Life in the UK test study guide: The UK government, the law and your role

Chapter 5 is the longest chapter about rules. It explains who governs the UK, how the law works, and what you are expected to do as a resident.

It has more words than chapter 3, but fewer dates. Most questions are about a role, a number or a rule. Learn what each part of the system does, and the numbers attached to it.

Read the chapter in three blocks. First how the country is governed. Then how the law works. Then what is asked of you.

How the vote was won

Democracy means a system where the people hold power. In a large country they hold it through representatives they elect. The idea goes back to the ancient Greeks.

Britain did not always work that way. Before 1832, only a small number of men who owned property could vote. Some seats had almost no voters at all. These were called rotten boroughs.

The Reform Act of 1832 changed that. It gave the vote to many more people and got rid of the rotten boroughs.

The Chartists campaigned in the 1830s and 1840s. They wanted every man over 21 to have the vote, and they wanted voting to be done by secret ballot. At the time they were seen as a failure. Almost all of their demands had become law by 1918.

Universal suffrage means all adult citizens have the right to vote, whatever their wealth or their sex.

Today you must be 18 or over to vote in a general election. British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens who live in the UK can vote. Votes are cast in secret, so nobody can pressure or punish you for your choice.

The British constitution

A constitution is the set of principles by which a country is governed.

The UK constitution is described as unwritten. That does not mean it does not exist. It means it is not set out in one single document. It is found in laws, in court judgments and in long-standing practice.

Many people see that as a strength. The constitution can develop and adapt over time, without a special procedure.

The institutions of the constitution include the monarchy, Parliament, the Prime Minister and the cabinet, the judiciary, the police, the civil service and local government.

Three ideas matter most.

1. The rule of law. The law applies equally to everyone, including governments.
2. Parliamentary sovereignty. Parliament is the supreme law-making body and can make or unmake any law.
3. The separation of the judiciary. Judges are kept separate from the government, so they can decide cases fairly even when the government is involved.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is a monarch. The monarch's powers are limited by law and are used on the advice of ministers.

A convention is a long-standing practice that is followed as if it were a rule, even though no law requires it.

The Human Rights Act 1998 made the rights in the European Convention on Human Rights part of UK law.

The monarch

King Charles III is the head of state of the United Kingdom. He is also head of state of a number of other Commonwealth countries.

Queen Elizabeth II reigned from 1952 until her death. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. The Diamond Jubilee of 2012 celebrated sixty years of her reign.

The monarch reigns but does not decide government policy. These are the duties the handbook lists.

• Opening the new session of Parliament each year with a speech that sets out the government's plans. This is the State Opening of Parliament.
• Formally inviting the leader of the winning party to form a government.
• Giving Royal Assent, which is what turns a bill agreed by Parliament into an Act.
• Receiving foreign ambassadors and high commissioners.
• Giving honours to people for their achievements.

The monarch is also the head of the Church of England.

The national anthem is God Save the King. It opens with the words God save our gracious King.

The House of Commons

Parliament has three parts. They are the monarch, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The House of Commons is the more important of the two Houses. That is because its members are elected by the public.

• There are 650 Members of Parliament, known as MPs.
• Each MP is elected by the voters of one constituency, which is an area of the country.
• An MP represents everyone who lives there, whether or not they voted for that MP.
• A general election must be held at least every five years.
• A by-election is held when an MP dies or resigns and the seat becomes vacant.

MPs do three main jobs. They help to make new laws. They question and check what the government does. They debate the important issues facing the country.

The Speaker and the whips

The Speaker chairs debates in the Commons and keeps order. The Speaker must be politically neutral, and is chosen by MPs in a secret ballot. The Speaker still serves their own constituency like any other MP.

The whips are MPs who organise their party. They make sure their party's MPs attend and vote.

Hansard is the official written record of what is said in Parliament. You can read it online and in large libraries.

Anyone may watch a debate from the public gallery. You can ask your MP for tickets in advance. Debates are also broadcast.

