Category: Politics

Considering that the UK has four constituent nations, it was perhaps inevitable that nationalist parties would emerge on the political scene. They have always advocated for leaving the UK but today none seem to seek true independence. Instead, they wish to swap membership of the UK for the much larger European Union, either directly or via reunification with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state.

In Northern Ireland, where a Catholic minority did not agree with the partition of Ireland in 1921 or the pro-UK referendum result of 1973, the Social Democratic & Labour Party (SDLP) and Sinn Féin (the political wing of the Irish Republican Army) have garnered some support. The SDLP currently has two MPs. Sinn Féin has seven, but they refuse to attend the House of Commons.

Scotland also has its separatists, mainly in the Scottish National Party (SNP) but also recently in the Alba Party, which has two MPs. The SNP, formed in 1934, has been the most successful nationalist group and currently has 45 MPs, meaning that the devolved Scottish government is run by them, albeit with financial assistance from Westminster. In Wales, Plaid Cymru has three MPs and one of their main policies is promoting the Welsh language.

(Image: Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales at Flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In the UK’s constitutional monarchy the Privy Council can be regarded as a go-between for Parliament’s dealings with the Sovereign, as well as the vehicle by which non-Parliamentary and non-UK royal affairs are conducted. These include Royal Charters, laws applicable to British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and judicial appeals for some Commonwealth countries. Counsellors are privy to information classified as ‘secret’ and they swear an oath not to disclose it.

The concept of a ‘privy council’ is thought to have originated at least 800 years ago. It is essentially a group of trusted advisers to the King or Queen, to help him or her make informed decisions in the running of the country. The modern-day Privy Council is a remnant of this, which is retained partly out of tradition.

Counsellors (titled ‘Right Honourable’, or Rt.Hon.) are appointed for life and there are now over 600, although only those currently in government may actively advise. All Cabinet Ministers become Privy Counsellors, along with other leading politicians such as the Leader of the Opposition, top civil servants, clergy and judges. Usually, just four Counsellors meet the Queen each month for 30 minutes during which no-one sits and the Queen formally approves all agenda items.

(Top image of Privy Council coat of arms: Sodacan at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0)

In 1922, Conservative MPs voted to end the coalition with the Liberals and have a General Election. This they won decisively but there were many new faces now in Conservative ranks, so one of them, Sir Gervais Rentoul (1884-1946), led the formation in 1923 of a club for ‘newbies’, i.e. the 1922 Committee. It is also known informally as ‘the 22′ or formally as the Conservative Private Members’ (1922) Committee.

By 1926 membership had been expanded to include all Conservative MPs except those in office and in 1965 it was officially acknowledged as part of the Conservative Party structure. Its purpose had also developed into a forum to air views and ideas in weekly meetings away from the House of Commons in order to keep Party leadership informed as to the mood of colleagues and supporters. Its five sub-committees interrogate policies for:

• the economy
• environment and local government
• foreign affairs
• home affairs and the Constitution
• public services

The 18-member executive committee has a Chairman who is elected annually. This role includes overseeing the voting process for the appointment and removal of the Party Leader. It is important for the Party leadership to maintain the confidence of ‘the 22’ and to respect their participation in the democracy espoused by Parliament.

(Image: Goumbik at pixabay.com)

Lobby groups, also known as pressure groups, have increased in number, scope and financial resources since the period of Margaret Thatcher‘s government. They aim to bring MPs and/or Lords round to their perspective, resulting in the implementation of new or amended legislation or policy. To the ordinary citizen it often seems that those with the loudest voices do indeed gain the most influence, but the process of lobbying is theoretically open to all.

Any individual can email or write to their constituency MP in order to make a suggestion or state a viewpoint. If several people do the same thing, that MP might take notice. However, lobby groups generally have the most influence, whether they are vociferous activists for a particular issue or a business group concerned with aspects of the economy. Some of the largest lobby groups in the UK are the Confederation of British Industry, Amnesty International, the Electoral Reform Society and UK Youth.

A mass lobby is a pre-arranged gathering of many lobbyists at the Houses of Parliament who meet with MPs. There is a code of conduct that applies to these meetings, which are often followed by a campaign rally or demonstration outside the building.

(Image: needpix.com / CC0)

The Gentleman (or Lady) Usher of the Black Rod is a go-between for the House of Lords with the House of Commons in both ceremonial and administrative spheres. It is a Crown appointment which has its roots in the mid-1300s. The Black Rod is the ebony staff with gold embellishments and it is the Usher’s symbol of authority. However, ‘Black Rod’ is taken as shorthand for the Usher in person.

The role began as an organiser of meetings for the Order of the Garter and during the 16th century the Parliamentary duties were gradually added. In 1631, these officially became the main part of the job specification. This was two years after Lord James Maxwell, Black Rod at the time, was left fuming outside the locked double doors to the Commons whilst MPs held the Speaker in his seat until a certain document had been read out. This show of independence worked its way into the rituals that continue to this day.

Black Rod’s most public appearance is at the State Opening of Parliament, as shown in this video, which includes one of Labour MP Dennis Skinner’s quips ~ “Get your skates on – first race is half-past 2” ~ his custom during 1980-2019.

