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This article has been tagged since December 2006. | | United Kingdom |
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Politics and government of
United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, the Great Officers of State are officers who either inherit their positions or are appointed by the Crown, and exercise certain ceremonial functions. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...
The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ...
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| | Executive (The Crown) | Sovereign (Queen Elizabeth II)
Her Majesty's Government
The Privy Council
Cabinet
Throughout the Commonwealth Realms The Crown is an abstract concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government. ...
This article is about the monarchy of the United Kingdom, one of sixteen that share a common monarch; for information about this constitutional relationship, see Commonwealth realm; for information on the reigning monarch, see Elizabeth II. For information about other Commonwealth realm monarchies, as well as other relevant articles, see...
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...
Her Majestys Government, or when the Sovereign is male, His Majestys Government, abbreviated HMG or HM Government, is the formal title used by the Government of the United Kingdom. ...
Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
- Prime Minister (Gordon Brown)
- Chancellor (Alistair Darling)
- Foreign Secretary (David Miliband)
- Home Secretary (Jacqui Smith)
- Lord Chancellor (Jack Straw)
- Full list of members
| | Legislative (Parliament) | State Opening of Parliament
House of Lords
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ...
For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ...
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister responsible for all economic and financial matters. ...
Alistair Maclean Darling (born November 28, 1953) is a British politician. ...
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ...
David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is a British politician who is the current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [1] and Member of Parliament for the constituency of South Shields, Tyne and Wear. ...
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ...
Jacqueline Jill Smith (born 3 November 1962) is a British politician who has been Home Secretary since 28 June 2007 and is the current Member of Parliament for Redditch, since 1997. ...
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and prior to the Union the Chancellor of England and the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom, and its predecessor states. ...
John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ...
Gordon Brown is currently serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ...
A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ...
Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons The Right Honourable Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, Baroness Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups (as of May 5, 2005 elections) Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats...
In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in October or November that marks the commencement of a session of Parliament. ...
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as the Lords. The Sovereign, the House of Commons (which is the lower house of Parliament and referred to as the Commons), and the Lords together comprise the Parliament. ...
- Lord Speaker (Baroness Hayman)
House of Commons
The Lord Speaker (or Lady Speaker) will be a new position in the British Parliament created once the Constitutional Reform Acts provisions about the Speakership of the House of Lords comes into effect. ...
Hélène Valerie Hayman, Baroness Hayman, PC, née Middleweek (born 26 March 1949) is a Labour policitian. ...
Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups...
- Speaker (Michael Martin)
- Prime Minister's Questions
- Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
- Leader (David Cameron)
- Shadow Cabinet
| | Bureaucracy | Government departments
The Civil Service In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. ...
Michael John Martin MP (born 3 July 1945) is the current Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. ...
Tony Blair at PMQs Prime Ministers Questions (officially Questions to the Prime Minister) is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom, where every Wednesday when the House of Commons is sitting the Prime Minister spends half an hour answering questions from Members of Parliament (MPs). In Canada this convention...
Her Majestys Loyal Opposition, or the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom is the largest opposition party in the House of Commons. ...
The Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Her Majestys Most Loyal Opposition. ...
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom, positions he has occupied since December 2005. ...
The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (normally referred to simply as The Shadow Cabinet) is, in British parliamentary practice, a group of members from Her Majestys Loyal Opposition whose job it is to scrutinise their opposite numbers in government and come up with alternative policies. ...
Her Majestys Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Ministers and Secretaries of State. ...
The British civil service is the permanent bureaucracy that supports the Government Ministers responsible to the Sovereign and Parliament in administering the United Kingdom. ...
| | Judicial | Courts of the United Kingdom
- Courts of England and Wales
- Courts of Northern Ireland
- Courts of Scotland
Constitution
Human rights The Politics series Politics Portal This box: In law, the judiciary or judicial is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...
The United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system: England and Wales have one system, Scotland another, and Northern Ireland another. ...
Schematic of court system for England and Wales The United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system—England and Wales have one system, Scotland another, and Northern Ireland a third. ...
The United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system — England and Wales have one system, Scotland another, and Northern Ireland a third. ...
