An introduction to Parliament (primary)

00:07:37
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs-9B3FRXCA

Summary

TLDRThe video provides an overview of the UK Parliament, detailing its historical origins, structure, and functions. It explains how Parliament evolved from the Magna Carta in 1215, which limited the king's power, to its current form consisting of the House of Commons, House of Lords, and the Monarch. The House of Commons is where elected Members of Parliament (MPs) debate and create laws, while the House of Lords reviews legislation with appointed life peers and hereditary members. The Monarch's role is largely ceremonial. The video also discusses the process of law-making, the importance of voting in a democracy, and how citizens can engage with Parliament through various means, including contacting their MPs and participating in campaigns.

Takeaways

  • 📜 Parliament has a long history dating back to the Magna Carta in 1215.
  • 🏛️ It consists of the House of Commons, House of Lords, and the Monarch.
  • 🗳️ MPs are elected by the public during general elections.
  • 📚 Laws are proposed as bills and debated in both Houses.
  • 👥 Citizens can influence Parliament by voting and contacting their MPs.
  • 🤝 A hung Parliament may lead to coalition governments.
  • 📢 Campaigning is essential for candidates to gain votes.
  • 📝 A manifesto outlines a party's plans and promises.
  • ✉️ Petitions and campaign groups are ways to express civic concerns.
  • 🏫 School councils allow students to participate in governance.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:07:37

    The video discusses the history and structure of Parliament in the UK, starting from the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, which established the rule of law. It explains how Parliament evolved from the king's authority to a body that represents the people, with the House of Commons and the House of Lords as its two main components. The House of Commons, consisting of 650 Members of Parliament (MPs), debates laws and holds the government accountable, while the House of Lords, made up of life peers and hereditary peers, also contributes to law-making. The monarch's role is largely ceremonial, involving the signing of new laws. The process of creating laws is outlined, including the introduction of bills and the parliamentary debate process. The video emphasizes the importance of democracy and voting, explaining how general elections work and the significance of campaigning and manifestos. It encourages civic engagement, highlighting ways individuals can influence Parliament, such as contacting their MPs, starting petitions, or joining campaign groups. Ultimately, it stresses the importance of public involvement in democracy.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What is Parliament?

    Parliament is the institution that discusses and decides on important issues affecting the country, made up of the House of Commons, House of Lords, and the Monarch.

  • How did Parliament begin?

    Parliament began in 1215 with the Magna Carta, which established that no one, including the king, could break the law.

  • What are the three parts of Parliament?

    The three parts of Parliament are the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarch.

  • What is the role of the House of Commons?

    The House of Commons debates important topics, discusses laws, and holds the government accountable.

  • How are MPs elected?

    MPs are elected during general elections, where people vote for candidates in their constituencies.

  • What is a bill?

    A bill is a proposed law that is debated and can be modified before becoming an act of Parliament.

  • What is a manifesto?

    A manifesto is a list of promises and plans that political parties present to voters during elections.

  • What is a hung Parliament?

    A hung Parliament occurs when no single party wins a majority, leading to potential coalition governments.

  • How can citizens get involved in Parliament?

    Citizens can contact their MPs, start petitions, join campaign groups, or participate in school councils.

  • What is the significance of voting?

    Voting allows citizens to have a say in how the country is run and is a fundamental part of democracy.