(Image of the lower part of the Black Road [cropped]: ukhouseoflords at Flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Party Conferences take place annually, with the larger political parties choosing late September/early October and the smaller ones opting for February/March/April. The timings are designed to fit in with Parliamentary closures (‘recesses’) and can give a party a boost before the new session begins. The autumn Conferences together make up the ‘Party Conference Season’ and no Conference overlaps dates with any other, by tradition.

Until recently, Conference venues have been seaside towns, such as Brighton and Blackpool, but nowadays they may be cities with state-of-the-art conference centres, such as Birmingham. With thousands of members, organisers, newspaper reporters, MPs and party representatives, a key factor is the availability of reasonably priced hotel accommodation for up to four days. A party’s requirements may also include a hall with stage, an exhibition hall, separate meeting rooms for break-out sessions and ‘fringe’ events, and restaurant facilities for informal networking.

For the Labour Party, this is a get-together with the Trade Unions, who have 50% of the votes in any policy decisions. For the Conservatives, this is an opportunity for businesses to promote their brand and their concerns. In March 2020, the Green Party was the first to attempt an online one-day Conference attended via home PCs.

(Image: Adrian Scottow at Flickr.com / CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Liberal Party endured mixed fortunes throughout its existence from 1859 to 1988. At its inception it picked up support from the middle classes who did not feel represented by the Whig Party, which disbanded in 1868 when the Liberals began their first period in control of government. So began the Liberals’ most successful run, during which they achieved some of their major goals, but subsequent internal divisions and the rise of the Labour Party saw their influence fade away.

William Gladstone (1809-98) was a Liberal Prime Minister for a record four terms and, at age 84 when he stepped down, the oldest to date. The last Liberal PM was David Lloyd George (1863-1945) who steered the country through WW1. However, by then the Party had severe splits, leading to the Labour Party becoming the main opposition after the 1918 General Election and positioning the Liberals as a mere third party.

Wedged between the so-called ‘left’ and ‘right’ of politics, the Liberals were seen as being of the ‘centre’ with few policies to call their own. One such policy was the reformation of the electoral system to Proportional Representation which they argued would be fairer (especially for them). The Liberal Party merged with the Social Democratic Party in 1988.

(Top image of David Steel, last leader of the Liberal Party: Rodhullandemu at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Bill of Rights of 1688/89 put into law the Declaration of Rights signed by King William III & II and Queen Mary II on their accession to the throne in the Glorious Revolution. While this covered England and Wales, a similar Claim of Right Act of 1689 covered Scotland.

These Acts fundamentally changed the hold on power in Britain, moving it from the monarchy alone to the people, Parliament and a strictly Protestant monarchy, in a 3-way partnership. The Bill of Rights firstly laid out all the wrongdoings of the Catholic King James II & VII, who had fled the country, before listing certain rights and freedoms that the people should have. The Claim of Right was even more censorious of any Catholic activities and prohibited any Catholic from ever being crowned King or Queen.

The rights included the abolition of religious courts; the need for all taxes and laws to have parliamentary approval; the ability to freely petition the monarch; parliamentary privilege; the holding of frequent parliamentary sessions; the abolition of excessive or cruel punishments or bail, and of pre-trial fines; free elections of MPs; the banning of peacetime armies and private jails, and the right of individuals to possess arms for self-defence.

(Image: pixabay.com)

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was formed in 1981 amid dissatisfaction with both Conservative and Labour parties. The appetite in the country for a ‘middle way’ meant there was support for a new political party which flew both red and blue colours and styled itself as left-of-centre. However, the Falklands War of 1982 saw the Conservative government regaining voters’ trust and the SDP declined over the next few years.

It was set up by the ‘Gang of Four’ ~ politicians Shirley Williams (1930-), Roy Jenkins (1920-2003), David Owen (1938-) and William Rodgers (1928-). More than two dozen Labour MPs defected to the SDP, along with one Tory. The public were more than ready for something new. At one point, the membership statistics of previous party subscription was 25% Labour, 10% Conservative, 5% Liberal and an amazing 60% first-timers.

After just a few months, it made an alliance with the Liberal Party which deflated some SDP supporters who had hoped for a unique manifesto, not one which had to accommodate another party. Nevertheless, the parties merged in 1988. Owen led the Continuing SDP for a couple of years but disbanded it after a humiliating by-election. A third incarnation of the SDP was then set up and is one of the minor parties today.

(Image of Dr David Owen in 1981: LSE Library at Flickr.com / Public domain)

Unlike members of the House of Lords, those in the House of Commons are elected by the public and they are referred to as Members of Parliament (MPs). After the provisions of Magna Carta Libertatum, an early form of Parliament was set up, with the first elected representatives arriving by 1254. They were called ‘knights of the shire’ at that time, a term which conveys the expectation of honour and fairness from those deemed worthy enough to hold the title.

In today’s Parliament (2019-24), 650 MPs debate and vote on all sorts of issues, in contrast to those first ‘knights’, who dealt mainly with taxation. The demands on an MP vary according to whether they are given additional responsibilities at Ministry level, but every MP must have an understanding of national and local current affairs, the law, society and culture. They must be adept public speakers, be able to think on their feet, look professional and present well on media outlets.

Experience of debating may be gained by involvement in student politics or by becoming a local Councillor. There is no doubt that being able to inject pithy humour whilst making a point is a valuable asset to any MP.

(Image: UK Parliament at Flickr.com / CC BY 3.0)