The Courts of Scotland are the civil, criminal and heraldic courts responsible for the administration of justice in Scotland. ...
The United Kingdom has a long and established tradition of respect for its citizens human rights. ...
| | Constituent countries | Politics of Scotland
- Scottish Parliament
- Scottish Government
Politics of Wales
The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ...
The Politics of Scotland forms a distinctive part of the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Scotland one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom. ...
For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ...
The Scottish Government is an unofficial term often used to describe the Scottish Executive. ...
Politics in Wales forms a distinctive polity in the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Wales as one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. ...
- National Assembly for Wales
- Welsh Assembly Government
Politics of Northern Ireland
Type Unicameral Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas Members 60 Political groups Labour Plaid Cymru Conservative Liberal Democrats Last elections May 3, 2007 Meeting place Senedd, Cardiff, Wales Web site http://www. ...
Official logo of the Welsh Assembly Government The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (Welsh: , LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007. ...
// Population 1,685,267 Place of birth Northern Ireland: 1,534,268 (91. ...
- Northern Ireland Assembly
- Northern Ireland Executive
Politics of England
The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ...
The Northern Ireland Executive as established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 is the (currently suspended) executive body for Northern Ireland, answerable to the Northern Ireland Assembly. ...
see also Politics of the United Kingdom This politics-related article is a stub. ...
- English Regional Assemblies
Reserved matters
Local government
Greater London Authority Regional Assembly is a title which has universally been adopted by the English bodies established as regional chambers under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. ...
In Scotland reserved matters, also referred to as reserved powers, are those subjects over which power to legislate is retained by Westminster, as explicitly stated in the Scotland Act 1998. ...
There is no single system of local government in the United Kingdom. ...
The Greater London Authority (GLA) administers the 1579 km² (610 sq. ...
| | Elections | Parliament constituencies
Political parties
Last election
Next election
The United Kingdom has five distinct types of elections: general, local, regional, European and mayoral. ...
The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ...
This is a list of political parties in the United Kingdom. ...
It has been suggested that Marginal constituencies in the United Kingdom be merged into this article or section. ...
Under the provisions of the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the next United Kingdom general election must be held on or before 3 June 2010, barring exceptional circumstances. ...
| | Other | Foreign relations
EU Politics
The United Kingdom (UK) is a major player in international politics, with interests throughout the world. ...
The European Union or EU is a supranational and international organization of 27 member states. ...
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Other countries · Atlas
Politics Portal
view • talk • edit | The Great Offices of State in the United Kingdom are the four most senior and prestigious posts in the British parliamentary system of government. Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ...
They are the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Foreign Secretary[1] and the Home Secretary.[2] Since 27 June 2007, these posts are held by Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling, David Miliband and Jacqui Smith respectively. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ...
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister responsible for all economic and financial matters. ...
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ...
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ...
is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ...
Alistair Maclean Darling (born November 28, 1953) is a British politician. ...
David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is a British politician who is the current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [1] and Member of Parliament for the constituency of South Shields, Tyne and Wear. ...
Jacqueline Jill Smith (born 3 November 1962) is a British politician who has been Home Secretary since 28 June 2007 and is the current Member of Parliament for Redditch, since 1997. ...
According to convention, when the Prime Minister names his or her Cabinet, either after a general election or mid-term reshuffle, the first announced Cabinet ministers will be the Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary, and usually in that order.
James Callaghan is the only person to date to have served in all four positions.[3] In the past hundred years, several other people came close to approaching this distinction: Herbert Henry Asquith and Winston Churchill both served as Chancellor, Prime Minister and Home Secretary while Harold Macmillan and John Major served as Chancellor, Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. Rab Butler and Sir John Simon served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary. Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005), was Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979. ...
The Right Honourable Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC (12 September 1852–15 February 1928) served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. ...
“Churchill†redirects here. ...
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. ...
For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ...
Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG, CH, PC, DL (9 December 1902 – 8 March 1982), who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician. ...
John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon GCSI GCVO OBE PC (1873-1954) was a British politician and statesman. ...
