The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. LE SYSTÈME POLITIQUE DE LA GRANDE BRETAGNE

A very, very short History… Pour bien comprendre le système politique d’un pays, il faut se familiariser avec les grandes lignes de son Histoire. C’est particulièrement important pour l’exemple du RU car son Histoire est très différente des autres nations et, par consequence, son système politique aussi. Tout comme sa Constitution – qui n’est pas ‘écrite’ (comme on l’entend en France) – l’Etat Britannique a évolué à travers les siècle.

I-The Normans & William the Conqueror… William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquérant) => From Normandy Normans? => Vikings qui sont arrivés en France et ont adopté la culture française. (Discours quelque peut différent de celui de Paris => ‘Question’) Battle of Hastings in 1066. (William defeated king Harold and became king of what we call England now.) French aristocracy Official language => FRENCH for about 300 years.

Battle

The Normans were not satisfied with conquering England and, over the next few centuries, tried to conquer Ireland, Wales and Scotland. They succeeded with the first two and failed with the last despite several wars over the centuries. Les Normans voulaient plus que le territoire anglaise. Ils ont essayé de conquérir l’Irlande, le Pays de Galles et L’Ecosse. Ils ont réussi avec les 2 premiers, mais n’ont jamais réussi à conquérir l’Ecosse malgré plusieurs guerres pendant des siècles.

Queen Elizabeth I Queen Elizabeth of England (and Wales) died in 1603 She didn’t have any heir. She was nicknamed ‘The Virgin Queen’. (Virginia state in the US) She was succeeded by her cousin James VI, King of Scotland. He became King James I of England, Wales and Scotland. So the Kingdom of England and Wales merged (a fusionné) with the Kingdom of Scotland. BUT = two separate parliaments.

In 1066…

The Darien Scheme… The Darien scheme was an unsuccessful attempt by the Kingdom of Scotland to establish a colony on the Isthmus of Panama.

The Darien Scheme… A century later the Scottish economic and political elite bankrupted themselves on the Darien Scheme. The Scottish parliament was ruined and so they need England’s help. Scotland joined the Union with England and Wales. Scotland and England (+ Wales) agreed to a scheme of a Union. So, Great Britain with one Parliament based in London came into being.

In 1707 Great Britain came into being… London

And Ireland? In 1800 the Act of Union with Ireland was passed by both the Irish and British parliaments despite much opposition. It was signed by George III in August 1800 to become effective on 1 January 1801

Protestants Catholics (in favour of the UK) (Cannot stand being ruled by English. They want independence.)

The Union Jack

THE MOTTO Dieu et mon droit is the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom outside Scotland. It appears on a scroll beneath the shield of the version of the coat of arms of the United Kingdom used outside Scotland.

THE SYMBOLS