govt politics handbook2
TRANSCRIPT
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BTEC National Diploma
Uniformed Public Services
GOVERNMENT, POLICIES & THE
UNIFORMED PUBLIC SERVICES
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In order to successfully complete the course, you will need to:
1 Understand the different levels of government in the UK and the democratic
Election process at each level
2 Know the responsibilities government departments and other levels of
Government have for specific public services
3 Know the processes involved in developing government policies and the influences
That can affect government policy decisions
4 Understand government policies in the UK and how they impact upon the
Uniformed Public Services.
Using this handbook
This handbook is merely a guide to the module. It is fair to say that if an item is
mentioned in this book, then it is an important element of the course. As such this book
provides an idea of the direction of the module.
Please note that where an item is listed in colour and is bold , the subject is worth
researching. Mostly it is possible to Google the actual phrase that is highlighted.
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PLAGIARISM
Collusion and Plagiarism
What is collusion ?
Collusion is the submitting of work which is not entirely the work of the student
submitting the assignment when the assessment is intended to be an individually
assessed piece of work.
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is copying or paraphrasing directly from published sources, without correctly
citing, quoting and referencing. Both collusion and plagiarism are forms of cheating.
They will be dealt with severely and may require the culprit to withdraw from the
programme.
Unit tutors who suspect that collusion or plagiarism has taken place must report the
matter to an Internal Verifier, who will instigate an investigation panel. A panel will
be convened consisting of the Unit Tutor, the Programme Manager and the Internal
Verifier. The panel will interview the student/s involved, and make a decision on the
appropriate action to be taken.
Examples of action may include:
records of the incident be kept on file additional guidance be given on referencing completing additional work
failure of the unit withdrawal from the programme disciplinary action that may be noted in references given to future employers
HE and FE take this very seriously and penalties for collusion and plagiarism are
severe. Higher and Further educational establishments, such as Chesterfield College,
have computer software that can detect plagiarism & collusion.
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Course Content
This course has been designed to provide a basic understanding of current political
issues, and their development over time and how they affect the Uniformed Public
Services. Considering this, over the next few weeks you will discuss the development of
Government Policy, its impact on the Public Services and how Government can be
influenced by outside sources.
This course covers a range of issues in relation to Government policies and their impact
on the uniformed public services. There are three parts to this course:
Part 1: Initial knowledge base, workbook assignment & research
Part 2: Case studies of laws and their impact on uniformed public services
Part 3: Research for assignment work
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What is Government?
Put simply, Government is the ruling body in a society. Ask any politician whatGovernment does and they would probably answer that Government provides social
happiness and order, passes laws, decides on disputes and manages our society.
Do not confuse this with party politics (Labour, Conservative etc) as these are
organisations that fight with each other in order to gain our support in order to decide
the direction of Government.
Look around, do you see happiness or social order? If you could buy Government in a
shop, what would it look like? Would it be in a packet, a tin or a bottle? Would you
keep the receipt, go back to the shop and demand a refund? Some people think that we
do not need Government, that we have more freedom that previous generations and that
we can achieve what we want, how we want and when we want. But is the political
structure in place today the only option? Wars have been fought for centuries in order to
give us more freedom and to live peacefully, without intimidation and abuse, from
powerful Governments, groups and organisations. Yet it is suggested that these
freedoms are being eroded or are being watered down to the point where soon we may
not have the freedom that we think we have.
Types of Government
Across the world there are many types of Government, these can range from dictators &
military leaders to religious groups that have taken charge of the country. Some types of
Government are:
Democracy is a form of government in which the right to govern is vested in the
citizens of a country or a state and exercised through a majority rule. This is the form of
Government that exists in the UK and most western nations.
Theocracy is a form of government in which a God is recognized as the state's supreme
inspiration, or in a broader sense, a form of government in which a state is governed by
immediate divine guidance via the religious book, e.g. Bible, Koran. This is the system
that is in place in Iran and some other Muslim countries.
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Totalitarianism is a political system where Government recognizes no limits to its
authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever
feasible. The Communist USSR and Nazi Germany are classic examples of these
forms of Government. A more extreme example is the former East Germany ,
mentioned elsewhere in this document.
