Кто может быть кандидатом?

В Великобритании не существует единого документа или закона, в котором было бы определено, кто может стать кандидатом на парламентских выборах. При этом, однако, в различных правовых актах установлено, что кандидаты должны достичь 21 года и быть гражданами Соединенного Королевства или одной из стран Содружества.

Не могут избираться в парламент:

• члены палаты лордов,

• не восстановленные в правах банкроты,

• люди, страдающие серьезными психическими заболеваниями,

• заключенные, отбывающие наказание сроком более 1 года,

• люди, нарушившие избирательные правила за последние 5-10 лет,

• люди, осужденные за государственную измену,

• некоторые категории людей, занимающих оплачиваемые посты на государственной службе (включая юристов, госслужащих, военных или полицейских, членов законодательных органов любой страны или территории за пределами Содружества),

• духовенство англиканской церкви, церкви Шотландии, церкви Ирландии и римско-католической церкви.

Кандидат может выдвигаться от нескольких округов сразу. В случае победы более чем в одном округе кандидату необходимо в течение одной недели решить, какой округ он будет представлять.

TASK 9. Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box and be ready to retell it.

Eligibility to Vote

electoral register; voting; the right to vote; resident; citizen; equal terms

In many countries around the world, including the UK, people have fought to gain __ _______ ___ _______ . The right for women to vote on ________ _________ with men in the UK was still being argued about only 70 years ago. But having the right to vote is not enough. A strong and stable democracy also relies on people using their votes. By voting, the ______ can hold their elected representatives accountable.

Anyone who is a ________ n the UK and is a citizen of the UK, the Republic of Ireland or of a Commonwealth country and is 18 or over on the date of the election is eligible to vote, unless he/she is a member of the House of Lords, imprisoned for a criminal offence, mentally incapable of making a reasoned judgement, or have been convicted of corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election within the previous five years. Members of the Royal Family, including the Queen, are eligible to vote, although in practice it would be seen as unconstitutional if they ever did. The UK citizens who have moved abroad remain eligible to vote for 15 years thereafter. Voters must appear on the _______ _______ in order to vote; they can now be added to the register until eleven working days before the election. _________ is not compulsory.

TASK 10. Render the following text into English:

У кого есть право голоса?

Право участвовать в парламентских выборах в Соединенном Королевстве имеют:

• лица, достигшие 18-летнего возраста,

• подданные Соединенного Королевства, стран Содружества или Ирландской республики,

• лица, зарегистрированные в избирательном округе и внесенные в списки избирателей.

Могут также голосовать те, кто постоянно проживает за границей менее 20 лет, а избиратели в Северной Ирландии должны прожить в своем избирательном округе не менее трех месяцев. В целом этим критериям отвечают более 44 миллиона человек.

Исключены из участия в голосовании:

• члены палаты лордов,

• заключенные,

• люди, уличенные в нарушении процедуры голосования, лишаются право голоса на 5 лет,

• люди, попадающие в категорию «идиотов» (idiots) не могут голосовать, а «душевнобольные» (lunatics) – могут, но только в состоянии прояснения сознания. Пациенты психиатрических лечебниц не имеют права голоса.

• Королева имеет право голосовать, равно как и члены королевской семьи, однако они не пользуются этим правом, поскольку на практике это могло бы идти вразрез с Конституцией.

TASK 11. Study the text below and be ready to speak on the major methods of voting in Great Britain and their relevance. What do you think about the introduction of electoral pilot schemes?

Ways to Vote

In England, Scotland and Wales, at all elections, one can choose whether he or she prefers to vote at a polling station or by post. In addition, if one meets certain legal requirements, one can apply for a proxy vote.

Voting at a polling station

The traditional way to vote in the United Kingdom is to attend one’s local polling station and vote in person. Each voter is allocated to a specific polling station serving the area in which they live. A poll card is sent to each elector, giving the address of the polling station.

