19. Ethnic Minorities in Great Britain; immigration to the uk.

About 9 per cent of the people in Britain are non-white.Two areas of London have become the first in the UK to have a non-white majority- Newham and Brent. London has the highest proportion of minority ethnic communities. Just a little over 50 % of the city’s people describe themselves as white British. A further 14 % are either white Irish or white other, includes Europeans, Americans, new Zealanders . There are now more ethnically African residents(8%) in London than black Carribbean (7%). The largest Asian community is Bangladeshis (5%) In east London.(increase of ethnic minorities of 18% over 1991-2001 decade in Newham)More recent immigration has come through interaction with continental Europe and international ties forged by the British Empire. Since World War Two constant waves of immigration have hit the UK, with Europe, Africa and South-East Asia being the biggest areas from where people currently emigrate. As of 2001, 13.1% of the UK's population identified themselves as an ethnic minority.^[39] The United Kingdom has amongst the highest immigration rates in Europe, along with Italy and Spain. The latest wave of immigration to the UK began in May 2004 when the European Union was expanded. From May 2004 to September 2006, around 500,000 people from Central and Eastern Europe immigrated to the UK to work.^[47] This figure is for arrivals only and does not take account of people leaving, hence net migration is likely to be lower.^[48] In 2005 net migration from the new EU states stood at 64,000

20. The United Kingdom as a Constitutional Monarchy.

The UK of GB and Northern Ireland is one of the few developed countries of the world where const monarchy has survived. But the constitution is not complied in one single written document. the main sources:

• Statues: the magna carta 1215, the act of settlement 1701

• Laws of parliament

• Political conventions

• Constitutional experts (dicey)

2 basic principles:

• The rule of law

• The supremacy of parliament

The development of CM:

• During the Anglo-Saxon period (the great council=witan=the assembly of wisest men from various districts)

• After Norman conquest : the great council of most influential feudal nobles

• 1215 the magna carta – limited some powers of the king

• 1265 summoned the 1^st parliament=> Br Constitution evolved as a resulrt of Acts of parliament

• 1689 –the bill of bights – the 1^st legal step to constitutional monarchy

• TODAY, THE MONARCH REIGHS BUT SHE DOES NOT RULE

The Role of the Monarch in the UK.

• TODAY, THE MONARCH REIGHS BUT SHE DOES NOT RULE

  1. She is: the symbol of the nation unity

  2. the head of the executive

  3. head of judiciary

  4. commander in chief of all armed forces

  5. the supreme governor of the church

the functions of the queen:

1. summons, prorogues, dissolves the parliament

2. appoints ministers, judges, officers in armed forces, diplomats, bishops, the clergy of the church

3. appoints the prime minister

4. declare war

5. make peace

6. recognize foreign states and governments

Christopher Owen: we need the monarchy as a ship need the anchor. It’s the crown provides unity, stability, continuity to Br and the commonwealth.