The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: The Origins of Parliamentary Government Government Meelis Kitsing mkitsing@polsci.umass.edu http://faculty.uml.edu/mkitsing/46.112/ Source: Palmer 2004
“There’ll always be an England, And England shall be free, If England means as much to England means as much to you, As England means to me.” you, As England means to me.” ( from the World War I song “There’ll Always be and England” by Parker & Charles) Source: Palmer 2004
Britain in Historical Perspective: England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom (UK) • Four countries form the UK: England (population – 50 million, Scotland (five million), Wales (three million) and Northern Ireland (about two million). Integration resulted from English absorption of its smaller neighbors, but all four peoples retain separate national identities which have resurfaced especially with the UK’s entry into the European resurfaced especially with the UK’s entry into the European Union. This has resulted in increased autonomy through their parliaments. The Northern Ireland problem remains thorny although a tenuous agreement between the UK government and the Northern Irish mediated by the US was signed in 1998. Violence has become sporadic. The complex issues involve religion, economics and nationalism. The Irish (Republic of Ireland), however, obtained independence from the UK after the 1921 civil war. Source: Palmer 2004
Source: Palmer 2004
Population: 60,441,457 (July 2005 est.) Life expectancy at birth: 78.38 years (total population) 75.94 years (men) 80.96 years (women) (2005 est.) Literacy: 99 percent of people age 15 99 percent of people age 15 and over can read and write (2000 estimate) Capital: London Per capita income: $29,600 (2004 estimate) Source: Palmer 2004
The Evolution of British Democracy • William the Conqueror, leader of the (Norman) French armies unified England in 1066 and established the British aristocracy who he granted land and honorific titles. Some also joined the high clergy. This landed aristocracy formed the backbone of the feudal system : the barons maintained order in their lands, provided the the barons maintained order in their lands, provided the king with soldiers and contributed to his treasury. The peasants lived in near-servitude. Over time, land was also distributed to soldiers as a reward for service thus creating knights. The stability of the system resulted in growth of towns and a new, wealthy merchant class. The knights and merchants formed the commons. Medieval England consisted of three basic socio-economic groups: the monarchy, the aristocracy and the commons . Source: Palmer 2004
The Birth of Parliament • T he kings convened Great Councils to keep in touch with the barons. The Councils discussed issues of war and peace, but also the kings’ insatiable financial demands. The barons used finances to extend their influence over the kings’ policies. The Great Councils of 1215 (which led to the Magna Carta) and 1295 known as the Model Parliament are the most important. The Magna Carta placed the first, formal check on the king’s power. The Model Parliament brought check on the king’s power. The Model Parliament brought the Commons into politics through a kind of “no taxation without representation” agreement. The Great Councils were not parliaments, but they did establish “outer limits” on the king’s power. This required the monarchy to operate within a “circle of traditions and opinions.” The Councils ultimately morphed into a bicameral parliament with power shared among the monarchy, the House of Lords (aristocracy), and the House of Commons (masses). Before the 19th century, the latter still only represented male property holders or five percent of the population. Source: Palmer 2004
The Industrial Revolution • The steam engine’s invention in the middle of 18th century transformed Britain from an agrarian society into an industrial state. Factory and urban life produced an urban proletariat, or working class, that lived in poverty. Two new social classes arose: the bourgeoisie , or capitalist class, and the the bourgeoisie , or capitalist class, and the proletariat , or industrial working class. Workers demands surfaced through their organization into labor unions. Male workers began to be allowed to vote in 1867. Universal suffrage was approved in 1928, but some voters were more equal than others until 1949. As the electorate expanded, the power of the non-elected House of Lords decreased and political parties emerged. Source: Palmer 2004
Political Parties • The Tories and the Whigs , Britain’s two major parties, had arisen out of informal parliamentary groupings by the 17th century. The Tories, or royalists, supported the Crown, the landed aristocracy, and the dominant position of the Church of England. They became the Conservatives in the 19th century although the media still uses the Tory label. The Whigs represented prosperous middle class interests: less restrictive economic control and reduced political roles for the monarchy and the church. The Whigs became the Liberal Party. The and the church. The Whigs became the Liberal Party. The Labour Party emerged in the early 1900s with the expansion of the vote. Labour replaced the Liberals as Britain’s second major party after World War I. Power has since alternated between the Conservatives and Labour. Twentieth century Conservatives are the champions of business interests. Labour attempted to transform Britain into a social democracy: politically democratic, but with nationalized industries and provisions for a wide range of welfare services to its citizens. The two parties maintained the UK as a mixed socialist- capitalist economy until 1979. Source: Palmer 2004
The Thatcher Revolution • During Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s eleven years in office (1979-1992), the “Thatcher revolution” produced four major changes: 1) a reassertion of the prime minister’s power; 2) the transformation of a corporatist economy into a market one; 3) a widening of the gap between rich and poor with an increase in the latter especially in the North and Scotland; 4) and a change in communal values to those Scotland; 4) and a change in communal values to those of individual ones. Thatcher ultimately lost favor within her own party. John Major, her successor was defeated from within because of his pro-EU stance. Tony Blair’s New Labour won the 1997 elections big-time and moved into the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street. The slogans of socialism, welfare and nationalization disappeared. Labour moved to the political center and broke its subservience to the trade unions. Blair was replaced by Gordon Brown in 2007. Source: Palmer 2004
Blair as Prime Minister • Blair’s popularity remained high through 2002 when he was re-elected. He is the UK’s longest, continuous serving prime minister and has seen impressive economic growth, crime reduction and improvements in health care and education. His decision to support President George W. Bush’s rush to war in Iraq and unflinching support for Israel’s hard-line Sharon government, however, has produced in-fighting and challenges in Labour and almost cost him the May 2005 challenges in Labour and almost cost him the May 2005 elections. Blair has promised to be more “in touch with the elections. Blair has promised to be more “in touch with the people,” to support an “opportunity society” for everyone, to ban religious discrimination - a priority to Britain’s Muslim minority, and to support 28 days a year paid leave for labor. He softened his support for the EU Constitution by promising a referendum. Labour won again, but with a narrow parliamentary majority (a loss of 47 seats and a decline in voter support from 62.7% of the electorate in 2001 to 37% in 2005). Meanwhile, the Tories, the Liberal Democrats and several smaller parties gained at Labour’s expense. Source: Palmer 2004
British Elections: 1997-2005 Party Seats in Commons Percent of Seats 1997 2001 2005** 1997 2001 2005 Labour 418 413 356 63.4 62.7 55.19 Conservatives 165 66 197 25 25.1 30.54 Liberal Liberal 46 46 52 52 62 62 7 7 7.9 7.9 9.61 9.61 Democrats Other Parties 30 28 30 4.6 4.3 4.65 Total 659* 659 646 100 100 99.9 *Including the speaker **Results for contested seats as announced and posted on webpage by the British electoral commission Source: Palmer 2004
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