|
I - The Cabinet
The Cabinet designates the small
group of the most important ministers who take the key decisions, under the
supervision of the Prime Minister.
Its leading members are :
-
The Chancellor of the Exchequer
(le Ministre des Finances)
-
The Lord Chancellor (le Ministre
de la Justice)
-
The Home Secretary (le Ministre de
l'Intérieur)
-
The Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (le Ministre des Relations Extérieures)
-
The President of the Board of
Education (le Ministre de l'Education)
-
The Minister of Defence (le
Ministre de la Défense)
-
The Minister of Labour (le
Ministre du Travail)
According to the type of affair to
be dealt with, other ministers can take part in the Cabinet's meeting, which
becomes then a Ministers Council.
II - The Prime Minister
(Le Premier Ministre)
He is the Leader of the Cabinet,
he actually rules and possesses the political power.
He is designated in his function
by the sovereign for 5 years when his party wins the General Elections.
The Prime Minister sets the date
of these elections.
The Prime Minister constitutes his
government, chooses his ministers, carries out reshuffles (remaniements).
He has the majority in the House of Commons. In the case of a serious opposition
of the opposite party, the Prime Minister can disband (dissoudre)
the Commons and lead to general elections.
By-elections (élections
partielles), in order to replace a MP (député), allow to
evaluate the opinion and situate the progression or decline of the parties.
III - The Two-Party
System (le Bipartisme)
So is called the alternating
system between the two major parties : Conservative Party and Labour Party
(Conservateur et Travailliste)
IV - The Shadow Cabinet
(Le Cabinet Fantôme)
The british Opposition, sure of coming to power again one day, is
institutionalized. It constitutes a "shadow Cabinet", which is the exact copy of
the real Cabinet which leads the country. The same allocation of the powers is
found in it : The "shadow" Prime Minister is the leader of the opposition party,
that is to say, the "future" Prime Minister in the case of a victory, etc...
The
"shadow" ministers speak at the House of Commons when debates concerning their
attributed field take place.
|
