Information about the British politics.

1. POLITICS?
I DON’T DO POLITICS!!

2. Don’t understand it?????
Neither do they.......
• http://uk.news.yahoo.com/elections/dont-pa

3. So.......what do you think
about:
Employment- can you get a job?
The Economy – have you got enough money?
Health – Cost of prescriptions?
Law and Order – Do you feel safe?
Foreign and Defence Policies – Soldiers in
Afghanistan?
Education – Can you access what you need?
Transport – Efficiency of public transport?
Immigration – Rights and responsibilities?

4. Political Party?
What’s That then?
A political party is an organised group of people who
have similar ideas about how the country should be
run. Their aim is to get their candidates elected to
political power.
After a general election, the party with the most MPs
usually forms the new government. The second
largest party becomes the official opposition, with
its own leader and 'shadow cabinet'.
Most candidates in elections, and almost all winning
candidates, belong to one of the main parties. If an
MP doesn't have a political party, they are known as
an 'Independent'.

5. So where did it all start?
The system of political parties has existed since
at least the 18th century. It evolved from the
historical division of Whigs and Tories in the
Stuart period. For the past 150 years, Britain
has had a mainly two-party system, in which two
parties dominate although there may be other
parties.
Since 1945, either the Conservative Party or the
Labour Party has held power. The Liberal
Democrats, the third biggest party in the UK,
were formed when the Liberal Party merged
with the Social Democratic Party in 1988.

6. Which parties are represented
at Parliament?
• The UK has a wide range of political parties, including national
parties in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The following
parties have members in the House of Commons or the House of
Lords:
• Labour Party
• Conservative Party
• Liberal Democrat
• Scottish National Party (SNP)
• Plaid Cymru - the Party of Wales
• Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
• Sinn Féin
• Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)
• Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
• Respect
• UK Independence Party (UKIP)
• Independent Labour
• Independent Conservative

7. What’s their role?
• The effectiveness of the party system in Parliament relies
on the relationship between the government and the
opposition parties.
• The opposition parties contribute to policy and legislation
through constructive criticism, oppose government
proposals that they disagree with, and put forward their
own policies to improve their chances of winning the next
general election.
• Leaders of the government and opposition sit opposite
each other on the front benches in the debating chamber
of the House of Commons. Their supporters, called the
'backbenchers', sit behind them.
• There are similar seating arrangements in the House of
Lords, but peers who don't wish to be associated with any
political party choose to sit on the 'crossbenches'.

8. So how do I vote?
In order to vote in UK elections and
referendums, you need to apply to have
your name included on the electoral
register. This is known as registering to
vote. Find out who can register, which
elections you can vote in and how to
register to vote.

9. Make sure you register to vote!
You aren't automatically
registered to vote, even if you
pay Council Tax
• You can register to vote if you are 16
years old or over, and a British, Irish,
Commonwealth or European Union
citizen. If you are 16 or 17, you can
register now but you are not allowed to
vote until you are 18.

10. What is the electoral register?
The electoral register is a list of the
names and addresses of everyone who is
registered to vote. You aren’t
automatically registered to vote, even if
you pay Council Tax. Electoral
registration is a separate process from
Council Tax registration.

11. How do I get on the electoral
register?
• Your local council sends an electoral registration
form to your home between August and November
each year. Most people register or renew their
electoral registration as part of this process.
• You must return the electoral registration form,
even if there is no change or no one is eligible to
vote at your address. The form should list all the
people who will be living at your address on 15
October and who are eligible to vote.
• Some local councils will allow you to renew your
registration online or by phone if your details
haven't changed. Look on your registration form to
find out if your council provides this service.

12. What then?
Once you are registered, you’ll be able to
vote in the following elections,
depending on where you are from and
where you live:
• UK Parliament
• European Parliament
• local council
• Scottish Parliament, National Assembly
for Wales, or Northern Ireland
Assembly, if you live in these areas

13. You can vote in an election at a polling station.
You can also vote by post or by applying for a
proxy vote (getting someone else to vote for
the candidate of your choice). Find out how to
vote on election day and how to apply for a
postal or proxy vote.

14. What do I do at the Polling
Station?
• The council will send you a polling card just before an election that tells
you where and when to vote. On election day, you go to the polling
station to vote - usually a school, local hall or public building near where
you live. Polling stations are open from 7.00 am to 10.00 pm.
• Arriving at the polling station
• When you arrive at the polling station, tell the people at the polling
station your name and address. You can take your polling card with you
to show who you are. The people at the polling station will give you a list
of the people or parties you can vote for called a ballot paper. The
ballot paper will tell you how many votes you have or you can ask a
member of staff at the polling station for help.
• Filling in your ballot paper
• No-one is allowed to see who you vote for so make sure you vote in a
polling booth which has a screen around it. Put an ‘X’ by the person or
party you want to vote for. Fold your ballot paper in half and put it in
the ballot box.

15. Remind me again ?
You can vote in UK general elections once
you are on the electoral register and
provided that you are also:
• aged 18 or over on polling day
• a British citizen, or a Commonwealth
citizen or a citizen of the Irish Republic
(living in the UK)
• not legally excluded from voting (for
example, if you are in prison)

16. Who can’t vote then?
At a general election, the following people can't
vote:
• anyone under 18 years old
• members of the House of Lords
• European Union citizens
• citizens of any country apart from the Irish
Republic and Commonwealth countries
• people serving a sentence in prison
• anyone found guilty of breaking election law in
the last five years

17. Not sure which party to vote for?
Check this out: