The Monarchy

The monarchy

The English monarchy is the oldest secular institution in Britain and there is automatic hereditary succession to the throne, but only for Protestants. The eldest son of a monarch has priority over older daughters, although this may change in the future. The monarchy’s continuity has been interrupted only by Cromwellian rule (1649– 60), although there have been different lines of descent, such as the Tudors and Stuarts.

Royal executive power has disappeared, but the monarch still has formal constitutional roles and serves as head of state, head of the executive, judiciary and legislature, ‘supreme governor’ of the Church of England and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. In holding these positions, the monarch personifies the British state and is a symbol of national unity. Government ministers and officials are the monarch’s servants, and Members of Parliament, judges, military officers, peers and bishops of the Church of England swear allegiance to the Crown. The monarchy is thus a permanent fixture in the British system, unlike temporary politicians. It still has a practical and constitutional role to play in the operation of government. There are provisions for the appointment of counsellors of state (or a regent in exceptional cases) to perform royal duties, should the monarch be absent from Britain or unable to carry out public tasks.

The monarch is expected to be politically neutral and is supposed to reign but not rule. In addition, he or she cannot make laws, impose taxes, spend public money or act unilaterally. The monarch acts only on the advice of political ministers, which cannot be ignored, and contemporary Britain is therefore governed by Her Majesty’s Government in the name of the Queen.

The monarch does, however, still perform important duties, such as the opening (usually in autumn each year) and dissolving of Parliament; giving the Royal Assent (or signature) to bills that have been passed by both Houses of Parliament; appointing government ministers and other public figures; granting honours; leading proceedings of the Privy Council; and fulfilling international duties as head of state. In practice, these functions are performed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers.

A central power still possessed by the monarch is the choice and appointment of the Prime Minister. By convention, this person is normally the leader of the political party that has a majority in the House of Commons. However, if there is no clear majority or if the political situation is unclear, the monarch could in theory make a free choice. In practice, advice is given by royal advisers and leading politicians in order to present an acceptable candidate. Constitutionally, the monarch has the right to be informed of all aspects of national life by receiving government documents and meeting regularly with the Prime Minister. The monarch also has the right to encourage, warn and advise ministers. It is difficult to evaluate the impact of monarchical advice on formal and informal levels, although critics suggest that it could be substantial. This raises questions about whether such influence should be held by an unelected, non-democratic figure who could potentially either support or undermine political leaders.

Much of the cost of the royal family’s official duties is met from the Civil List (public funds that are approved by Parliament). Following concern over expense, the Civil List has now been reduced to a few members of the immediate royal family. Other costs incurred by the monarch as a private individual or as sovereign come either from the Privy Purse (finance received from the revenues of some royal estates) or from the Crown’s own resources, which are very considerable and on which the monarch now pays income tax.

Critics of the monarchy argue that it lacks adaptability and is out-of-date, non-democratic, too expensive, too much associated with aristocratic privilege and establishment thinking and too closely identified with an English rather than a British role. It is argued that the monarchy’s aloofness from ordinary life sustains class divisions and hierarchy in society. It is also suggested that, if the monarch’s functions today are merely ceremonial and lack power, it would be more rational and democratic to abolish the office and replace it with a cheaper, non-executive presidency.

Critics who favour the monarchy argue that it is popular and has developed and adapted to modern requirements. It serves as a personification of the state; shows stability and continuity; has more prestige than politicians; is not subject to political manipulations; plays a worthwhile role in national institutions; possesses neutrality; and performs important ambassadorial functions overseas. The monarchy was also said in the past to reflect family values and has a certain glamour about it, which is attractive to many people.

The British public have often shown affection for the royal family beyond its representative role. But its behaviour and the considerable criticism. An ICM poll in August 1997 showed that support for the monarchy had fallen to 48 per cent, the first time that figures had been less than 50 per cent. A majority felt that the monarchy would be replaced in the next 50 years unless it adapted further to changes in society. Republican feeling has also grown. But it seems likely that the institution of monarchy will continue.

Traditionalists fear that a modernized monarchy would lose that aura of detachment that is described as its main strength. It would then be associated with change rather than the preservation of existing values. At present, it balances uncomfortably between tradition and modernizing trends.

Oakland, John. British Civilization - An introduction. ROUTLEDGE London, 1998

Link to Lecture slides on British Institutions and Monarchy:
http://fr.slideshare.net/elhemchniti/british-institutions?qid=ff47b768-0ce9-4250-a06b-92551bcea4ce&v=default&b=&from_search=2
 

Social Classes II

Social mobility in Britain

Here's what the figures of the latest OECD report across the world show:

• Britain has some of the lowest social mobility in the developed world - the OECD figures show our earnings in the UK are more likely to reflect our fathers' than any other country.

• Social mobility hasn't changed since the 1970s - and in some ways has got worse.

• 24% of vice-chancellors, 32% of MPs, 51% of top Medics, 54% of FTSE-100 chief execs, 54% of top journalists, 70% of High Court judges …went to private school, though only 7% of the population do.

• Education is an engine of social mobility. But achievement is not balanced fairly - for the poorest fifth in society, 46% have mothers with no qualifications at all. For the richest, it's only 3%

• Parental influence still makes a big difference to a child's education in the UK, especially compared to other countries - in fact in the UK the influence of your parents is as important as the quality of the school

• There is a strong link between a lack of social mobility and inequality - and the UK has both. Only Portugal is more unequal with less social mobility

• If you are at the top, the rewards are high - the top 1% of the UK population has a greater share of national income than at any time since the 1930s

Adapted from the Guardian, online edition May 2012

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/may/22/social-mobility-data-charts#data

Social Classes

Everything was said in class about the origin of the social class system in the UK!
In the slides below you'll find figures about the social background of MPs and Members of Cabinets 
http://fr.slideshare.net/elhemchniti/social-class-7-oct
If you want more information, remember that ISLAIN Library is on the 4th floor !