Postal and Proxy Voting

Voters who are likely to be away from home at the time of an election – for example on holiday or business – or those who are unable to vote in person at the polling station may apply for a postal o a proxy vote. The latter is a vote cast by a person authorized to vote on behalf of another.

Other methods of voting

Local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland are allowed to apply to conduct electoral pilot schemes to test new methods of voting at local government elections. New methods of voting that have been tried as pilot schemes include:

• E-voting – both using the internet and special kiosks at polling stations or other public places; the UK Government has made a public commitment to running ‘an E-enabled general election sometime after 2006’. This means that electronic voting would be available alongside other voting methods (including voting at a polling station);

• Telephone voting;

• Voting by text messaging from mobile phones;

• Early voting – it is possible to vote before the allocated polling day;

• All postal elections – all voters will vote by post and there will be no polling stations.

TASK 12. Define the following:

 polling district	 postal vote
 polling station	 proxy vote
 secret ballot	 e-voting
 poll card	early voting

TASK 13. Read the following text and explain the meaning of the phrases given in bold type:

By-Elections

In between general elections, by-elections are held when it is necessary to elect a new Member of Parliament to an individual constituency.

A parliamentary by-election is held when a seat falls vacant in the House of Commons, because an MP dies, resigns or can no longer fulfil his duties for some other reason, such as being made a member of the House of Lords. By tradition, the procedure for initiating a by-election is usually started by the political party which held the seat before the vacancy.

By-elections sometimes attract a great deal of attention from the media, and they are regarded as a test of national opinion. The results are often very different from those of general elections and are much discussed by politicians and political commentators who are trying to use the voting figures to predict the result of the next general election.

TASK 14. Answer the following questions:

1. What is a by-election?

2. On what occasions do seats fall vacant in the House of Commons?

3. Who initiates by-elections?

4. Why do mass media give a lot of attention to the results of by-elections?

UNIT 7. MONARCHY INSIDE OUT

Monarchy in Britain

For many people Queen Elizabeth is a symbol of monarchy, because for centuries England, and later the whole of the United Kingdom, has been united under the sovereign. This continuity was broken only after the Civil War, by the republic of 1649 to 1660. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. In practice this means that the main part of the political power is in the hands of Parliament, and The Queen is the nominal head of the state although she has some functions. These functions are: opening and closing Parliament; approving the appointment of the Prime Minister; giving her Royal Assent to bills; giving honours, such as peerages, knighthoods and medals. The Queen is also the head of the Commonwealth, the head of the Church of England and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The Queen takes part in state affairs, for example, she meets the Prime Minister every week and receives copies of all Cabinet papers. However she is expected to be impartial, or ‘above politics’, and any advice she may offer the Prime Minister is kept secret.

Queen Elizabeth’s reign has been marked by vast changes in the lives of her people and in the power and prestige of her nation. The process of decolonization began in 1947 with the independence of India, Pakistan and Ceylon. An association of the British Empire and Britain called the Commonwealth was formed. Beginning in the mid-1950s, there has been constant turmoil in Northern Ireland. On the home front, the nation suffered economic difficulties after World War II. Many industries were nationalized, and in 1973 Great Britain became a member of the European Economic Community. Throughout this period Elizabeth’s primary role has been a symbol of unity and continuity within the Commonwealth of Nations; Elizabeth and her husband frequently visited the Commonwealth states.

Queen Elizabeth II is one of the richest women in the world. Her money comes from two sources: government funds and her own wealth, which is considerable. Her state salary pays for her servants and transport. Every year The Queen publishes the Civil List, where her expenses are printed. These expenses must be approved by Parliament, which has had the effective control of the monarch’s finances since the 17^th century. The Civil List is set by Parliament as a fixed annual amount of 7.9 million pounds for a period of up to 10 years.

TASK 1. Give the exact translation of the following:

• Royal Assent

• the Commonwealth of Nations

• the Church of England

• the Commander-in-Chief

• the European Economic Community

• the Civil List

TASK 2. Find in the text the words that mean the following:

• a monarch or other supreme ruler who has sovereign power or authority

• a form or draft of a proposed statute presented to a legislature, but not yet enacted or passed and made law

• the association of countries which were formerly colonies of Britain but which are now independent

• a period when a king / queen rules

• putting a private industry under central government ownership and control

TASK 3. Answer the questions:

1. What does the concept constitutional monarchy mean?

2. What are The Queen’s functions?

3. In your opinion, why should The Queen be above politics?

4. What events marked Queen Elizabeth’s reign?

5. How does Parliament control the monarch’s expenses? What is the Civil List?

The Queen’s Authorities

The Queen is the United Kingdom’s Head of State. As well as carrying out significant constitutional functions, The Queen also acts as a focus for national unity, presiding at ceremonial occasions, visiting local communities, and representing Britain around the world. The Queen is also Head of the Commonwealth. During her reign she has visited all the Commonwealth countries to gain direct contact with people from all walks of life.

Ceremonial activities have long been associated with the monarchy. The Queen formally opens the new session of Parliament each year, usually in October or November. She is at times accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. Before the royal procession sets out, a detachment of the Yeomen of the Guard (dating from 1485, they are the oldest of the royal bodyguards) searches the cellars of the Houses of Parliament. This tradition dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes was arrested whilst preparing to blow up Parliament.

As constitutional monarch, the Sovereign is required, on the advice of Ministers, to assent to all Bills issued by Parliament. The Royal Assent has not been refused since 1707. the role of the Sovereign in the enactment of legislation is purely formal today although The Queen has the right to be consulted, to encourage and to warn.

The Queen retains certain residual powers, notably to appoint a Prime Minister, and to decide whether or not to grant a dissolution of Parliament. These days, however, The Queen’s influence is mainly informal. She has a right and a duty to express her views on government matters to the Prime Minister at their weekly audiences, but these meetings and all communications between the Monarch and her Government remain strictly confidential.

The Queen’s role in the administration of justice is entirely symbolic; she does not herself judge cases nor does she play any part in the judicial process. Today the task of administering justice is carried out by others acting in The Queen’s name. By the coronation oath, and by common law and various statutes, the Sovereign is required to cause law and justice to be administered with mercy to every individual. In the United Kingdom, all jurisdiction therefore derives from the Crown: the courts are The Queen’s courts; the judges are Her Majesty’s judges and derive their authority from the Crown; criminal prosecutions are brought in the name of the Sovereign against those charged; the prisons are Her Majesty’s Prisons; and prisoners are detained ‘during Her Majesty’s pleasure’.

In the area of law, as in her other public actions, The Queen acts solely on the advice of her Ministers. For example, although The Queen appoints senior judges, she does so on recommendation of the Prime Minister. The prerogative of mercy (by which the Sovereign may, for example, grant free or conditional pardons or remit penalties) is also exercised on the advice of her Ministers. The British regard this old tradition with reverence.

TASK 4. Explain the meaning of the following phrases:

1. The Queen also acts as a focus for national unity.

2. The Queen retains certain residual powers.

3. The Sovereign is required to cause law and justice to be administered with mercy to every individual.

4. Prisoners are detained ‘during Her Majesty’s pleasure’.

TASK 5. Find in the text above the English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

1. отправление правосудия

2. общее право

3. уголовное преследование

4. роспуск парламента

5. введение закона в силу

6. Пороховой Заговор

7. представители всех слоев общества

8. смягчать наказание

9. помиловать, даровать амнистию

10. лейб-гвардеец; телохранитель короля

TASK 6. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the main authorities of The Queen?

2. Why is The Queen’s role in law-making process purely formal?

3. What is The Queen’s role in the administration of justice?

TASK 7. Render the following article into English: