How does westminster work

The UK Parliament , examines what the Government is doing, makes new laws, holds the power to set taxes and debates the issues of the day. The House of Commons is elected by the public. The political party with the most members forms the government of the UK. Northern Ireland politicians are elected to the House of Commons but the majority come from England, Scotland and Wales.

MPs debate the big political issues of the day and proposals for new laws. You can have a voice in the UK Parliament by voting in the next general election for the Northern Ireland politician who you feel will speak for you and your views. The House of Lords acts as a revising chamber for law and it works alongside the House of Commons.

The Lords shares the task of making and shaping laws and checking and challenging the work of the government. Local government in Northern Ireland is made up of 11 local councils, run by elected councillors. They look after a range of services such as your local sport and leisure centre or arranging your bin collections.

You can find out more about your local council, what it does and how its funded by visiting the local councils page. We will not reply to your feedback. Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

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For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit. For queries about your identity check, email nida nidirect. Officials may not for instance transmit to Parliament an answer to a Parliamentary Question which they know to be inaccurate or misleading.

There may be exceptions to these rules if national security is threatened, but these are never of concern to the vast majority of civil servants. In addition, the Seven Principles of Public Life encapsulate the values and behaviour appropriate to the public sector, and apply as much to the civil service as to other holders of public office.

The seven principles are: :. Can this model of government possibly make sense in the 21st Century? There are plenty who say not! Follow this link for more detail and analysis. A separate web page explores the following subjects in greater detail:.

Note 1 - Citizens' fundamental rights and legal duties do not necessarily derive from Parliamentary enactments. The Miller prorogation Supreme Court judgment showed that there can be rare occasions when Parliament is constitutionally so weak that it requires the protection of the courts.

Much more frequently, the courts are asked to carry out judicial reviews of the executive's decisions. And Human Rights legislation permits the courts to quash secondary legislation. Note 2 - A decision by a UK Government to sign an international treaty does not create rights and duties in national law which are enforceable in UK courts.

Only UK legislation can create or revoke such rights and duties. That legislation could not and did not fetter the ability of successor Parliaments to revoke or amend the legislation. Note 3 - The Johnson Government in effect challenged the authority of Parliament - and in so doing challenged UK democracy - when it sought the lengthy prorogation of Parliament in the autumn of This challenge was rebuffed by the UK's independent judiciary in the Miller case..

There is a nice summary of the UK's semi-unwritten constitution in that Supreme Court judgment - see esp. Spotted something wrong? Please do drop me an email if you spot anything that is out-of-date, or any other errors, typos or faulty links. The Westminster Model - Summary.

Introduction This is a summary of the constitutional and ethical framework within which UK civil servants work. Civil Servants and Ministers The Haldane Report recommended the development of deep partnerships between Ministers and officials so as to meet the more complicated requirements of busier government as substantial executive ministries emerged from the first world war.

It also follows that civil servants: cannot express their own opinion of government policy, even in court or in front of a Parliamentary committee, and must loyally carry out Ministers' decisions with precisely the same level of energy and good will, whether or not they agree with them.

And the need for political impartiality means that the civil service is appointed on merit, through open competition , rather than patronage, When they exercise powers on behalf of ministers, civil servants are governed by the Carltona Principle.

Civil Service Ethics Officials work within strict ethical constraints, and must demonstrate the highest pecuniary and moral integrity. Taken together, the CRaG Act and Civil Service Code say that officials: … must : set out the facts and relevant issues truthfully, and correct any errors as soon as possible; … must : provide information and advice, including advice to Ministers, on the basis of the evidence, and accurately present the options and facts; take decisions on the merits of the case; and take due account of expert and professional advice.

Leadership: Further Reading Can this model of government possibly make sense in the 21st Century? The rules which govern officials' behaviour in the weeks before General Elections. Despite the clear rules in the Civil Service Code, and in the Armstrong Memorandum, there have been a number of instances of senior officials speaking out in support of, or sometime even against, Minsters' policies. What is devolution? Image source, Getty Images. What powers does the UK government still have?

How does devolution work in Scotland? Image source, Adam Elder. Agriculture, forestry and fishing Education Environment Health Housing Justice, policing and courts Local government Some transport Taxes including income tax, stamp duty and air passenger duty Some welfare powers. How does devolution work in Wales?

Image source, PA. The Senedd's responsibilities include:. Agriculture, forestry and fishing Education Environment Health and social care Housing Local government Highways and transport Some control over income tax, stamp duty and landfill tax Welsh language. How does devolution work in Northern Ireland? Transferred powers are controlled by the Northern Ireland Assembly Reserved powers remain with Westminster, but could be transferred in the future if the Northern Ireland Executive wants them.

These include prisons and civil defence Excepted powers cannot be moved to Stormont without special laws being made in Westminster.

They include elections and national defence. The main powers of Stormont include:. Agriculture Education Environment and planning Health and social services Local government Justice, policing and prisons Control over air passenger duty Transport Culture, language and sport. What powers do mayors have in England?