Chapter II Unit III

Unit III
A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

TASK 1	Do you know? Work in groups and give answers to the following questions.
	1.What are the main political parties in Great Britain? What is the difference between them?
	2.What kind of people do you think might stand for Parliament in Great Britain?

TASK 2. Read the text.

Members of Parliament in Great Britain

Each Member of Parliament (MP) represents one of 650 constituencies in the UK. British elections are usually fought between political parties, not individuals. Therefore, people who want to be elected to Parliament need to be nominated by one of the main political parties.

There is nothing to stop unconventional candidates from standing for election, however. A candidate has only to put down a deposit of 500 pounds and collect ten signatures from residents in the constituency where he wants to stand. A candidate who gets less than 5 per cent of the total votes loses his deposit. For somebody who is standing for election for publicity purposes, this is a small price to pay.

Although MPs will support a particular party, they are not controlled by that political party and theoretically do not have to vote with their party in Parliament. MPs represent everyone in the constituency, not just the people who voted for them.

A lot of MPs' work has nothing to do with voting in Parliament. There are hundreds of things MPs have to deal with in the day-to-day business of constituency life, such as housing or health care. MPs are there to help people and to try to make sure their rights under the law are not violated.

Some MPs hold an advice bureau in their constituencies, where people can go for advice. Anyone who feels that he has been unfairly treated by the central government can complain to their local MP who will do his best to see that the problem is solved.

Members of Parliament have been paid salaries since 1911. The rate has lately been nearly twice the average industrial workers wages. Since 1965 the allowances for travel, living in London, and paying part-time secretaries and rearch assistants, have all been increased. Still many MPs insist that they need to have outside earnings, through ournalism, work in the law courts or business, to enable them to live up to the: tandard they expect.

TASK 3. Find in the text the English equvalents for the following phrases.

обращаться за советом;
баллотироваться в своем избирательном округе;
нарушать права;
выдвинуть свою кандидатуру от партии;
собирать подписи;
участвовать в избирательной кампании в рекламных целях;
средняя зарплата рабочего;
несправедливо обойтись с кем-либо.

TASK 4. Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box, using them in the appropriate form.

to appoint;	prominent;	local сouncils;	minority;
to elect(2);	proportion(3);	to appeal.

Some people suppose that there are few women and members of the ethnic (a) __________ in Parliament. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the first woman Prime Minister, yet she never (b)___________ a woman to her Cabinet, and until 1983 the (c)__________ of women (d)___________to the House of Commons was under 5%. Ii the election in 1992, 59 women (e)___________ the House of Commons. This total is still below the (f)___________in other European countries.

Although the Conservatives choose few women as their candidates for the House of Commons' seats, women an very active in the affairs of the party as a whole. The Labourists have also tried to (g)__________ to women voters by giving women (h)___________positions. In all parties, a higher (i)__________ of women is elected to (j) _______ than the House of Commons.

constituency;	private sector;	opposition;	inflation;
manifesto;	unemployment;	general election.

The United Kingdom 650 parliamentary_________________
A___________takes place every four or five years.
Before an election, each party prepares a _____________ which outlines their policies.
An important Conservative policy was the return of state industries to the ________________.
During the period of Conservative government,_______ fell to 4% for the first time in nearly thirty years.
However, ___________continued to be unacceptably high.
While the Conservatives were in power, Labour formed the official___________.

TASK 5. Answer the questions.

Who can stand for elections in Great Britain?
What does the job of an MP consist of? Is it a job you would like to do?
Who does an MP represent?
Is the job of an MP a well-paid one?
Are there many women in Parliament in Great Britain? Can you compare this proportion to the proportion of women in the legislative body in your country?

TASK 6. Before listening to the tape read the following information and answer the question.

Diane Abbot is a member of Parliament for Hackney in North London. On the tape she describes life in the House of Commons. She is going to make a complaint about her job. In pairs, decide what you think is the most likely and the least likely complaint from the list.

