Lesson video

Hi, and welcome to lesson one on How Does the UK Political System Work? Today, we will be exploring the issue of what is the difference between government and parliament.

So in this topic, we will explore six key questions.

So today, we're going to look at the difference between government and parliament, and in the next lesson, we're going to look at elections.

In the lesson after that, we're going to look at what do political parties do.

Then we're going to cover what MPs do, then we're going to look at how the UK government is organised, and finally, we're going to look at how does devolved government work.

So for today's lesson, you're going to need some paper, a pen, probably a different coloured pen as well, for when you self-assess your work, and somewhere quiet to complete the lesson.

So if you need to grab any equipment or you need to move, please pause the video now, grab your stuff, move if you need to, and then start it again.

Okay, so we're going to look at three key questions in today's lesson.

We're going to look at what type of political system the UK is.

We're going to look at what the difference is between government and parliament, and we're going to look at the different roles both government and parliament undertake.

So the first thing we're going to do is we're going to have a think about our key question for the whole unit, how does the political system work in the UK? And what I would like you to do is write down any words, phrases, or ideas that you can think of when you hear that question, so what comes to mind straightaway.

You don't have to write many if you don't know many, or you can write a few if you know a lot.

Just have a go at writing some ideas down, please.

Please pause the video now to complete your task.

Okay, well done for having a go at that.

These are some of my ideas.

You might have something similar, you might have something different, but that's okay, and if you want to add my ideas to your mind map, you can do.

You might want to use your different coloured pen.

So you might have included the word Prime Minister.

I'm going to look at the Prime Minister's role in a minute.

You might've included the word Westminster.

You might have included the word running the country 'cause politics is all about how the country's run, and how it's governed to make sure things work effectively.

You might have included the word power, 'cause politics and power often go together quite well.

You might have included the word elections, because to get our government officials, we elect them.

You might have included the House of Commons, and that links quite closely to Westminster.

You might have included the word MP, so our Member of Parliament.

You might have included the word democracy, 'cause that's the type of political system we have.

Or you might have included the word law 'cause law and politics, again, go quite well together.

So this is just an overview of the UK political system, and this was created by Mrs. White, who was another citizenship teacher, and it just highlights all the different elements of the UK's political system.

So UK politics, it's split up.

We've got national politics, which this unit is going to focus on most.

We've got local government, so things like local councils.

And there are other units within the citizenship curriculum that you can go on more about that.

And then we've got regional as well.

So particularly in London, we've got a lot of regional politics going on there.

So this is the Palace of Westminster.

This is the heart of the political system.

This is where it all takes place.

So we're going to look now at how can government and parliament be defined.

What is the difference between them? The UK is a democratic political system and living in a democracy means that we elect, we vote our political leaders.

The term democracy has its origins in the Greek language.

It comes from the word demos, meaning people, and power and rule.

When we put them together, it often means the rule of the people.

And in a more specific way, the UK is a representative democracy, so this means that we elect people to represent our views on our behalf.

We don't have a say in everything political.

We represent people to do that for us, and these can be our members of parliament in our national government, or it could be a local council in local government.

Yeah, so we elect people to represent us on our behalf.

So we're going to go over the question of how do government and parliament differ? So on the one hand, we've got the government, and the government are those people who have the authority to run the country, and these people get the authority through those who vote for them, so through the electorate.

We elect those into power we believe are best to run the country, and this is because we live in a democracy.

And in the UK, you have to be over 18, or 18, to elect the government during an election.

And people who have the authority, so the government, can work locally or nationally.

parliament, on the other hand, are those elected and appointed to hold the government to account.

So parliament comprises of different groups who come together to make sure the government are doing what they say they're going to do.

So parliament are those elected and appointed to hold the government to account.

parliament is the body who meet in Westminster, London, to discuss and debate laws proposed by the government.

So I would pause the video now, and make a note of the definitions of government and parliament.

All you need to have are those bits in blue.

Now, hopefully, this diagram will help.

So because we live in a democracy, the people and the citizens are at the heart of our political system.

So it's the people who elect the politicians, or the MPs, or the local counsellors, to represent them.