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Subtitles
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    hospitals schools the environment lots
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    of things that affect us all are
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    discussed and decided in Parliament but
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    what is Parliament and how did it all
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    begin Parliament has been around for
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    hundreds of years and has changed many
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    times way back in 1215 King JN put his
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    seal on Magna Cara and agreed to a list
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    of 63 rules set out by a group of Barons
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    these were important land owners who
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    advised the king this meant that for the
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    first time no one not even the king
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    could break the law of the land 50 years
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    later Simon De monford for the first
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    time invited representatives of the
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    towns and shes to his 1265
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    Parliament from this point onwards the
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    power to make decisions for the nation
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    passed over time from the king or queen
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    to
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    Parliament you've probably heard of the
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    government the government's job is to
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    run the the country parliament's job is
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    to check and challenge what the
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    government does let's take a closer look
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    at what happens in Parliament today
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    Parliament is made up of three parts the
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    House of Commons the House of Lords and
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    the king or queen known as the Monarch
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    the House of Commons chamber is where
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    important topics are debated laws are
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    discussed and where members of
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    parliament MPS can keep an eye on the
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    work of the government there are 650 MPS
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    and each one represents an area of the
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    United Kingdom these areas are called
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    constituencies most MPS belong to a
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    political party which is a group of
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    people with similar views on how the
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    country should be run and some MPS are
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    independent which means they aren't part
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    of any party MPS are voted for by the
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    people in their constituency at general
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    elections the leader of the party that
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    wins the election becomes the Prime
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    Minister the Prime Minister and their
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    party run the country and are called the
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    government parties not in power are
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    known as the opposition and they take a
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    leading role in checking and challenging
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    the ideas of government through debates
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    in the chamber at the head of the house
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    sits the speaker it's their job to make
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    sure debates are kept in order sometimes
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    they can get very Lively the second part
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    of parliament is the House of Lords and
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    it shares the job of making laws with
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    the House of Commons there are around
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    800 members and most are life peers life
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    peers are chosen for their knowledge and
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    experience so they can use their special
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    skills to look carefully at new laws
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    anyway
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    including you can nominate somebody to
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    be a life peer successful nominations
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    are then recommended by the Prime
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    Minister and approved by the Monarch
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    once approved you become a lord if
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    you're a man or a baroness if you're a
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    woman and you are then a member of the
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    House of Lords a peer for the rest of
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    your life in the House of Lords there is
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    also a small group of hereditary peers
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    who have had their position passed on to
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    them by their family and some Bishops
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    the third part of parliament is the
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    monarch this role is mainly ceremonial
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    these days they meet the Prime Minister
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    once a week to hear what's going on in
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    Parliament and sign every new
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    law both the House of Commons and the
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    House of Lords share the job of making
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    laws but where do laws come from in the
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    first place a law is a rule we've all
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    agreed to live by laws help everyone
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    understand what we must and must not do
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    ideas for new laws are called bills they
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    can be suggested by lots of different
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    people including political parties and
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    campaign groups a bill can begin in the
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    House of Commons or the House of Lords
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    MPS and Lords always check bills very
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    carefully because making and changing
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    laws affects everyone in the country
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    they do this by holding debates in each
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    house where they can discuss what they
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    agree and disagree within the bill and
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    suggest changes sometimes a bill can go
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    backwards and forwards between the two
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    houses lots of times this is called
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    parliamentary ping pong once the two
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    houses agree then it's the Monarch's
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    turn it's their job to formally agree
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    the bill this makes it an act of
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    Parliament and only then is it a
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    law in the UK we live in what's called a
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    democracy this means we let as many
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    people as possible have a say in how the
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    country is run we do this through our
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    rights to vote in elections for many
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    years lots of people in the UK fought to
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    get the rights to vote that we have
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    today and and now every eligible person
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    aged 18 and over can vote there are lots
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    of different types of Elections to vote
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    in general local and European let's take
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    a Clos look at how members of parliament
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    MPS have voted into the House of Commons
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    in the general election general
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    elections take place in the UK usually
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    once every 5 years voting takes place on
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    one day called polling day people go to
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    polling stations set up across the
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    country they choose who they want to
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    vote for from a list of candidates by
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    putting a cross next to the name of the
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    person they've chosen the candidate with
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    the most votes then becomes the MP for
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    that area called a
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    constituency okay but how would I know
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    who to vote for before elections
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    candidates need to campaign to try to
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    get people to vote for them campaigning
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    can involve handing out leaflets to
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    explain their ideas speaking in public
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    discussions talking to people by
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    visiting houses door Todo and party
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    political broadcasts on TV parties with
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    candidates standing for election also
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    write a list of everything they want to
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    do if they win this is called a
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    Manifesto once they won an election an
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    MP represents all their constituents
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    including those who didn't vote or voted
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    for someone else the party with the most
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    elected MPS forms the government and
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    their leader becomes the Prime Minister
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    if no one party wins the election then
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    this is called a hung Parliament if this
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    happens two or more more parties might
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    agree to join together to form what is
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    known as a coalition
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    government one way to have a say in how
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    the country is run is to use your vote
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    you have to be 18 or over to vote in
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    general elections and you can register
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    from the age of 16 but whatever your age
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    there are loads of other ways to get
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    involved and have your voice heard if
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    there's something you feel strongly
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    about in your local area or even
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    something that affects people across the
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    UK let Parliament know you can contact
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    your local Member of Parliament MP or
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    any Lord by letter phone or email to
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    talk about something that's important to
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    you sometimes there's power in numbers
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    to have your say you could start a
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    petition for a cause that interests you
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    and get other people signing up to agree
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    or if you're really passionate about
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    something you could join a campaign
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    group these groups use lots of different
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    ways to have their say from lobbying MPS
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    which means asking them to support their
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    cause to holding peaceful protests all
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    to help bring about change and don't
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    forget you can get your voice heard in
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    school too many schools have school
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    councils to give students the chance to
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    have a say on how their school is run a
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    bit like a parliament for
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    school so Parliament sits at the heart
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    of UK democracy discussing the big
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    topics of the day making laws and
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    keeping the government in check and for
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    democracy to really work we all have to
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    be involved what will you do
Tags
  • Parliament
  • House of Commons
  • House of Lords
  • Monarch
  • democracy
  • laws
  • elections
  • MPs
  • voting
  • civic engagement