British Institutions

The slides on British Institutions can be viewed here:




http://fr.slideshare.net/elhemchniti/british-institutions

Introduction to Britain

Where is Britain?

Britain is part of an island lying off the western coast of Europe, comprising the main territory of the United Kingdom.

The name Britain goes back to Roman times when they called England and Wales "Britannia" (or "Britannia Major", to distinguished from "Britannia Minor", ie Brittany in France). The Roman province of Britannia only covered the areas of modern England and Wales. The area of modern Scotland was never finally conquered.

 

Great Britain is the official name given to the two kingdoms of England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales. Great Britain is made up of: England - The capital is London. Scotland - The capital is Edinburgh . Wales - The capital is Cardiff. Great Britain is divided into small regions called couties.

The term Great Britain was first used during the reign of King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) in 1603, to refer to the separate kingdoms of England and Scotland. on the same landmass, that were ruled over by the same monarch. Despite having the same monarch, both kingdoms kept their own parliaments.

Is Great Britain the same as the UK?

No, Great Britain and the United Kingdom refer to different areas.
Great Britain is very often, but incorrectly, used as a synonym for the sovereign state properly known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the UK for short.
If you look at the full name of the UK, you will see that the UK includes "Great Britain AND Northern Ireland".

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Great Britain	United Kingdom

Great Britain is a political term which describes the combination of England, Scotland , and Wales , the three nations which together include all the land on the island. It is also a geographical term referring to the island on which the greater parts of England, Wales and Scotland are situated.

 

Why and how does England dominate the UK?

 

England is the biggest country in the UK. It occupies most of the southern two thirds of Great Britain. The total area of England is 130,410 sq km (50, 352 sq mi). England contains about 84% of the UK population.

The capital, seat of government, and the largest city in the United Kingdom is London.
London is also is the capital of England.
All of Great Britain has been ruled by the UK government in London since 1707. (In 1999 the first elections to the newly created Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales took place leaving England as the only part of the Great Britain with no devolved assembly or parliament.)

 

The English language comes from England

As it names suggest, the English language, today spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the world, originated as the language from England, where it remains the principal tongue today.
English is the official language of the UK and the first language of the vast majority of the population. Both Wales and Scotland land have their own languages but English is spoken in both countries more.
Most of the world assumes that British people are "English" unless specified otherwise.
This of course is wrong. British people can be Scottish, Welsh, Irish (living in Northern Ireland) or English. The Scots and the Welsh are proud of their separate identities and tend to be more forward about referring to themselves as Scottish or Welsh.

 Northern Ireland

 

Northern Ireland lies in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km²), about a sixth of the island's total area.

Northern Ireland is the second most sparsely populated part of the UK after Scotland, with 317 people per square mile (122 per square kilometre).

History of  Northern Ireland

In 1801 the whole of Ireland became part of the United Kingdom, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

After years of civil war, Ireland became a republic in 1921. At this time, Britain negotiated with Ireland to keep the six counties in the north-east of Ireland. These six counties now make up what is known as Northern Ireland. The southern part of the island is the Republic of Ireland, or Eire.

1927 - The current name of the UK, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted.

History of the conflict in Northern Ireland

A Centuries-old Conflict

The history of Northern Ireland can be traced back to the 17th century, when the English finally succeeded in subduing the island after successfully putting down a number of rebellions.  Much land, especially in the north, was subsequently colonized by Scottish and English Protestants, setting Ulster somewhat apart from the rest of Ireland, which was predominantly Catholic.

The Nineteenth Century

During the 1800s the north and south grew further apart due to economic differences. In the north the standard of living rose as industry and manufacturing flourished, while in the south the unequal distribution of land and resources—Anglican Protestants owned most of the land—resulted in a low standard of living for the large Catholic population.

The Twentieth Century

Political separation of Northern Ireland from the rest of Ireland did not come until the early 20th century, when Protestants and Catholics divided into two warring camps over the issue of Irish home rule. Most Irish Catholics desired complete independence from Britain, but Irish Protestants feared living in a country ruled by a Catholic majority.

Government of Ireland Act

In an attempt to pacify both factions, the British passed in 1920 the Government of Ireland Act, which divided Ireland into two separate political entities, each with some powers of self-government. The Act was accepted by Ulster Protestants and rejected by southern Catholics, who continued to demand total independence for a unified Ireland.

The Irish Free State and Northern Ireland

Following a period of guerrilla warfare between the nationalist Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British forces, a treaty was signed in 1921 creating the Irish Free State from 23 southern counties and 3 counties in Ulster. The other 6 counties of Ulster made up Northern Ireland, which remained part of the United Kingdom. In 1949 the Irish Free State became an independent republic.

"The Troubles"

Although armed hostilities between Catholics and Protestants largely subsided after the 1921 agreement, violence erupted again in the late 1960s; bloody riots broke out in Londonderry in 1968 and in Londonderry and Belfast in 1969. British troops were brought in to restore order, but the conflict intensified as the IRA and Protestant paramilitary groups carried out bombings and other acts of terrorism. This continuing conflict, which lingered into the 1990s, became known as "the Troubles."
Despite efforts to bring about a resolution to the conflict during the 1970s and 80s, terrorist violence was still a problem in the early 90s and British troops remained in full force. More than 3,000 people have died as a result of the strife in Northern Ireland.

 

the slides of the course can be viewed here

http://fr.slideshare.net/elhemchniti/british-institutions