Prof' Bruno Pierri Lingua Inglese

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Prof. Bruno PierriLingua Inglese

• The British Parliament
• October 9th, 2009

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Historical Roots

• XI century Kings Council Witans barons and
  archbishops to discuss taxation and judgment
• 1265 first elected Parliament. Land Franchise
• XIV Century Two Houses - nobility and higher
  clergy (House of Lords), knights and burgesses
  (freemen of a borough). No law or tax without
  consent of both Houses

• 1536 Wales first represented in Commons
• 1707 Act of Union Unification of Scottish and
  English Parliaments
• 1801 Act of Union with Ireland

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Boroughs

• Settlements granted a level of self-government by
  the monarch and the freedom (or franchise in old
  French) to return members of Parliament

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Franchise

• At first all freemen, that is those who were not
  serfs, had the right to vote
• The 40 shilling franchise
• Rules were changed in 1429 when it was decreed
  that only freemen who owned freehold land (that
  is, not leased from the land's owner) worth 40
  shillings were allowed to vote
• Franchise comes from Old French franchise, from
  franche, feminine of franc, meaning "free" or
  "exempt"
• Franchising (trade affiliation)
• Collaboration among entrepreneurs to distribute
  goods and services. If you want to give birth to
  business without starting from zero, you can
  affiliate your company to an already successful
  brand. On one hand there is a firm already well
  established in the market (franchisor), on the
  other hand there is a company, or person,
  starting activity (franchisee)
• The franchisor gives the franchisee the freedom
  (Franchise) to trade its own goods under the
  formers label, beside technical assistance and
  consultancy
• Usually the franchisee gives the franchisor a
  percentage of its budget (royalty)

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Leasing

• Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain
  the use of a certain fixed assets for which it
  must pay
• The owner of assets (lessor) gives someone else
  (lessee) the right to use those goods, on return
  of a series of contractual, periodic payments
• At the end of the contract the lessee has the
  faculty to purchase the assets through
  hire-purchase

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Impeachment

• Good Parliament
• The Parliament of 1376 was called the Good
  Parliament. The Commons prosecuted some of the
  King's corrupt ministers, a process known as
  impeachment
• Wonderful Parliament
• In the Parliament of 1386 the Commons forced
  Richard II to dismiss his Lord Chancellor
  (Minister of Justice)
• Merciless Parliament
• Two years later the Merciless Parliament
  condemned to death the former Lord Chancellor and
  in October 1399 Parliament deposed Richard II by
  trial and process

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Parliament and taxation

• Parliament developed in the 13th and 14th
  centuries largely through the desire of Edward I
  and his successors to wage war
• They had to levy "extraordinary" taxes, with
  Parliament's assent, to raise the funds
• Each time the King requested assent to a tax from
  Parliament, it could ask a favour back

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Knights and Burgesses

• The larger group in the Commons were the
  burgesses, two from each town allowed to return
  representatives
• Burgess selection
• The King could make a town into a parliamentary
  borough and also set out the ways in which
  representatives were elected that is, who had
  the franchise.
• The most prominent members in the Commons were
  the knights of the shire. Two knights were
  elected for each county.
• - Knights of the shire largely came from and
  primarily expressed the interests of the landed
  elite, known as the gentry

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1911 Parliament Act

• Removal of right of veto for Lords to any public
  legislation approved by Commons
• Lords maximum legislative delay of one month for
  money bills (taxation) and two years for other
  types of bill
• Maximum duration of Parliament 5 years

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1949 Parliament Act

• Any bill passed in Commons may be delayed only
  for one year by Lords
• Abolition of University and Enterprise seats (one
  man, one vote)

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Bill vs Act

• A Bill is a proposal for a new law, or a proposal
  to change an existing law, presented for debate
  before Parliament
• A Bill can start in the Commons or the Lords and
  must be approved in the same form by both Houses
• Once approved, the Bill becomes an Act of
  Parliament (Law)

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Royal Assent

• Royal Assent is the Monarch's agreement to make a
  Bill into an Act of Parliament
• The Monarch actually has the right to refuse
  Royal Assent but nowadays this does not happen
• Royal Assent formula is in Norman French (La
  Reyne le veult)

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Role of Parliament Checking the Work of Govt

• Question Time oral questions to Ministers
• Committes membership reflects party strength in
  House
• Debates in Commons focused on any national and
  international issue. Votes to see whether
  majority backs Govt
• Debates in Lords general debates. No votes

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Two-House System

• House of Commons (Lower House publicly elected.
  646 seats each representing a costituency (650 at
  next general election)
• Main Functions
• Law-making
• Raising and spending public money (Govt takes key
  decisions, but Commons permission needed)
• Scrutiny Opposition challenges Govt and is also
  shadow Govt

• House of Lords (Upper House) mostly appointed by
  Monarch, some elected internally and some bishops
  and archbishops of Church of England. Since July
  2008 746 members
• Lords Spiritual/Lords Temporal
• Highest Court Supreme Court of Appeal. Group of
  salaried judges (Law Lords) carries out this job
• Main Functions
• Consideration and revision of Bills from Commons
• Initiation of non-controversial legislation
• General debates

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Position of MPs/Peers

• House of Commons rectangular shape, Govt and
  Opposition face each other. Govt on right of
  Speaker,Official Opposition and other parties to
  the left
• Govt and Shadow Govt members on front benches
  (front-benchers). Junior MPs on back benches
  (back-benchers)
• Crossing the floor MPs can change party at any
  time. In this case they cross the floor to the
  other side

• House of Lords Govt and Opposition face each
  other. Govt and Bishops on right of Lord Speaker.
  Opposition parties on left
• Independent Peers (Crossbench Peers) on benches
  crossing Chamber

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Debates

• Formal discussion on Bill or issue of topic
  importance (90 minutes)
• MP introduces subject - moving a motion
• Speaker in Commons or Lord Speaker repeats terms
  of motion
• Motion debated
• Decision taken, if necessary by voting (division)

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Debates in Commons

• Catching the Speakers eye MPs must get
  Speakers attention and usually stand, or half
  rise
• MPs speak only once, but may intervene with brief
  comments on other members speech
• MPs who introduce subject have right to reply
  (tabling a motion)

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Debates in Lords

• Peers speak only once, except when clarification
  requested
• When Lords communicates with Commons on a Bill,
  ritual formula is in Norman French (soit baillé
  aux communes)

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The Speaker of the House of Commons

• MP elected by other MPs Politically impartial at
  all times
• Speaker does not take part in debate or votes,
  except to break ties (casting vote)
• Casting vote Speaker may vote as he or she
  pleases, but in practice
• Speaker votes to give the House further
  opportunity to debate a bill in other words, the
  Speaker would vote against amendment
• Speaker must resign from party and remain
  separate from political issues even after
  retirement, but will deal with constituencys
  problems like normal MP
• Speakers stand in general elections, unopposed by
  major parties. They do not campaign on political
  issues, but only stand as Speaker seeking
  re-election

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The Whip

• MP or Peer appointed by each party to make sure
  maximum number of Members votes according to
  party wants
• 18th century fox hunting terminology referring to
  person who drives dogs back to main pack using a
  whip
• Whips send out circular (called 'The Whip')
  detailing upcoming parliamentary business.
  Special attention to divisions. Important
  divisions underlined three times
• Defying three-line whip has occasionally resulted
  in expulsion from party
• Whip could resort to mixture of threats,
  blackmail and extortion to force unpopular vote
• For a minister, consequences for defying party
  whip are absolute they are dismissed immediately

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Contacting your MP

• Everyone has the right to contact their local MP
  to discuss issues affecting them. MPs will
  generally only act on behalf of their
  constituents
• A) Telephone
• You will talk to a relevant office or have to
  leave a message. Phone the House of Commons
  switchboard and ask for your MP by name. If you
  do not know their name then phone the House of
  Commons Information Office
• B) By letter
• When writing to any MP the address to use is
  House of Commons London SW1A 0AA.
• C) Email
• The majority of MPs now have email addresses that
  you can write to
• D) Fax
• Call the MP's office first if you need to send a
  fax.
• Need a government minister?
• If you wish to contact a government minister in
  connection to their ministerial responsibilities
  please use the contact facilities on their
  departmental website

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Topical IssuesEconomy and finance current
issues

• 02.10.2009
• UK Overseas Trade (Current Account) Economic
  Indicators page
• 09.09.2009
• UK Overseas Trade in Goods Economic Indicators
  page
• 08.09.2009
• G20 Leaders' summits London to Pittsburgh (24-25
  Sep
• 13.08.2009
• Global Economic Crisis developing countries

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Hansard

• Hansard (the Official Report) is the edited
  verbatim report of proceedings in both Houses.
  Daily Debates are published on website the next
  working day at 8 am
• Full text of debates and oral and written
  questions for any date since November 1988See
  Historic Hansard for debates before 1988