The UK government and the democratic election process
The UK Government
- The UK government is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system.
- It is split into three branches: legislative (Parliament), executive (Government) and judicial (the Courts).
- The monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II) is the head of state, whereas the Prime Minister is the head of government.
- The executive branch is responsible for implementing laws and running the country on a day-to-day basis.
- Parliament, the legislative branch, is responsible for making laws. It is made up of two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
- The House of Commons is filled by elected MPs, while the House of Lords comprises appointed, hereditary, and ecclesiastical (church) lords.
UK Democratic Election Process
- The UK uses a voting system known as 'First Past The Post' for General Elections.
- General Elections usually take place every five years and are used to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons.
- Each voter has one vote and the candidate who gets the most votes in each constituency becomes the MP for that area.
- The leader of the political party which wins the most seats in an election usually becomes the Prime Minister.
- Local elections, meanwhile, determine councillors and mayors, and use different voting systems depending upon the region and election.
- The Electoral Commission oversees elections to ensure fairness, dealing with duties including voter registration and candidacy verification.
- There is no mandatory voting in the UK and voting is secret, reflecting the core democratic principles of voluntary participation and privacy.
Role of Public Services in Elections
- The public services have a crucial role in ensuring the smooth running of elections.
- Police services aid in maintaining order at polling stations, ensuring a safe environment for citizens to vote.
- Local authorities, aided by civil servants, deal with the logistics: running polling stations, distributing postal votes, and counting votes.
- The armed forces do not directly participate in the electoral process, but their neutral, non-political stance helps maintain public confidence in the fairness of elections.