Political system of Great Britain

Political system of Great Britain

'Britain' is most obviously the geographical description for the landmass of England, Scotland and Wales. More significantly, but intangibly, 'Britain' also refers to people's feelings that they are united by a common allegiance. Has there been an end to the idea that 'Britain' gives people a shared sense of identity and purpose? Are England, Scotland and Wales still part of a united kingdom, or is it now divided by devolution? Can people from other countries share in a sense of being British? To answer these questions, it is helpful to explore what 'Britain' might have meant in terms of two major theories of nationalism, which seemed to underpin much of what was said at the conference. One theory suggests that nationalism is a feeling of belonging which depends upon a priori characteristics, such as shared ethnicity, language or geographical location.

The other definition of nationalism was put forward by Benedict Anderson in his celebrated book Imagined Communities. Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (London 1991), where he suggests that nationalism is the product of an 'imagined community', a shared understanding which gives people a sense of communion. According to this theory, it is a creation, an invention, a myth, uniting people who would otherwise be in disparate groups. The differing implications of these two theories of nationalism were explored by the speakers; the theories help to crystallise the debate about race, citizenship and identity, but also allow an understanding of how people have tried to find a sense of continuity in the midst of massive social change. Speakers seemed to agree that Britain as a word defining cultural identity no longer has much value; it served an 'end', heuristically, to unite people to a common cause, but now the old imperial-nationalist myths and meanings have come to a clear end.

Civil Society One cannot explain a liberal democracy such as the United Kingdom simply by talking about the formal political and governmental institutions any more than one can understood fish without talking about water. Democratic government cannot operate with a strong civil society to support it and hold political and governmental bodies to account. The special history of the UK - involving gradual changes over long periods - has created a subtle but effective civil society that outsiders often find a little difficult to understand. So it is useful to list some of the more important elements of such a civil society: Bill of Rights - Although Britain does not have a written constitution, it does have a Bill of Rights because it is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights which was drawn up by a body called the Council of Europe. The European Convention is part of our domestic law so that it can be enforced in our domestic courts as well as in the European Court of Human Rights. Independent judiciary - Our judges are appointed through an independent process and operate totally independently of ...