Only three women have held any of the Great Offices of State:
Due to the way politics in the United Kingdom is now structured, with the House of Commons retaining most of the power, it is accepted that it is no longer practical for one of the holders of the Great Offices of State to be a member of the House of Lords. The last holders of each position to have been peers were: Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office from 1979 to 1990. ...
Margaret Mary Beckett (née Jackson; born 15 January 1943) is a British Labour politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby South. ...
Jacqueline Jill Smith (born 3 November 1962) is a British politician who has been Home Secretary since 28 June 2007 and is the current Member of Parliament for Redditch, since 1997. ...
- Prime Minister: The Earl of Home 20 October-23 October 1963 - The Earl of Home renounced his peerage and was elected as an MP after his appointment as Prime Minister.
- Chancellor of the Exchequer: The House of Lords has traditionally been restrained in the passage of financial bills, meaning that the office of Chancellor is effectively limited to the House of Commons.
- Foreign Secretary: Lord Carrington May 5 1979-April 5 1982 - Baron Carrington was the last peer to hold one of the Great Offices of State.
- Home Secretary: Viscount Cave December 11 1916-14 January 1919 - Sir George Cave was enobled as Viscount Cave while serving as Home Secretary in 1918.
In 2007, the Home Office was divided into two parts, with some of its functions transferred to the Department of Constitutional Affairs, which was renamed as the Ministry of Justice. At that time, the Secretary of State also held the post of Lord High Chancellor, the dual position being held by Lord Falconer. Following the cabinet reshuffle in 2007 after Gordon Brown's accession as Prime Minister, it was agreed that in future the Secretary of State for Justice (and therefore also the Lord Chancellor) would be chosen from the Commons. Jack Straw, the current Justice Secretary and Lord chancellor, appeared to make reference to the fact that this new post, previously held by , a member of the House of Lords, could be considered a fifth Great Office, saying that he was "the first holder of this great office of state to sit in the Commons."[4] So far, there is no consensus in favour of such a view among constitutional analysts. Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel,[1] KT, PC (2 July 1903 - 9 October 1995) 14th Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963, was a British Conservative (actually SUP) politician, and served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for a year from October 1963 to October...
Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Lord Carrington wearing his robes as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, in procession to St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle for the annual service of the Order of the Garter. ...
Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...
Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ...
George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave, GCMG, KC (February 23, 1856) - (March 29, 1928) was a British lawyer and Conservative politician who became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. ...
1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...
Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ...
The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) is a United Kingdom government department. ...
The Ministry of Justice is a department of the government of the United Kingdom, reorganized from the former Department for Constitutional Affairs. ...
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and in former times Chancellor of England, is one of the most senior and important functionaries in the government of the United Kingdom. ...
Lord Falconer of Thoroton Charles Leslie Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, PC, QC (born 19 November 1951) is a British barrister and Labour Party politician. ...
In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a Head of Government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in his or her cabinet. ...
The Secretary of State for Justice is a United Kingdom cabinet position. ...
Jack Straw was/is the name of two famous individuals: John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946), commonly known as Jack Straw, is a British Labour Party politician. ...
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as the Lords. The Sovereign, the House of Commons (which is the lower house of Parliament and referred to as the Commons), and the Lords together comprise the Parliament. ...
References
- ^ Open Politics. news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
- ^ Article by John Rentoul. comment.independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
- ^ Lord Callaghan. politics.guardian.co.uk. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
- ^ Lord Mayor's annual judges dinner. www.justice.gov.uk. Ministry of Justice. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
| Great Offices of State of the United Kingdom | | Gordon Brown
Prime Minister Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ...
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ...
| Alistair Darling
Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Maclean Darling (born November 28, 1953) is a British politician. ...
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister responsible for all economic and financial matters. ...
| David Miliband
Foreign Secretary David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is a British politician who is the current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [1] and Member of Parliament for the constituency of South Shields, Tyne and Wear. ...
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ...
| Jacqui Smith
Home Secretary Jacqueline Jill Smith (born 3 November 1962) is a British politician who has been Home Secretary since 28 June 2007 and is the current Member of Parliament for Redditch, since 1997. ...
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ...
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