An MP's surgery is a regular session where people in the constituency can meet their MP and raise a problem.

The House of Lords

Members of the House of Lords are not elected. They are appointed, or they hold their seat by right.

Since 1958 the Prime Minister has been able to nominate peers for their lifetime only. Members are formally appointed by the monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister or of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. That commission recommends people who are not tied to a political party.

In 1999 hereditary peers lost the automatic right to attend the House of Lords.

The main job of the Lords is to check and revise laws passed by the Commons. The Lords can suggest amendments and ask the Commons to think again. It can also propose new laws of its own.

The Commons has powers to overrule the Lords, though it does not use them often.

Peers do not represent a constituency. Life peers are usually appointed after a distinguished career, so they bring expert knowledge to Parliament.

The Prime Minister and the cabinet

The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that can command a majority in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister has two official homes. The London home is 10 Downing Street. The country house is Chequers.

The Prime Minister appoints about 20 senior ministers to the cabinet. The cabinet normally meets weekly and makes important decisions about government policy. Many of those decisions then have to be debated or approved by Parliament.

A Prime Minister can leave office by resigning, by losing a general election, or by losing the support of their own party.

The opposition

The Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest party that is not in government.

The opposition holds the government to account and points out where it thinks the government is failing. Its senior MPs form the shadow cabinet. Each shadow minister challenges one government minister.

At Prime Minister's Questions MPs question the Prime Minister in the Commons. The Leader of the Opposition leads that questioning.

Political parties and pressure groups

Most MPs belong to a political party. The main parties in the UK include the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. Smaller parties stand in some parts of the country. The Scottish National Party, for example, stands for election only in Scotland.

An independent candidate stands for election without belonging to a party.

Anyone who supports a party's aims may apply to join it. Most members support their party by volunteering time, campaigning and raising funds. Party conferences are open to the public, not only to members.

The local members of a party normally choose which candidate will stand for that party in their constituency.

A coalition government is formed when two or more parties agree to govern together. A party's manifesto is its statement of what it promises to do if it wins.

A pressure group tries to influence government policy without standing for election. Greenpeace and the Confederation of British Industry are two examples.

Elections and voting

The UK uses the first past the post system for general elections. The candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins that seat. The party that wins a majority of constituencies normally forms the government.

If no party wins a majority, two or more parties may form a coalition.

A different system is used for the devolved parliaments and assemblies. Those use a form of proportional representation.

Before you can vote

You must be on the electoral register. Contact the electoral registration office of your local council to register. In Northern Ireland each person entitled to vote fills in their own registration form.

The full register is open to public inspection, but it must be viewed under supervision.

On the day

• A poll card arrives before the election. It tells you where and when to vote.
• Polling stations are normally open from 7am to 10pm.
• You mark your choice by putting a cross in the box next to one candidate.
• Booths are screened, so nobody can see how you vote.
• A postal vote is a ballot paper sent to your home to complete and return.

Local council elections are usually held in May.

Standing for election

Most British, Irish and eligible Commonwealth citizens aged 18 or over may stand for public office. Some people may not.

• Members of the armed forces.
• Civil servants.
• Members of the House of Lords, who may not stand for the Commons.
• People found guilty of certain criminal offences.

You can contact your MP by letter, telephone or email through their constituency office. The UK Parliament website tells you who your MP is and how Parliament works.

The devolved administrations

Devolution is the transfer of certain powers from central government to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been in place since 1997.

Some policy areas are devolved. Others are not.

Each devolved administration has its own civil service. The UK government can suspend a devolved assembly, as it has done in Northern Ireland.

Scotland

The Scottish Parliament first met in 1999. It sits at Holyrood in Edinburgh.

• It has 129 members, called MSPs, or Members of the Scottish Parliament.
• The First Minister leads the Scottish Government.
• It can legislate on civil and criminal law in Scotland.
• It has the power to vary rates of income tax in Scotland.