- She isn't paid enough;
- She doesn't have any free time;
- She hasn't got a desk or a telephone;
- Her office is too small;
- There is too much work to do.

TASK 7. Listen to the tape and see if you were right in your answers to the questions in Task 6. Answer the questions.

What is Diane Abbot's background?
What was one of her earliest ambitions?
How long had Ms. Abbot been an MP when the interview took place?
What four things does she dislike about her job?
What is unusual about her being an MP?
What three influences does Diane give for her interest in politics?
What three things does she like about her job?
When is she going to get her missing office equipment?
What two things are noticeable about her fellow MPs?

TASK 8. Explain the meanings of the folowing words and expressions used in the interview

TASK 9. Work in pairs and discuss the following questions.

What is the equivalent of MPs in your country?
What does their work involve? List their responsibilities and write a short paragraph describing their work.

Unit IV

ELECTIONS

TASK 1. Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box.

election campaign; support; polling day; ballot box;

vote; predict; opinion poll; polling station; candidate.

People sometimes try to (a)___________the result of an election weeks before it takes place. Several hundred people are asked which party they prefer, and their answers are used to guess the result of the coming election.

This is called an (b)_______________. Meanwhile each party conducts its (c)________________ with meetings, speeches, television commercials, and party members going from door to door encouraging people to(d) _________ their party. In Britain everyone over 18 is eligible to (e) _______. The place where people go to vote in an election is called a (f)________________ and the day of the election is often known as (g)_______. The voters put their votes in a (h)_________________ and later they are counted. The (i) _____________ with the most votes is then declared the winner.

TASK 2. Read the text.

The Election Timetable

The British government is elected for up to five years, unless it is defeated in Parliament on a major issue. The Prime Minister chooses the date of the next General Election, but does not have to wait until the end of the five years. A time is chosen which will give as much advantage as possible to the political party in power. Other politicians and the newspapers try very hard to guess which date the Prime Minister will choose.

About a month before the election the Prime Minister meets a small group of close advisers to discuss the date which would best suit the party.

The date is announced to the Cabinet. The Prime Minister formally asks the Sovereign to dissolve Parliament.

Once Parliament is dissolved, all MPs are unemployed, but government officers continue to function.

Party manifestos are published and campaigning begins throughout the country, lasting for about three weeks with large-scale press, radio and television coverage.

Voting takes place on Polling Day (usually a Thursday). The results from each constituency are announced as soon as the votes have been counted, usually the same night. The national result is known by the next morning at the latest.

As soon as it is clear that one party has a majority of seats in the House of Commons, its leader is formally invited by the Sovereign to form a government.

TASK 3. Find in the text the English equivalents for the phrases below.

- избирательный округ;
- правящая партия;
- вопрос первостепенной важности;
- дать кому-либо преимущество;
- сформировать правительство;
- широкое освещение предвыборной кампании в прессе;
- объявить дату выборов;
- объявить результаты выборов;
- иметь большинство мест в палате общин;
- распустить парламент;
- подсчитывать голоса;
- потерпеть поражение в парламенте.

TASK 4. Read the text.

Political Parties

The main parties in the UK are the Conservative party (right wing), the Labour party (left wing) and the Liberal democrats (centre).

The Conservative party goes back to the Tories, or Royalists, who originated in King Charles' reign (1660-1685). The Tories were the party that supported Church and King; the other main party at the time were the Whigs, who were a group eager for political reform. The Tory party gave way to its successor, the Conservative party, in around 1830.

The Conservative party believes in free enterprise and the importance of a capitalist economy, with private ownership preferred to state control.

In 1899 the Trade Union Congress summoned a special conference of trade unions and socialist bodies to take plans to represent labour in Parliament. The proposal for such a meeting had come from Thomas Steels, a member of the Independent Labour Party which had been formed in 1893. The conference met in February 1900 in London and has always been looked on as the foundation of the Labour Party. The Labour party believes that private ownership and enterprise should be allowed to flourish, but not at the expense of their traditional support of the public services.

There has been a Liberal party in Great Britain since 1868 when the name was adopted by the Whig party. The Whig party was created after the revolution of 1688 and aimed to subordinate the power of the Crown to that of Parliament and the upper classes. In 1981 a second centre party was created by 24 Labour MPs. It was called the Social I Democratic party, and soon formed an alliance with the Liberal party. They formed a single party which became the Liberal Democrats after the 1987 election.

The Liberal Democrats believe that the state should have some control over the economy, but that there should be individual ownership.

There are other political parties within the UK. The Green party offers economic and industrial policies that relate directly to the environment. The Scottish Nationalist Party wants independence for Scotland within the European Community. Plaid Cymru - the Welsh Nationalist Party - is determined to preserve the Welsh language and culture as the foundation of a distinctive Welsh identity within the UK. Its radical wing has resorted to arson attempts as a means of protest.

TASK 5. Explain the meanings of the following words and expressions.

- Free enterprise;
- to flourish;
- At the expense of;
- To subordinate;
- environment.

TASK 6. Answer the questions.

What are the origins of the main political parties in Great Britain?
What political priorities do the main political parties in Britain have?

TASK 7. Work in pairs and compare the major (the minor) political parties in Britain to those in your own country.

TASK 8. Read the text. Choose the statement that you like most and develop the idea.

The 1987 General Election

From the Conservative Party Manifesto From the Labour Party Manifesto

The National Health Service: "Because we have created a sound economy, we are in a position to spend more than ever before on the National Health Service." The National Health Service: "We will spend more money on the NHS and recruit more staff"

Defence: "We will keep the nuclear deterrent and invest in a new nuclear system with Trident." Defence:"We will ban all nuclear weapons on British soil."

Unemployment: "As long as we continue with our successful policies for a sound economy and more training schemes, unemployment will fall to acceptable levels." Unemployment: "We will increase expenditure on civil works, more training schemes and more jobs in the state sector, creating a million jobs in the next two years."

Taxation: "We will continue to cut taxes" Taxation: "We will raise taxes to fond taxes our plans for reducing unemployment."

Education: "We will set a basic syllabus with new examinations and tests to ensure that our children are learning." Education: "We will spend more on equipment and reduce class sizes, Teachers will regain the right to strike."

Priorities: "The most important problem facing the next government of Britain is to ensure the continued growth of the economy."

TASK 9. Answer the questions.

In 1987 which of the biggest British political parties supported the following policies?
1. a ban on nuclear weapons;
2. cuts in taxation;
3. a basic national education syllal us;
4. more jobs in the state sector;
5. an increase in taxation.
How is the date of a British general election decided?

TASK 1O.Work in pairs and discuss the following question.

If you were a British voter, which party do you think you would vote for and who?

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From the Conservative Party Manifesto		From the Labour Party Manifesto

The National Health Service: "Because we have created a sound economy, we are in a position to spend more than ever before on the National Health Service."		The National Health Service: "We will spend more money on the NHS and recruit more staff"
Defence: "We will keep the nuclear deterrent and invest in a new nuclear system with Trident."		Defence:"We will ban all nuclear weapons on British soil."
Unemployment: "As long as we continue with our successful policies for a sound economy and more training schemes, unemployment will fall to acceptable levels."		Unemployment: "We will increase expenditure on civil works, more training schemes and more jobs in the state sector, creating a million jobs in the next two years."
Taxation: "We will continue to cut taxes"		Taxation: "We will raise taxes to fond taxes our plans for reducing unemployment."
Education: "We will set a basic syllabus with new examinations and tests to ensure that our children are learning."		Education: "We will spend more on equipment and reduce class sizes, Teachers will regain the right to strike."
Priorities: "The most important problem facing the next government of Britain is to ensure the continued growth of the economy."