The System of Government

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 367.

What happens when there is a change in government?

During the last 27 years there have been eight general elections. Four of these resulted in a change of Government.

1970 Conservatives took over from Labour.

1974 Labour took over from Conservatives.

1979 Conservatives took over from Labour.

1997 Labour took over from Conservatives.

On each of these occasions the ministers in each Department changed. Ministers of the winning party took over from those of the loosing party. The two main parties have very different ideas - for example, about education, housing and industry.

Departments and ministers are run by civil servants, who are permanent officials. Even if the Government changes after an election, the same civil servants are employed.

The United Kingdom has no Ministry of Justice. Responsibility for the administration of the judicial system in England and Wales is divided between the courts themselves, the Lord Chancellor, and the Home Secretary. The Lord Chancellor is responsible for the composition of the courts, civil law, parts of criminal procedure and law reform in general; the Home Secretary is responsible for the prevention of criminal offences, trial and treatment of offenders and for the prison service.

Sovereign

The Queen is head of the Government

She makes laws with Parliament

and she is head of the courts

Government Parliament

Cabinet House of Lords House of Commons

Chairman: Chairman: Chairman:

Prime Minister Lord Chancellor Speaker

Ministers Lords MPs (659 MPs)

Treasury

Foreign Office Law Lords Temporal

Home Office (20 lords)

etc. Spiritual

(24 bishops)