Wales

The Welsh Parliament is called Senedd Cymru. It was known as the National Assembly for Wales before it was renamed. It sits in Cardiff Bay.

Members are called Members of the Senedd. Debates may be held in Welsh and English. In the areas devolved to it, the Senedd can pass laws for Wales without needing the agreement of the UK Parliament.

Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Assembly was created by the Belfast Agreement of 1998. That agreement is also known as the Good Friday Agreement. The Assembly sits at Stormont.

Members are called MLAs, or Members of the Legislative Assembly. The devolved government is the Northern Ireland Executive, formed by ministers drawn from the Assembly.

Government in Northern Ireland works by power sharing between the main communities.

Local government

Local authorities are usually called councils. They provide the services people use every day.

• Rubbish collection and recycling.
• Local libraries.
• Planning, which decides whether a new building may be put up.
• Schools, social care and local roads.

Councils are funded by money from central government and by council tax, a charge on households. A household on a low income can apply to the council for a reduction.

In many parts of England local government has two tiers. These are county councils and district councils. Northern Ireland uses district councils.

Councillors are elected by voters in their ward. In many areas the mayor is a ceremonial leader. In some cities, such as London, the mayor is the effective leader of the administration.

Most council meetings are open to the public. If a street light is broken, you can contact the council or your local councillor.

The civil service

Civil servants support ministers in developing policies. They also deliver public services and carry government policy into practice.

Four rules define the job.

1. They must be politically neutral, so they can serve any government the voters elect.
2. They are accountable to ministers.
3. They are appointed on merit, through fair and open competition.
4. They stay in post when a new government takes office.

The Civil Service Code requires integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. Objectivity means advice must be based on evidence, even when a minister will not like it.

A minister is a politician who is answerable to Parliament. A civil servant is an appointed official. A serving civil servant may not stand for election as an MP.

The media and government

Newspapers in the UK are privately owned. They are free to express political opinions and to support a party.

Television and radio broadcasters are treated differently. The law requires them to be politically balanced and to give fair coverage to rival views. During an election campaign they must give balanced coverage to the competing parties.

Freedom of the press means the media can report and criticise without the government controlling what they print.

Parliament is open to the public. Both Houses have public galleries. Debates are broadcast on television, and the official report is published online and held in large libraries.

To write to your MP at Parliament, address the letter to them at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

The UK and the wider world

The handbook names four international bodies.

The monarch is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth has no power to make its members do anything, but it can suspend a member. Members agree to uphold values such as democracy, the rule of law and good government.

More than 190 countries belong to the United Nations. The UK is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The Council of Europe agrees conventions and charters rather than passing binding law. The UK remains a member of it.

The UK is no longer a member of the European Union.

The police and your rights

The job of the police is to protect life and property, keep the peace, prevent and detect crime, and bring offenders to justice.

The police are a public service. They must serve everyone impartially, and they must obey the law themselves. A police officer must never misuse their authority and must never make a false statement.

• A police force is led by a Chief Constable, who decides how the force carries out its operational duties.
• A Police and Crime Commissioner sets local policing priorities and holds the Chief Constable to account. Commissioners are elected by the public in their police force area.
• A police community support officer, or PCSO, is a member of police staff who supports officers and has more limited powers.

If you are arrested and taken to a police station, you must be told the reason for your arrest. You have the right to seek legal advice.

If you think an officer has treated you unlawfully, you can complain to the police force, to an independent complaints body, or to your MP. In Northern Ireland serious complaints go to the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.

Everyone is expected to report a crime they witness, and to report anything suspicious linked to terrorism or extremism.

The courts

The judiciary are the judges. Their job is to interpret the law and to make sure trials are conducted fairly.

If a court finds that a public body has not respected someone's legal rights, it can order that body to change its practices and, where appropriate, to pay compensation.

Criminal courts

Magistrates in England and Wales are members of the local community. They usually work unpaid and need no legal qualifications. They are trained, and a legal adviser advises them on the law. In Northern Ireland these cases are normally heard by a District Judge, who is legally qualified and paid.