And these politicians, they ensure the will of the people, so what the people want, are represented in our parliamentary system, because they're elected on the promises they make.

And then because people elect politicians, parliament is based on the want and wishes of the people, so it's like a triangle, so they're all interrelated, and they all come together to represent people's views.

Okay, so what type of political system is the UK, then? So who are the government? So a little bit more information on the government.

So currently, we have a government which is run by the Conservative Party, and the Conservative Party are a political party, and we're going to look at political parties a bit later on in our unit.

Well, in the last general election, the UK gave the Conservative Party the authority to run the country.

And the Conservative Party is led by a man called Boris Johnson, and because he's leader of that party, he is also our Prime Minister, so he is the man who oversees the running of the country, and his work is supported by a government which is made up of different people, and especially what are called the Cabinet, and the picture of the table you can see on the screen is in the Cabinet room, where the Cabinet meet to make important decisions, so the Cabinet are the ministers in charge, in charge of the different government departments.

So like education, for example, we have a Cabinet Minister in charge of education who decides all things about education.

So the government are those who have authority to run the country.

But parliament, however, is made up of three different components.

We've got the Monarch, so currently, that's the Queen.

We've got the House of Commons, and then we've got the House of Lords.

So Commons is green benches, Lords are red benches.

Now, I'm sure, in history, you've looked at the Monarch and the role of the Monarchy, perhaps, in history.

But, they don't quite have the same power as they once used to.

So the queen, Queen Elizabeth, and we have a constitutional monarchy, so this means that the Monarch doesn't directly control the country anymore, 'cause this is done by parliament and through the government, but she is really important.

She's our Head of State, and by being our Head of State, the Monarchy do lots of different jobs.

And some of the jobs they do is that every single law approved in the UK is given a sign-off by the Monarch, so she signs every single law.

She'll come to parliament every year, and she will open it.

After an election, she officially appoints the Prime Minister, so she officially gives the Prime Minister permission to run the country, but she's neutral when it comes to politics, so she doesn't get herself involved in politics.

So although the Monarch is very important, they don't have any direct control about running the country.

Parliament is also made up of the House of Commons.

So the House of Commons is made up of MPs, and MPs are people elected during the general election.

And the House of Commons is divided, so we've got one side of the House of Commons which is for the government, so those who have the authority to run the country, and they sit on that side, and then we have the other side, which is made up of the opposition.

So the opposition are those who didn't get elected into government, but they're still important in our democratic system, 'cause they hold the government to account.

They question the decisions and the actions of the government.

And the House of Commons is where debates and votes takes place.

I'm sure you've seen it on the news.

Every week, the Prime Minister comes along, then the Prime Minister is questioned by both members of his government and of the opposition, so we have this scrutiny, this checking, of what work the government is doing.

And finally, the last part of parliament is the House of Lords, and the House of Lords is made up by people called Lords or Peers.

And there are different ways that you can become a member of the House of Lords.

You can either inherit your title, you can be appointed because of your expertise, so a lot of the people in the House of Lords are experts in their field, and they're there for when the government is making a particular policy decision, or they want to do something in particular, these experts cast their expert eye over it.

You've got people appointed by political parties, so you've got people who support the Conservative Party in there that will help them with passing legislation, and we've also got some bishops in there, so bishops are leaders of churches.

And the Lords undertake a number of tasks.

Three of the most important are they're part of the law making process, so they debate and they scrutinise new laws what are coming in to force, they use their expertise to question government policy as I've already said, and then they debate, they question each other on the decisions that they are making.

Okay, so all that I've just said is really nicely summarised on a video.

Parliament is made up of three parts, the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarch.

The House of Commons is the elected chamber of parliament.

It debates big issues, proposes laws, amends existing ones, and challenges the government's work.

There are 650 Members of Parliament, or MPs, who each represents a constituency in the UK.

They belong to either a political party, or are independent, and they're elected by constituents of the area they want to represent.

The leader of the party that has the most MPs elected after a general election becomes the Prime Minister, and heads up the government.

They choose a Cabinet made up of 20 senior ministers who coordinate each government department's work.