Monarchism is the belief in the establishment, or restoration of a monarchy as a form
of government in a nation. Monarchs come from the line of the family that makes up the
Monarchy, which is what happens with the UKs Monarch. Brunei and Saudi Arabia
operate Absolute Monarchies ; here political decisions are made by the Monarch.
Republicanism is an idea that the head of state be elected as opposed to being born intothe right family (like Monarchism); this idea goes against the structure of the British
system where the Monarch is head of state. The USA is the most obvious example of a
republican nation; a campaign has been going on in Australia for several years where
people want to ditch the Queen as Head of State, and become a republic.
Anarchism is a political theory that considers that compulsory government is
unnecessary or can be harmful. Anarchists promote the elimination of Government.
Usually, anarchists are portrayed as violent thugs, rent a mob hooligans and, in some
cases, terrorists however there are peole in all walks of life who hold this belief.
The following pages contain handy hints of information that will assist withassignment one. Students looking for overall Distinction greades will note thatsome information can be useful for both assignment one and asignment 2.This section of the handbook deals with the develoment of our democraticinstitutions, structures of Government, electoral systems and the politicalspectrum.
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A Brief Explanation of How We Got To Where We Are Today!
The democratic institutions that exist today have been fought over for centuries. The
freedoms we enjoy today did not come as a result of kindness from our rulers and
leaders, but as a result of struggle and conflict by our grand-parents, great grandparents
and earlier generations. The democratic processes we enjoy today are the results of
some hard fought campaigns where an incalculable amount of people have lost their
lives. This, of course, has taken place over hundreds of years and after each occasion the
rulers have given ground. New agreements, laws and charters have been written up that
extended our freedoms and rights. The result is that we, as citizens of the UK, have no
single document stating what we are free to do (one exists in the USA, the US Bill of
Rights ), instead a series of documents, backed by the courts, provide us with our
protections against any abuse by our rulers.
Magna Carta
Written in 1215, the Magna Carta was the first of these documents. In 1215, there were
no countries, only areas controlled by Monarchs. What we call the UK did not exist for
another 500 years!
Magna Carta was an agreement between the then King, John , and a number of Rich
Landowners. In those days, Kings were considered to be Gods representative on earth
and were able to operate at will. The Charter forced the weak King to abide by a number
of legal procedures with the most important being Habeas Corpus (Body of Evidence),
where a person could not be lawfully detained without evidence. This principle still
exists today.
English Civil War (1641 1651) Parliamentarians v Monarchists
Although the English Civil War was about who ran England (and I mean England ,
not Scotland or any other part of the UK because the UK still did not exist at this time,
although a Scotsman had taken over the English Crown and ruled over both countries).
King Charles father was Scottish (James 1 st), and had hoped to unify Scotland,
England & Ireland. Wales was not a problem as it had been annexed by England
hundreds of years earlier.), there was a large relig ious element to the Civil War andbattle lines were set between Protestants & Catholics . At the time Parliament largely
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had an advisory role on affairs of the state and the King would look for advice on how
to collect taxes for wars, which like today, were quite expensive. It all kicked off when
the King attempted to arrest some MPs for treason. 400 soldiers were sent to Parliament
to carry out the arrests. They failed. Six major battles took place, the closest being near
Bradford. In the end, the Parliamentarians won. King Charles lost his head in a terrible
chopping accident (he got it chopped off) and the Monarchy had gone, but not forever.
Oliver Cromwell , a Parliamentarian leader became Lord Protector of England until
his death after which the Monarchy was restored, although with far less power. Power
remained with Parliament and does so to this day. This is the basis for our
Constitutional Monarchy.
Tolpuddle Martyrs
In the 1800 s there were no trades unions, although the country we call Great Britain
now existed and had done since 1707. The Industrial Revolution had merely begun.
People worked 12 to 15 hours a day during the week and 7 or 8 on a Saturday; they
were also expected to go to church on a Sunday. Children as young as 5 were expected
to work. There was no health & safety, no health service, no dole money, or any other
welfare or support system available. That came much later. Workers in Devon decided
to form an interest group or what we today call a trades union to protect their interests.
Trouble is, in the eighteen hundreds groups such as these were illegal. The result being
that the main members of the group were caught and convicted as criminals and sent to
Australia. They became known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs and became heroes for
working people. They were all finally released in the mid 1830s where all but one
moved to Canada to live. The remaining Martyr, James Hammett , remained in
Tolpuddle and died in the 1890s. Modern Trades Unions look to this episode as an
influencing factor on their cause.
The Suffragette Movement
The Suffragette Movement is the name given to groups of women who campaigned for
the right to vote. Many examples of direct action took place included burning of
churches, chaining to fences, hunger strikes with the most famous Suffragette being
Emily Davison, who died by running in front of the Kings horse during the 1913Derby .
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In 1918, women over the age of thirty were given the right to vote . The Representation
of the Peoples Act (1918) was updated in 1929 when all women gained the right to vote
alongside men, at the age of 21.
The British Political System
The UK operates a Constitutional Monarchy whereby the Queen acts as Head of
State with her duties, powers and functions are managed and regulated by Parliament.
Political power is exercised by Parliament and the elected representatives who work
there. The UK is not alone, other countries such as Belgium and Spain, operate similar
systems.
Parliament
Parliament is the place where new news are debated and decided upon. It is where our
elected representatives (MPs) work. It consists of three parts, House of Lords, House
of Commons and the Monarchy . It is not to be confused with Government. New laws
can originate from either House but the processes used for checking and debating
potential new laws are different.
House of Commons
The House of Commons is where our elected representatives work. 646 Members of
Parliament are based there. Following a General Election, the political party that wins
the majority of seats is asked by the Monarch to form a Government.
The MP for Chesterfield is Mr Paul Holmes, a Liberal Democrat. He is the point of
contact for those who live in the constituency, or geographic area of responsibility.
House of Lords
The House of Lords is an unelected body that scrutinises the work done in the House of
Commons. There are 574 appointed or unelected Lords. Although some Lords can be
invited to work within Government, they generally have less power than MPs. In
addition, the Houses of Lords has less power than the House of Commons.
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The Monarch
Government gets its authority from the Monarchy . Without this, Government would be
operating illegally. In addition no law can be passed without the Monarchs approval.
The Monarch is also head of the Armed Forces.
Female representation in Parliament
Women over 30 obtained the vote in 1918 and obtained the vote on the same terms as
men in 1928.
The first female MP to be elected was Countess Markievicz in 1918. As a member of
Sinn Fein, she did not take her seat in the House of Commons. The first female to do so
was Nancy Astor, elected as a Conservative a year later.
Female representation in Parliament was very low (between 3%-6% right through the
20 th Century) until the1997 General Election when the Labour Party introduced a
quota system where certain safe Labour Seats adopted all women short lists of
candidates. Although the procedure was declared illegal, under the Sex Discrimination
Act , the selected women remained as Parliamentary candidates. The result was a huge
increase in female MPs (104). Labour then introduces an amendment to the sex
discrimination act to allow quotas to be used by political parties if they choose to do so.
All women short li sts were created as a form of positive discrimination designed to
overcome discrimination of women in the selection of candidates.
Different levels of Government
Central Government
Central Government is made up of three elements, the Executive, Legislature and
Enforcers. The executive is the body that sits at the heart of Government. This group
consists of the Cabinet , a group of the most senior Government members and senior
civil servants . The legislature is where Parliament fits in. The legislature decides lawsand is made up of MPs, who sit in the House of Commons, Lords and Judges, who sit in
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the House of Lords. Judges can also, from time to time, force Government to change the
law because of decisions that they have made in court. Enforcers are those who carry
out, or enforce, Government decisions and laws. These can include Police Officers,
military personnel, NHS staff, firemen and women, and junior civil servants. Here, the
person who says that you cannot get dole money has the same enforcement authority as
a Police Officer but obviously not the same powers.
Regional Government
Regional Government is the representatives of Central Government at regional level.
Based on historical ties, these regional authorities oversee the management of a number
of important local services. Our Regional authority is the Regional Government for East
Midlands. Amongst others, it is responsible for attracting trade to the area and managing
civil emergencies. The various Regional Governments answer to the Deputy Prime
Minister.
Devolved Government
Devolved Government is the newest level of Government. It is designed to provide
some forms of independent decision making for historical regions of the UK. Scotland
Wales and Northern Ireland all have their own bodies, Scotland has a Parliament but
Wales has an Assembly. Both bodies have varying powers. In addition, London also has
its own body, the London Assembly.
Unitary Authorities, Local Authorities & Parish Councils
A Parish Council is the level of Government that is closest to the people. There are
about 10,000 in the UK and they manage local services such as maintenance of bus
stops, burial grounds and crime prevention initiatives. Local Councils such as our local
Chesterfield Borough Council cost and run services such as street lighting & cleaning,
road maintenance and leisure services such as parks and libraries. Above them is
Derbyshire County Council where more strategic planning and service organisation
takes place. Unitary Authorities are types of councils that have sole responsibility for
an area. These tend to run cities or large urban areas and run independent operations.
These people will co-ordinate transport systems and all services needed to manage large
populations.
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The Cabinet & Government Departments
At the heart of Government there exist a number of key personnel. The Prime Minister ,
Deputy Prime Minister and key Ministers of State can all be found here. They all sit
in a group called the Cabinet ; here decisions of national importance are decided upon.
Ministers who sit here tend to be those involved with discussions that are taking place.
However there are a number of key people who meet up every time Cabinet meets.
Each one of these ministers oversees the running of a Government department, such as
Health (NHS), Education (schools, colleges, universities, training initiatives), Defence
(military personnel, UK resilience , nuclear missiles etc). Each department controls and
spends huge amounts of our money and make decisions that affect each and every one
of us. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister and rubber stamped by the
Monarch.
A list of the key Cabinet personnel are included at the end of this document, this list is
not exhaustive and does not include a list of nearly 100 junior Government ministers,
bag carriers and tea makers.
Electoral Processes
First past the Post (FPTP)
The British electoral system is based on the FPTP system, but what does this mean in
practice? Well, obviously, there is a post, or finishing line, and the first to get there is
the winner. Its a bit like a horse race really and that is all it actually is, although one
that is very important. Effectively, in an individual constituency, like Chesterfield, the
candidate with most votes wins the election. For example:
Candidate A (Labour): 22,000 votes
Candidate B (Tory): 17,000 votes
Candidate C (Lib Dems): 13,000 votes
Candidate A wins the election, which may upset our current MP, who is a Liberal, as he
will be unemployed soon.
FPTP is cheap in comparison to other forms of election. It is simple and in the majorityof cases produces a clear result that people accept. Its main drawback is the spread of
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support for each candidate. There are no prizes for second place. Look at the example
again. 22000 supported the winner but 30000 did not, therefore the majority of voters
are being forced to accept someone who won with less half of the overall support, or
what is called an overall majority. When all the constituencies up and down the country
declare their results, political parties look to be the one that obtains a majority of seats
in Parliament. Currently there are places for 646 MPs (one from each constituency), the
party that wins over 324 constituency seats are first past the post, it is then be invited
by the Monarch to form a Government and operate in Parliament as the Governing
Party.
Returning to the mock Chesterfield result above, the same can be said for General, or
national, Elections, Governing parties may have a majority in Parliament because they
have gone past the post but they are unlikely to receive over 50% of the national vote.
Some FPTP information
In the 1997 General election Tony Blairs Labour Party took Government with a
landslide election victory. They won 63.6% of all MPs seats but received only 43.2% of
the national vote. On three occasions the party gaining most votes did not win the most
seats. In 1929, the Conservatives polled the most votes but, the Labour Party won the
election with 27 more seats than the Conservatives. In 1951 Labour polled most votes
yet won 26 fewer seats than the Conservatives. In February 1974, the Conservatives
polled 180,000 more votes than Labour but won four fewer seats. In addition, in
Scotland in 1974, the Scottish National Party won 30% of Scottish votes but only 7
seats in Parliament. As already stated, there are no prizes for coming second. Under this
system, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats lose out mainly because they have large
amounts of voters but not enough to actually take most votes; therefore they tend to
come second in a large number of elections.
Proportional Representation (PR)
PR is system of counting votes that match representation in a Parliament to the number
of votes cast. Some people consider this as a vital element of democracy, as opposed to
a system that elects a Government. There are various types of PR however the principle
stays the same. As already highlighted, the winning party very rarely gets over 50% of
the national vote. As such it is sometimes difficult to get things done. Governments find
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it difficult to operate with a minority of Parliamentary votes, relying instead on support
from minority parties , such as the SNP, Ulster Unionists and Independents to get a
majority vote. Here these parties find that they have an unequal amount of power and
have sometimes been referred to as kingmakers .
In recent years, reforms have occurred in places such as Northern Ireland where a form
of proportional representation has been used in the devolution elections surrounding
Scotland and Wales. However, for Parliamentary and Council elections, Britain uses the
tried and tested FPTP system. Elections for the European Parliament are run using the
PR system. PR is popular in Europe, in Italy PR has been used since after World War 2.
The problem is that Italy tends to be run by Coalition Governments , that is where two
or more political parties get together after the election to form a majority Government.
Unlike the UK PFTP system where Governments tend to be fairly strong, Italian
Governments are fairly unstable, and occasionally stumble from crisis to crisis. On
average, there is an election in Italy every three years.
Political Spectrum & Party System
Political parties are organisations whose members think broadly alike on how a country
should be governed. Political parties are normally classified as left, right or centre.
LEFT WING CENTRE RIGHT WING
Communism Socialism Liberalism Capitalism Fascism
Stalin/Marx Benn Blair Thatcher Hitler
USSR CHINA UK USA NAZI GERMANY
(Line of the Labour party)(Line of the Conservative Party)
(Line of the Liberal Democrats) (Line of the UKIP )
(Line of the SNP ) (Line of the BNP )
Left/ Liberals usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to
support significant Government control of the economy. They generally support a
Government-funded "safety net" to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict
regulation of business. Liberals tend to favour environmental regulations, defend civil
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liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and
tolerate diverse lifestyles .
Right/Conservatives tend to favour economic freedom, but frequently support laws to
restrict personal behaviour that violates "traditional values." They oppose excessive
Government control of business, while endorsing Government action to defend morality
and the traditional family structure. Conservatives usually support a strong military,
oppose bureaucracy and high taxes, favour a free-market economy , and endorse
strong law enforcement.
The following pages contain information relating to recent changes tothe law. It is importnt that you read and understand this informationas it will provide you with an exellent opportunity for improvedgrades from assignment two.
Students looking for a Distinction must not only understand the laws,but also their impact upon the Uniformed Public Services. Inaddition, it is important to understand various political arguments. Ahandy hint is to make comparisons with historic events.
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Influences on New Laws
Case Studies
Human Rights Act (1998)
In 1998, British citizens (you and me) finally got, in law, a series of rights that protect
us from abuse or inappropriate behaviour by the Government or its agents (Police,
Army, Courts etc). Principles of equality suggest that we should treat all human beings,
regardless of their social differences, their class , gender , ethnicity as equal in terms of
rights, as equally capable of rationality , as equally capable of experiencing pain and
pleasure etc.
In practice this has meant that we now have:
Equality before the law Equal civil and political rights Equal opportunities Protection from State actions
In the broadest sense human rights are ideas about how each individual should be
treated. Rights are different from privileges. One does not have to earn human rights
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through particular forms of behaviour (though in some circumstances particular rights
may be withdrawn, think about laws in this country that impact upon our human rights)
Is argued that human rights claims share a number of characteristics, they apply
universally to all human beings:
Rights cant be bought, sold or given away Human Rights are paramount i.e. not trivial but we cannot deprive someone of
their rights without a grave affront to justice.
