good/bad

A
  • 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
46
Q

name 3 examples of PM policy AFTER 1997: date, what PM, what it was, was it good/bad

A
  • 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
47
Q

Name an example of common law

A

Murder

48
Q

Name 3 statistics showing underrepresented groups in the House of Commons

A

35% women
3% muslim
10% minority ethnic backgrounds

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