A Look Into the UK Government System (PART 2)

In this part 2 edition of [A Look Into the UK Government System], I will continue about the Houses that make up Parliament and the role of the Monarch. If you haven’t read part 1, I suggest you read that one first. Assuming you have already read that one, let’s continue from where we left!

Previously, we discussed the geographical and political terms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. And one governing body of the UK is the House of Commons, consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs) elected to represent the 650 constituencies. They meet together to discuss new laws in debates and stuff like that. This House consists of Government (the PM’s party), the Opposition (the rival party), the Speaker, and the Back Benchers. To be clear, the Speaker is the one that chooses who can speak while also maintaining order. The Speaker is an MP voted by the rest of the House to obtain this position while leaving their old job. The disadvantage of being a Speaker was that they could not participate in debates. The flaw in this system is since when the Speaker is a former MP elected by his constituency, another person should take their place. But there is no replacement, and that constituency would have no representative in the House of Commons until another Speaker is selected. It is a problem that many British politicians have tried to fix over the years.

So let’s move over to the House of Lords, review laws from the House of Commons, and decide whether a law should get sent back for more discussion. The House of Lords is limited to 92 peers, and there are three ways to become one. The first is to inherit the office from a parent after they pass away. However, that only applies if you also had the support of the other lords. Still, there are two more ways to be a peer in the House of Lords. You could be chosen by the current Prime Minister or be a bishop. The last one got based on the idea that if you could run a church, you could theoretically run a country!

Besides the two Houses, the Monarch also plays a role in governing the country, or at least it used to. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has turned into a democracy, and the Monarch’s power has shrunk to ceremonial. In theory, if the Queen wanted to overrule any law passed by Parliament, she would have that power. However, everyone knows that that action would anger the public, and that could cause much chaos.

The British Government, with all its Houses, MP’s, and Lords, is quite a complicated system. So congratulate yourself for finishing all two parts about the UK Government system. If you haven’t, I strongly recommend that you subscribe and not miss out on our weekly news updates, giving you a peek into further analysis of the topic! This series was brought to you by the New News Newsminute. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.