Human Rights must be effective/enforceable
Impact of Human Rights on the Public Services
The Human Rights Act (1998) (HRA) brought the European Convention on Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) into UK law from 2 October 2000. The
Act makes it unlawful for a public authority to act in a way which is incompatible with
a Convention right. For the purposes of the Act Police officers are " public authorities "because their role includes certain public duties. This means police officers, and other
members of the uniformed services, have individual liability and therefore under a
legal obligation to act in a way which is compatible with the Convention Rights.
Military law , for instance, had to be adapted. Prior to the HRA becoming law, it was
illegal to have non-heterosexual tendencies. Today, the military cannot deny a member
of the gay or lesbian community a job. In addition, same sex couples have the right to
live in married quarters . The military death penalty is still legal but only in
exceptional circumstances, such as in times of war. It cannot be enforced as a matter of
routine. The military also have to provide access to leaders and guides from all religious
faiths. Previously only Christian Padres (vicars) practiced within military circles.
The legislation has also impacted upon other activities of the public services. People
held by uniformed services have the right to be free from the threat of torture and
degrading treatment. Much has been made of events where soldiers have abused locals
in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, claims persist that various members of the
enforcement have been involved in torture or been aware of the activities by other
agencies from other countries. In addition changes to our rights of protest , our
freedom of assembly and association have created conflict between the police and
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protesters. The recent G20 protest still rumbles on. Police have been accused of
breaching the rights of protesters and also manslaughter. New laws mean that our right
to privacy has been eroded (see RIPA mentioned later).
Impact of Terrorism on Government Legislation
The UK experienced armed violence, mainly from Northern Ireland, for nearly thirty
years. This conflict showed that the UK is not immune to long term terrorist campaigns
similar to those seem elsewhere in the world. Reviews of this period showed that many
laws used against the IRA and other groups were way out of date. For example, many
IRA members were arrested for offences listed in the Explosives Act (1875). The
attacks on the World Trade Centre changed that. Threats to the UK, perceived or
otherwise, have meant the Government has to change laws, update procedures, use
different approaches to what was used in Northern Ireland and educate the enforcement
(Police, Army, Fire Brigade etc).
In 2008, Government spent over 2.5 billion pounds on counter-terrorism initiatives.
This is more than double of that spent prior to the world trade centre attacks in 2001.
New counter terrorism units have been set, the security services have seen a vast
increase in its staffing levels and initiatives such as UK Resilience have been
launched. Between 2000 and 2008, Government created four laws in order to either deal
with or combat terrorism in the UK. These are: The Terrorism Act 2006 , Prevention
of Terrorism Act 2005 , The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
(ATCSA) , The Terrorism Act 2000. Government is responding to new threats and the
creation of any associations that are likely to threaten the stability of the UK.
The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) (mentioned later), deals with managing
emergencies as diverse as floods, foot & mouth, and major terrorist attacks. In addition
to these new laws, countless others have been created that allow the enforcement to
carry out surveillance on UK based citizens. These include The Regulation of
Investigatory Powers Act (2000) .
Further to this numerous databases that hold information on ALL of us have beencreated. The NHS and Local Authorities both hold personal details on file. The
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Childrens Act (2004) allowed for the creation of a database called Contact Point .
This holds details of all children residing in the UK. Here, Council departments such as
education, social services and Primary Care Trusts will be able to access information
about every child under the age of eighteen who resides in the UK.
The NHS Spine has been designed to centralise all NHS records, which can be
accessed by over a million public and private sector employees including social
workers, the police and chemists. The legislation permitting the introduction of identity
cards has been passed. DNA and biometric databases now also exist and the
technology is available to link all the databases together.
The upshot of all of this is that Government stands accused of attempting to create a
surveillance state . The concern is that Governments that keep an eye on their citizens
tend to be totalitarian (weve already discussed this!) in nature, not democratic. The
Former East Germany employed its security service, the Stasi, to watch the
population. At its height, the Stasi employed over 2 million informants and had files on
every single East German citizen. Many political commentators, observers and activists
are fearful that the UK could go along a similar path. These new laws, they argue, mean
that Government now has the framework to carry out these activities, should they wish
to do so.
Civil Contingencies Act (2001)
This law gives the UK Government unprecedented powers in an emergency. There are
two elements to this legislation.
