The United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland and is a parliamentary democracy. The Head of State is Queen
Elizabeth II, while the head of government is Prime Minister Tony
Blair, leader of the Labour Party. And while there are countless political
parties throughout the United Kingdom, the two main protagonists are
Labour and the Conservatives. For years, the Conservatives ruled the
roost but Labour succeeded them in 1997. The present leader of the
Conservatives is Michael Howard, while the deputy Prime Minister is
John Prescott.
The three elements, which make up parliament, are the Queen, the House
of Lords and the elected House of Commons. The agreement of all three
is normally required to pass legislation but that of the Queen is
usually given as a matter a course. The main functions of parliament
are to pass laws, carry on the work of the government, scrutinise
policy and to debate the issues of the day. In a referendum held on
Sept 11th 1997, Scots voted in favour of the creation of their own
devolved parliament. This led to the introduction of the Scotland
Bill in January 1998, which became law as the Scotland Act in November
of that year. Elections were held on May 6th 1999 and the new Scottish
Parliament, the first to be convened since 1707, sat for the first
time the following week on May 12th. It took up its full legislative
powers on July 1st amid colourful celebrations and with a great sense
of optimism.
Queen Elizabeth II
Although the Queen has no real input in the running of the country,
the Monarchy is the oldest institution of government. Queen Elizabeth
II is directly descended from King Egbert, who united England under
his rule in 829 and the only interruption to the Monarchy since then
was the republic from 1649 to 1660. Today, the Queen is not only Head
of State, but also an important national symbol of grace and unity.
And although the seat of the Monarchy is in Britain, the Queen is
also Head of State in a number of Commonwealth states, where a Governor
General represents her. The Monarchy has gone through tough times
recently, with the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales among
other things but today, its image is being enhanced by Princes William
and Harry, who bring a sense of normality to the family.
There are many issues facing the British Government today both at
home and abroad. Domestically, the economy is getting stronger once
more having gone through some bad times in recent years, while the
principal foreign issues include the war against global terrorism,
questions about the wisdom of the war in Iraq and the ongoing dispute
in Northern Ireland. Peace has been restored to the streets of Northern
Ireland, while talks about a lasting agreement continue.