A jury decides whether the accused is guilty or not guilty. If the verdict is guilty, the judge decides the penalty.

Civil courts

The county court deals with civil disputes such as debt, personal injury, broken contracts and family matters.

The small claims procedure settles minor disputes informally, without needing a lawyer. In England and Wales it covers claims up to about £10,000.

Criminal law

Criminal law deals with behaviour treated as an offence against society. The courts punish it.

Some offences are asked about often.

• It is an offence to carry a weapon, even for self-defence.
• It is illegal to possess, produce or supply controlled drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
• An attack on someone because of their religion or ethnic origin is a criminal offence, and is treated especially seriously.
• Domestic violence is a crime, whoever commits it and whatever the relationship.
• Female genital mutilation is a criminal offence. So is arranging for a girl to be taken abroad for it.
• Forced marriage is a criminal offence, and courts can make orders to protect a person at risk.
• Behaving badly in public after drinking can be the offence of being drunk and disorderly.

Smoking is banned in nearly every enclosed public place and workplace.

Civil law

Civil law settles disputes between people, or between organisations. Nobody is punished on behalf of society. The person who wins usually receives a remedy, such as compensation or an order requiring the other side to act.

These matters are dealt with by civil law.

It is unlawful to discriminate on grounds such as sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age.

A solicitor gives legal advice and can act for you in a legal matter. You can find one through the Law Society, through online listings or through a recommendation. Citizens Advice gives free and confidential advice. Legal aid is help with legal costs for people who cannot afford them.

Your role in the community

Taking part in community life means respecting other people, obeying the law, and helping to improve the place where you live. With rights and freedoms comes the duty to respect the rights and freedoms of others.

Being a good neighbour costs little.

• Introduce yourself when you move in.
• Keep noise down at night.
• Tell your neighbours in advance if you are planning a party.
• Dispose of household rubbish properly, using the collections and recycling the council provides.

Jury service

Jurors are picked at random from the names on the electoral register. In England and Wales people aged 18 to 75 can be called. A summons is a public duty. You must attend unless you are not eligible or have a good reason to be excused.

Helping at a school

A school governor helps set the way a school is run and holds its leadership to account. You must be 18 or over. Schools advertise vacancies, and you can also ask the school directly.

A parent-teacher association, or PTA, is a group of parents and staff who support the school and raise funds. Parents can also help in the classroom.

Two other ways to take part are named in the handbook. You can give blood, which helps the health service. You can campaign for a political party, for example by delivering leaflets or canvassing voters.

Volunteering and helping others

Volunteering means giving your time to help others without being paid. You can give as much or as little time as you can spare.

People gain a lot from it. They meet new people in their area and learn skills that can help their career. It is often recommended to people new to the UK, because it builds confidence in English and helps them get to know their community.

A charity is an organisation set up to help a good cause rather than to make a profit. Charities raise money through donations, shops and fundraising events.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a programme in which young people volunteer, learn skills and take on expeditions.

Other common ways to volunteer include helping in a charity shop, and helping a local group clear a footpath or look after a nature reserve. You can find opportunities through volunteering websites, local volunteer centres and your council.

Looking after the environment

Everyday choices by individuals add up to a real effect on the country. The handbook lists simple things everyone can do.

• Recycle. It reduces waste and saves the natural resources used to make new products. The local council normally provides the collections. Glass bottles, newspapers and card are commonly recycled.
• Walk or cycle instead of driving short distances. It cuts pollution and congestion, and it is good for your health.
• Use public transport. Many people share one vehicle, so less fuel is used for each journey.
• Buy local produce. Less fuel is needed to move food that has not travelled far.
• Bring reusable shopping bags, which cuts single-use plastic waste.
• Repair or pass on things you no longer need, instead of throwing them away.
• Turn off lights and appliances that are not being used.

Dropping litter or dumping rubbish is an offence, and it can lead to a fine.