UK Constitution Flashcards
(22 cards)
What referendum in London led to devolution and was the result?
- 1998 referendum for a Mayor and Assembly
- 72% yes vote on a 34% turnout
Who is the Mayor of the North East, when were they elected and what was the turnout?
- Kim McGuiness
- May 2024
- 30.9% turnout
What are the statistics to compare the turnout for general elections to elections regarding English Devolution?
- 30.9% for the North East Mayor
- 34% for a London Assembly
- 50.9% for the 2024 General election
What organisation suggested there was a need for English devolution, when did they begin and when were they abandoned?
- EVEL
- Begun 2015 and abandoned 2021
What referendum was held in Scotland regarding EXTREME devolution, when was it held and what was the result and turnout?
- Scottish 2014 independence referendum
- 45% Yes vote and 55% No votes
- 85%
What are the two main pieces of Human Rights legislation in the UK?
- Human Rights Act 1998
- The Equality Act 2010
What major human rights legislation did the conservatives wish to replace and with what and why?
- Wished to replace the HRA (1998) with a ‘British Bill of rights’
- Believed the HRA gave rights to the ‘wrong people’ such as asylum seekers and suspected foreign criminals
How many hereditary peers remain in the House of Lords?
- 92
What statistic regarding party donors shows the corrupt nature of the House of Lords?
- from 2013-2023 68/284 nominees for the House of Lords were political donors
What referendum was held regarding the type of electoral system we use? And what was the turnout?
- AV referdum 2011
- 42% turnout
What were the stats for Reform, Labour and Greens in 2024 GE?
Reform UK:
Votes - 4 million
Seats - 5
The Green Party:
Votes - 2 million
Seats - 4
Labour:
Votes - 9 million
Seats - 411
Votes percentage - 34%
What two act restricted the right to protest and what was the reasoning given?
- The ‘Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022’ aimed to reduce violent and harmful protests.
- The ‘Crime and Policing Bill 2025’ made it illegal to climb on statues of historical figures such as Winston Churchill, potentially due to the damage of Public Property during the 2020 BLM protests
What referendum VASTLY changed the state of the UK constitution more-so than any other legislation?
- Brexit 2016 referendum which had a 52% yes vote
What move by Boris Johnson relating to Brexit proved that the constitution needs reforming?
- 2019 attempt to prorogue Parliament in a key stage of Brexit
- This was ruled unlawful but exemplifies the willingness of the government to test constitutional limits
What did the conservatives reverse in order to give PM more flexibility regarding elections?
- Reversed the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 in 2022
What electoral systems due Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use?
Wales:
- AMS (switching to regional closed list)
Scotland:
- AMS
Northern Ireland:
- STV
What is an example of a recall election?
- Fiona Onasanya was jailed for 3 months for perverting the course of justice and was removed as MP for Peterborough
What is an exmaple of corrupt MP behaviour (especially to do with lobbying)?
- Neil Hammond accepted £2000 in order to ask questions on behalf of then billionaire owner of Harrods, Muhammad Al Fayed.
What referendum allowed for further devolved powers in Wales?
- 2011 Welsh Devolution allowed Wales more law making powers.
What was the Act that established the Supreme Court?
- Constitutional Reform Act 2005
What is an example of archaic rules regarding a codified constitution?
- American second amendment right to bear arms
What is an example of the Supreme Court declaring something as incompatible with the HRA?
- Declared 2004 Civil Partnerships Act as incompatible with the HRA as it did not allow same-sex couples to marry.
- Led to the same-sex couples marriage act 2013