Parties not in power are called the opposition.

MPs from the opposition and the government question the government on policy and proposed laws.

The Speaker keeps the House in order by chairing these debates.

The House of Lords is the second chamber, and shares the making and shaping of laws with the House of Commons.

It has around 800 members, and it's made up mostly of life peers, and also includes hereditary peers and bishops.

Lords are selected for their knowledge and experience, and hold government to account by using their expertise to look at laws and issues in detail.

The Monarch's role is mainly ceremonial.

They meet the Prime Minister once a week to hear what's going on in parliament, and formally agree to every new law.

But that's not all.

There are also people working behind the scenes who support the work of parliament, clerks, librarians, researchers, and many more.

Okay, so after everything I've just said, and that video you've watched, hopefully you found it useful, I would like you to write me a paragraph to explain how government and parliament differ.

What is the difference between government and parliament? And what I've done is I've put a few words at the bottom there to help you write your paragraph.

So your challenge is to see if you can include all those words in your paragraph, plus some more, obviously.

So please pause the video now and have a go at that task.

Okay, well done for having a go at that task.

This is quite a complex area to get your head around, so don't worry too much if you found it a bit difficult.

So this is my paragraph.

So the UK is a representative democracy, which means every five years, elections are held.

The UK has a conservative-led government, and the current Prime Minister is Boris Johnson.

The government's role is to run the country by organising public services and introducing new policies and laws, whereas parliament is made up of three parts, the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarchy.

UK citizens elect MPs who they wish to represent them in the House of Commons, whereas members of the House of Lords are appointed or inherit their title and role.

Parliament checks the work of the government by taking part in debates and scrutinising policies.

They also help create new laws.

So hopefully, you've got something similar to that, but it doesn't have to be exactly the same.

But a massive well done for completing that task.

The next thing we're going to do is we are going to have a further look at some of the roles undertaken by government and parliament.

So what I would like you to do is draw a two-column table, and I'm going to read you some statements, and as I read you the statements, I would like you to decide if they would be the role of government or the role of parliament.

So pause the video now, jot down that table, and then start it again, and then we can have a go at the task.

Okay, so, decide how to spend the country's tax money.

For example, increase the amount of money given to schools.

So tax money is money paid by people in society from their wages or when they buy things, or because they own a business.

So who do you think gets to decide, the people we elect, or the people appointed, the government or parliament? Opens parliament every year.

So who do you think, government or parliament? And remember, parliament is made up of three different elements so it can be any one of those elements.

Manages public services, so for example, the NHS, so makes sure the services run as they should.

Or maybe it could be education.

Questions the Prime Minister on the decisions the government has made, so they hold the Prime Minister to account and say, "Well, is the Prime Minister doing what the Prime Minister should be doing?" Oversees and signs in new Prime Minister and laws, so who oversees and says, "Okay, Prime Minister, you can be Prime Minister." "Yes, this law can be a new law." Is that the government, or is that an aspect of parliament.

Okay, so hopefully, you have got these.

So the government decides how to spend the country's tax money.

So we elect a government to make these decisions on our behalf.

For example, so they might decide, we're going to give some more money to schools.

Manage public services, so the NHS.

So remember, I said that each government department has a minister within the government to oversee it.

So parliament, so opens parliament each year.

So that's the Monarchy, within parliament.

Questions the Prime Minister on the decisions the government has made.

So again, remember, during the Prime Minister's question times during the House of Commons, that might be the opposition, or members of the government itself.

And oversees and signs in new prime minister and laws, so, for example, that's done by the Monarchy.

And there is a really close relationship between these two, and there is a lot of overlap, but there is also some difference.

So that brings the lesson to an end for today.

Hopefully, you found it enjoyable, and you learned some new things, and hopefully, you can now do the following things: You know that the UK is a representative democracy, and you know what that means.

You can define government and parliament, and understand the difference, and you can give some roles undertaken by both government and parliament.

Now that you've completed the lesson, don't forget to complete the exit quiz so you can assess your learning from today's lesson.

Hopefully, see you again in the next one.

Have a good day.

Bye.