The political system of Great Britain is in a certain sense a complex phenomenon. However, the most important factor for understanding its nature is fundamental and immutable. The reasons may be due to the fact that Britain did not happen to experience revolutionary upheavals, as happened in many other countries. The country almost never had external invasions, excluding only very old times. Someone may recall the English Civil War (1642–1651), but its main constitutional consequence ─ the abolition of the monarchy ─ lasted only 11 years. The glorious revolution in 1688, which is also called the "Bloodless", is the classic English revolution or coup d'etat, the result of which was the overthrow of Jacob II Stuart and the accession of William of Orange.
The political system of Great Britain represents a democratic, constitutional monarchy. It is based on the so-called Westminster (from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the British Parliament) democratic parliamentary system.
The United Kingdom (along with New Zealand and Israel) can be said to be a unique state. It does not have an official unified written constitution. Instead, it is based on a series of historical documents, traditional political and legal methods, collectively known as English common law. The main constitutional documents: Magna Carta, Petition for Rights, Bill of Rights, Act of Succession.
The key date in the evolution towards democracy was 1215, when King John the Landless signed the Magna Carta, according to which a new structure of political power was formed. It was the first document that limited the rights and powers of the monarch and defended the privileges of feudal barons.
Currently, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the hereditary monarch, is the Head of State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The monarch, in accordance with the Act of Succession of 1701, belongs to the Church of England, is also the Head of State for many former British colonies.
Although the political system of Great Britain is headed by the monarchy, the authority of the reigning person, as dictated by tradition, is limited to ceremonial functions. However, despite the fact that she practically does not directly participate in the work of the government, the Crown remains the source that is the final executive branch. These powers are known as the “Royal Prerogative” and can be applied in many circumstances, including the appointment and dismissal of the Prime Minister and the dissolution of Parliament. The monarch has the power to even declare war (or peace). The "Royal Prerogative" can be delegated directly on behalf of the Crown or presented to ministers, officials.
In fact, the royal family has a certain hidden influence on the legislative process. Senior members, especially the monarch and the Prince of Wales (male heir), can resort to discussing legislation if they affect their personal interests and correct them.
The UK government is led by the prime minister. He must be a member of the House of Commons and form a government with the support of this structure. In practice, this means that the leader of a political party that has an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons is appointed by the Prime Minister. He then selects ministers for his Cabinet, which forms the executive branch.
The classically political system of Great Britain is represented by three branches of government:
Executive - The Cabinet of Ministers, which runs the country and proposes new laws.
Legislature enacting laws.
The judiciary is the courts and judges who ensure that everyone obeys the law.
All ministers in the government are members of the legislature, and some senior judges sit in the House of Lords. Formally, the prime minister is the head of the judiciary. This is a striking illustration of how pragmatic and flexible the political system in the UK is.
Parliament consisting of an upper (Lords) and lower house (Communities) is the legislative body of the UK government.