Mr Wolley politics quiz

Unlike most constitutions, no one single document contains the entirety of the British constitution. What word describes this?

Uncodified or Unwritten Constitution.

Parliament in the United Kingdom is sovereign. Explain what is meant by this.

Parliament in the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body which can make, amend or undo any law with royal assent.

Name four major sources of the British Constitution

Convention, statute, Common Law, Authoritative Works, Treaties

Name three key concepts which define or underpin the British Constitution

Parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law, its uncodified nature

What is the term for the principle that no person or body is above the law, even the government and the monarch?

Rule of Law.

Which two houses make up the Parliament of the United Kingdom?

House of Commons and House of Lords.

What term describes the distribution of powers to local and regional assemblies and governments within the United Kingdom?

Devolution

Between 1997 and 2016 the extent to which Westminster was sovereign was reduced. Give two reasons for this?

European integration or the Lisbon Treaty, devolution to Scotland, N.I or Wales, increase in local government.

What term describes the kind of monarchy that exists in the UK

Constitutional Monarchy

. What years give their names to the two ‘Parliament Acts’ and which institution’s power is limited by the existence of these Acts

1911 and 1949 and House of Lords

Which Government introduced much of the recent major constitutional reform and who was the relevant PM?

The Labour Government, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair, introduced much of the recent major constitutional reform.

What is the HRA, and how did it impact the British Constitution and when was it introduced?

The HRA 1998 stands for the Human Rights Act 1998. It incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, giving citizens the ability to enforce their human rights in domestic courts.

When was the Supreme Court established?

The Supreme Court was established in 2009.

When was the Fixed Term Parliament Act in place? (start and finish)

The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act was in place from 2011 until its repeal in 2021, official replaced in 2022.

. What percentage of people voted for Scottish and Welsh devolution?

In the 1997 referendums, 74% of Scottish voters and 50% of Welsh voters supported devolution.

Name one significant area of devolved powers held by the Scottish and Welsh governments

Education, health, transportation, and certain aspects of criminal justice.

What is the Barnett Formula, and how does it relate to devolution in the UK?

The Barnett Formula is a mechanism used to allocate public spending in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It leads to N. Ireland and Scotland receiving a greater share per head of UK Government spending than England and Wales.

What is the significance of the Miller v. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (2017) case in relation to the British Constitution?

The significance of the Miller v. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (2017) case lies in the fact that it required parliamentary approval for triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union; it affirmed Parliamentary sovereignty over the power of the PM.

Which Government introduced much of the recent major constitutional reform and who was the relevant PM?

The Labour Government, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair, introduced much of the recent major constitutional reform.

How many MPs sit in the House of Commons?

650

Which institution’s power was limited by the 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts?

The House of Lords

What percentage of people voted in favour of Scottish devolution?

In the 1997 referendum, 74% of Scottish voters supported devolution

What percentage of people voted in favour of Welsh devolution?

In the 1997 referendum, 50% of Welsh voters supported devolution.

Where is the Northern Ireland assembly located?

Stormont (Belfast)

Name one significant area of devolved powers held by the Scottish and Welsh governments.

Education, health, transportation, and certain aspects of criminal justice

What is the Barnett Formula, and how does it relate to devolution in the UK?

The Barnett Formula is a mechanism used to allocate public spending in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It leads to N. Ireland and Scotland receiving a greater share per head of UK Government spending than England and Wales.

When was the Supreme Court established?

The Supreme Court was established in 2009.

What is the significance of the Miller v. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (2017) case in relation to the British Constitution?

The significance of the Miller v. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (2017) case lies in the fact that it required parliamentary approval for triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union; it affirmed Parliamentary sovereignty over the power of the PM.