The first element relates to Civil Defence : Since the end of World War 2, the West (and
the UK) has feared nuclear annihilation from our old enemy, the USSR. This fear has
largely gone but now has been replaced by the fear of terrorism; hardly a week goes by
without someone on TV talking about nightmare scenarios whereby terrorists get their
hands on nuclear weapon. It is the job of our civil defence agencies to prepare for any
kind of attack or emergency. These agencies include the various levels of Government,
enforcement, certain voluntary groups and private companies.
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Part two of the Act deals with Emergency Powers for Government should things kick
off. Government has the power to amend any piece of legislation it chooses, apart from
the Human Rights Act (1998), although Human Rights Articles can be wholly removed,
this includes Habeas Corpus (also mentioned earlier!). In addition, Government now has
powers to suspend a General Election whilst emergency powers are active. This could
mean that, if events dictated, Gordon Brown could be in charge for years to come,
without ever calling an election.
The following pages contain additional information such as Governingparties and the UK Cabinet make up. In addition, two brief biographies of some well known politicians are included.
Please also note that the two assignments you will be working towards areincluded in this section.
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British Prime Ministers since 1940
2007 Gordon Brown Labour
1997 Tony Blair Labour1990 John Major Conservative
1979 Margaret Thatcher Conservative
1976 James Callaghan Labour
1974 Harold Wilson Labour
1970 Edward Heath Conservative
1964 Harold Wilson Labour
1963 Sir Alec Douglas-Home Conservative
1957 Harold Macmillan Conservative
1955 Sir Anthony Eden Conservative
1951 Winston Churchill Conservative
1945 Clement Attlee Labour
1940 Winston Churchill
Conservative (Coalition
Government)
Political biographies
Tony Benn (1925 present)
Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn was born in April
1925. During World War Two he served with the RAF
as a Pilot in Southern Africa. In 1950, at the age of 25
he became an MP. When Tonys father died in 1960,
Tony became Viscount Stansgate 2 nd . He was barred
from entering the Houses of Commons and had to take his seat in the House of Lords. In
1963, the Government changed the law in order that those (such as Tony Benn) who
inherited a title could renounce it. Tony Benn was the first Lords Peer to do so and
became an MP again. He served in the Labour Government for eleven years between
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1964 - 1970 and 1974 - 1979 where he oversaw the development of many of the
countries important industries. As Secretary of State for Energy he ran British Gas
and the North Sea Oil Fields . In 1984 he became the MP for Chesterfield until his
retirement from Parliament in 2001 when he decided to, in his words, "spend more time
involved in politics". He has campaigned for many left wing groups, such as supporting
the miners during their strike of 1984 1985 ; He also believed that United Nations
was best placed to resolve the Falklands Crisis. Benn is an anti-monarchist and has
proposed several Bills that, if successful, would have meant the abolition of the
Monarchy. Throughout his career, Tony Benn has campaigned for the extension of
democratic values in society and actively looks to persuade younger audiences to
become involved in politics.
He is currently the President of the anti - war pressure group - Stop the War Coalition .
Quote:
5 questions to ask a politician
1. What power do you have?
2. Where do you get your power from?
3. In whose interests do you exercise it?
4. To whom are you accountable?
5. How can we get rid of you?
Only DEMOCRACY gives us the right to ask these questions. People in power do not
like DEMOCRACY. This is why every generation must struggle to win and keep it,
including you and me, now!
Margaret Thatcher (1925 present)
Margaret Thatcher was born in October 1925. Prior to
becoming an MP, she studied science prior to training
as a barrister. In 1959, she was elected as MP for
Finchley, north London. She served in the Conservative
Government from 1970 1974. In 1975, she was
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elected the first female partly political leader and in 1979 became the first female Prime
Minister. Her political ideas were based upon small Government and reduced
Government intervention in society. Her Privatisation programme meant the sell off of
many state owned companies, such as British Airways, British Telecom and British
Gas . In the early 1980s, Thatcher's popularity decreased, though economic recovery
and the 1982 Falklands War brought a resurgence of support and she was re-elected in
1983. She took a hard line against trade unions, survived an assassination attempt, and
opposed the Soviet Union (gaining the nickname, the " Iron Lady "); she was re-elected
for an unprecedented third term in 1987. The following years proved difficult, as her
Community Charge plan was largely unpopular. She resigned as Prime Minister in
November 1990. Margaret Thatcher is largely responsible for the economic structure
that the UK has today.
Quotes:
There can be no liberty unless there is economic liberty.
All attempts to destroy democracy by terrorism will fail. It must be business as usual
If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.
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British Cabinet (as of August 2009)
Portfolio Minister
Prime Minister
First Lord of the Treasury
Minister for the Civil Service
The Rt Hon Gordon Brown
MP
Leader of the House of Commons (deputising for Prime Minister at
Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons)
Lord Privy SealMinister for Women and Equality
The Rt Hon Harriet Harman
QC MP
First Secretary of State
Lord President of the Council
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
The Rt Hon The Lord
Mandelson PC
Chancellor of the Exchequer The Rt Hon Alistair DarlingMP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth AffairsThe Rt Hon David Miliband
MP
Lord Chancellor
Secretary of State for JusticeThe Rt Hon Jack Straw MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
Secretary of State for International DevelopmentThe Rt Hon Douglas
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Alexander MP
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government The Rt Hon John Denham MP
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
Secretary of State for HealthThe Rt Hon Andrew Burnham
MP
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (unpaid)
(also "provides Ministerial support to the Prime Minister in the Cabinet
Office
on the coordination of Government Policy and Strategy")
The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward
MP
Leader of the House of Lords
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Rt Hon The Baroness
Royall of Blaisdon PC
Minister for the Cabinet Office
Paymaster General
Minister for the Olympics
The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP
Secretary of State for Scotland The Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
Chief Secretary to the Treasury The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP
Secretary of State for Wales The Rt Hon Peter Hain MP
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Secretary of State for DefenceThe Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth
MP
Secretary of State for TransportThe Rt Hon The Lord Adonis
PC
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport The Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw
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Assignments
Assignment 1
Levels of Government and electoral processes
There are two parts to this asignment. Part one relates to the structure of Government, part two relates to the differing electoral processes between elections forParliament and Local Councils
Assessment Criteria
Assignment Part one (P1, M1, D1)
Create a diagram or flowchart that explains the structure of Government in the UnitedKingdom. With each level of Government you must discuss the role of that level, theGovernment minister with responsibility for overseeing that level of Government andgive expanded examples of the services provided by that level of government.
Central Government What is it? Which structures exist within this level of Government? What is its mainfunction? Provide examples of how this level of Government affects the Uniformed
Public Services?
Regional Government What is it? Which Government Minister & Department oversees this level of government? What is its main function? Provide examples of how this level of Government affects the Uniformed Public Services?
Local Government What is it? Which Government Minister & Department oversees this level of government? What is its main function? Provide examples of how this level of Government affects the Uniformed Public Services?
P1 outline the different levels of Government in the UK
M1 explain the responsibilities of different levels of governmentand local councilsin the UK
P2 describe the electoral processfor onelevel of government in theUK
M1 compare the electoralprocesses at different levels of government in the UK
D1 analyse the responsibilitiesand electoral processes of twodifferent levels of Government inthe UK
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Assessment Part two
Electoral Processes (P2)Describe the process of a general election and ensure that you clearly identify to whichlevel of government it relates. The description should be detailed and you will be
expected to identify the complete process from the initial application to stand forelection to the declaration of the vote.
Electoral Comparisions (M2)Provide a comparison of the election process for the elected representatives for at leasttwo levels of government. You must not present simple list of comparative pointsbetween the election processes for the different levels of government. You shouldprovide evidence of independent thought when making the comparison comments.
Analysis of Government Structure (D1)Analyse the appropriateness of both the responsibilities and the electoral processesinvolved at the various levels of Government. Demonstrate your ability to analyse theinformation that is provided as evidence for all parts of this assignment (parts one andtwo). To do so you will need to evaluate the current organisational structure. Forexample, is it right that Regional Government is not accountable to the electorate?
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Assignments
Assignment 2