The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party that has a majority in the House of Commons.  The Prime Minister is the most senior officer of Her Majesty’s Government. The full title of the office is the Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, and Minister for the Civil Service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister’s main responsibilities include: running the Government; appointing Cabinet Ministers and other ministers; coordinating the activities of the Cabinet and Government Departments; appointing judges, creating Life Peers and making appointments to senior positions in the Church of England; leading the majority party; being the «face» of the government in the UK and abroad.

The Prime Minister is technically appointed by the Monarch. The appointment takes place after the results of a General Election indicate which political party wins the majority of seats in the House of Commons. After a General Election, the Queen calls upon the leader of the largest party to officially appoint him to a post of a Prime Minister, who then forms the Government and the Cabinet.

   The Cabinet is composed of about 20 ministers, although the number can vary. The functions of the Cabinet are to initiate and decide on policy, to exercise the supreme control of government and to coordinate Government Departments.

The Cabinet meets for a few hours each week on a Thursday morning at No. 10 Downing Street which is very near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. The Prime Minister can summon the Cabinet to meet at any time and meetings will be more frequent when the political situation so requires. It is the Prime Minister’s duty to meet the Queen during the weekly audiences and inform her about the business of Government.

3. Find in the text above the Russian equivalents for the following words and expressions:

- to have a majority in the House of Commons

- the most senior officer

- First Lord of the Treasury

- to coordinate the activities of the Cabinet

- being the «face» of the government

- to officially appoint

- to initiate and decide on policy

- to exercise the supreme control of government

- for a few hours a week

4. Find in the text above the English equivalents for the following key words and expressions:

- всеобщие выборы

- формировать правительство

- возглавлять партию большинства

- самый старший по должности чиновник

- руководить деятельностью правительства

- назначать на пост Премьер министра

- член (представитель) парламента

- исполнять обязанности руководителя страны

- созывать Кабинет

- обязанности Премьер министра

5.Open the brackets using the verbs in a proper form, review the Present Simple Tense:

1. The Prime Minister (to hold) Cabinet meetings at his or her house at number 10 Downing Street.

2. The Prime Minister usually (to take) policy decisions with the agreement of his Cabinet.

3. The Prime Minister (to be) usually the leader of the party that has a majority in the House of Commons.

4. The Prime Minister (to be) the most senior officer of Her Majesty’s Government.

5. After a General Election, the Queen (to appoint) the leader of the largest party to a post of a Prime Minister.

6. The Cabinet (to meet) for a few hours each week.

6. Read and translate the text without dictionary:

In theory, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a primus inter pares (first among equals) in the British Cabinet. In appointing a Cabinet the Prime Minister generally includes members of parliament who have political bases of their own and who could potentially be rival of the Prime Minister. However, in practice, a strong Prime Minister can so dominate government that he becomes a «semi-president», and fulfils the leadership role in a country in the same way as presidents do. Examples include David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

7. Read, translate and reproduce the following dialogue:

Two students speak about governmental structure of the UK

A: As far as I know, Great Britain is a monarchy, isn’t it?

B: Yes, but Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen is not absolute.

A: By whom are the Queen’s powers limited?

B: They are limited by Parliament.

A: Parliament in Britain has a two-chamber structure, hasn’t it?

B: Yes, Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

A: How often is Parliament elected?

B: The House of Commons is elected every 5 years. The membership in the House of Lords is hereditary.

A: Well, the legislature consists of the Queen and Parliament. And what about the executive power?

B: The highest executive body is the Cabinet of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.

A: Is the Prime Minister appointed?

B: The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party which has a majority in the House of Commons.

A: And where is the residence of the Prime Minister located?

B: The residence of the Prime Minister is at number 10 Downing Street.

A: And who does the supreme judicial power belong to?

B: The highest judicial body in the English judicial system is the House of Lords.

A: I highly appreciate your detailed replies.

B: You are welcome.

Read and translate this funny text and make your own list of qualities for a model prime minister.

Politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.

Charles de Gaulle

Politicians in Britain do not have a good reputation. To describe someone who is not a professional politician as a «politician» means to criticize him or her, just regard them with a high degree of suspicion. Here is a satirical description of a «model» top-rank politician: «… A candidate for a Prime Minister must have the following qualities: he must be malleable, flexible, likeable, have no firm opinions, no bright ideas, not be intellectually committed, and be without the strength of purpose to change anything. Above all, he must be someone who can be professionally guided, and who is willing to leave the business of government in the hands of experts».

Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box, using them in the appropriate form.

Some people suppose that there are few women and members of the ethnic (a)________ in Parliament. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the first woman Prime Minister, yet she never (b)_________ a woman to her Cabinet, and until 1983 the (c)__________ of women (d)__________ to the House of Commons was under 5% . In the election in 1992, 59 women (e)__________ to the House of Commons. This total is still below the (f)_________ in other European countries.

Although the Conservatives choose few women as their candidates for the House of Commons’ seats, women are very active in the affairs of the party as a whole. The Labourists have also tried to (g)_________ to women voters by giving women (h)__________ positions. In all parties, a higher (i)___________ of women is elected to (j)___________ than the House of Commons.

10. Speak on:

1. Great Britain as a monarchy and the powers of the Queen.

2. The legislative, executive and judicial branches of power.

3. The Prime Minister and his (her) powers.

It’s interesting to know

The first Prime Minister in the history of England was Sir Robert Walpole during the reign of King George I (1714 – 1727). In fact he was filing the role of the King at Council meetings, that George with his poor grasp of English could not manage (born in Germany the King never learned English and was never happy in England, always preferring his beloved Hanover).

The term Cabinet was first used during the reign of Charles II. At that time the King used to summon a few favoured members of his Privy Council for consultations in his private apartments and such courtiers became known as members of his «Cabinet».

  The official residence of the Prime Minister (PM) does not have a special name. Nor, from the outside, does it look special. It is not even a detached house! Inside, though, it is much larger than it looks. It is in this house that the Cabinet meets. The PM lives «above the shop» on the top floor. The Chancellor of the Exchequer lives next door, at No. 11, and the Government Chief Whip at No. 12, so that the whole street is a lot more important than it appears. Still there is something very domestic about this arrangement. After the government loses an election all three ministers have to throw out their rubbish and wait for the furniture vans to turn up, just like anybody else moving house.

Тема № 11

Парламент Великобритании

1. Some new words to the text:

Comprise                                              включать в себя

Upper chamber                                       верхняя палата

Lower chamber                                       нижняя палата

Constitute                                                основывать, устанавливать

Taxation                                                  налогообложение

Safeguard                                                охрана, защита

To scrutinize                                           рассматривать, рассмотреть

Issue                                                       вопрос, предмет обсуждения

Proposal                                                  предложение

To attract                                                 привлекать

To deliver                                                произносить, высказывать

To draw up                                              составлять, выписывать

Policy                                                      политика

2. Read and translate the text:

The UK Parliament

Parliament is the most important democratic institution in the United Kingdom. It comprises the House of Lords (the upper chamber), the House of Commons (the lower chamber) and the Monarch as its head. The House of Lords and the House of Commons sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The legislative process involves both Houses of Parliament and the Monarch.

The main functions of Parliament are:

- To make laws regulating the life of the community;

- To provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government;

- To protect the public and safeguard the rights of individuals;

- To scrutinize government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure;

- To debate the major issues of the day;

- To examine European proposals before they become law.

Parliament has a maximum duration of five years. Each term is divided into sessions, which usually last for one year – normally ending in October or November when Parliament is «prorogued», followed shortly by the State Opening of Parliament.

The State Opening of Parliament marks the start of the new parliamentary session. It is the main ceremonial event of the parliamentary year, attracting large crowds, both in person and watching on television. The Queen delivers her speech from the Throne in the House of Lords. The speech is given in the presence of members of both Houses. Although the speech is made by the Queen, the content of speech is entirely drawn up by the Government and approved by the Cabinet. It contains an outline of the Government’s policies and proposed legislative programme for the new parliamentary session. Following the State Opening, the government’s programme is debated by both Houses.

3. Find in the text the words and expressions which mean the following:

- to include

- the upper House

- to be based on principles

- law-making process

- the term of service

- to discontinue a session of the British Parliament

- to protect the rights

- to examine in much detail

- spending

- to write a speech

- to pronounce a speech

- a plan/brief review of the Government’s policies.

4. Make up as many word-combinations as you can using the following words (A, B) and translate them:

            A                                         B

Legislative                                        session

Parliamentary                                   principles

Different                                           duration

Ceremonial                                       programme

Government                                      issues

Major                                                policy

Maximum                                         event

5. Say if it is right or wrong. Give a full answer:

1. The House of Lords is the most important democratic institution in the United Kingdom.

2. Parliament comprises the House of Commons and the Senate.

3. The executive process involves both Houses of Parliament and the Monarch.

4. Parliament has a maximum duration of five years.

5. The State Opening of Parliament marks the end of the new parliamentary session.

6. The speech is given in the presence of members only of the House of Lords.

7. The House of Lords and the House of Commons sit together and are constituted on similar principles.