Inostrannyy_yazyk_anglysky_-_UP_British_State

70

Task 10. Answer the questions:

1.What is the origin of the Labour Party?

2.What political priorities does the Labour Party have?

3.What members or organizations does the party comprise?

4.What did the Labour Government do to improve the life of the working people?

5.Why did the Labours lose General Elections four times in the second half of the 20th century?

6.What did the Labour Party do to be in power again?

Task 11. Read and translate the text.

Liberal Party

The beginning of the Liberal Party goes back to the end of the 17th century as it descended from Whigs, an opposition to the Tory Party in Parliament. Officially it was formed in 1877. During the second half of the 19th century many working people looked to the Liberal Party to provide a policy different from that of the Tory Party and their supporters. So in the middle of the 19th century the Liberals represented the trading and manufacturing classes, supported by popular elements, who pressed for social reforms and extension of the franchise.. "Civil and Religious Liberty" was taken as the Party's slogan. For long periods up to 1914 the Liberals had a parliamentary majority. While in power they introduced a number of reforms and innovations including free elementary education.

After World War I the Liberal Party was growing weaker, many representatives of the working class and bourgeoisie were leaving the liberals. Having suffered several defeats at the elections the party could never overcome the blow. It declined rapidly as a parliamentary force, its place being taken by the Labour Party which has become an opposition and alternative

31

the bill, i.e. turn it into an Act of Parliament.

Besides the Government bills, there are the Opposition and Private Members' bills. Any MP has the right to propose his bill. Mostly they are business bills. Only 10 days in each session are allowed for the debates on these bills. And those 10 days are Fridays, short working days. So putting forward private bills is not encouraged. There are 20 opposition days each session which allow the opposition to choose the subject for debate.

Parliament is not only a law-making body, it is also a lawenforcing body, i.e. it has judicial functions. The main judicial work of Parliament today is that carried out daily by the House of Lords. This House serves as the final Court of Appeal for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Appeals may be heard either in the Chamber of the House or in the Appellate Committee. Judgement is always given in the House itself. Only peers who hold high judicial office sit to hear appeals, and they are sometimes presided over by the Lord Chancellor, who is the head of the English judicial system.

Notes to the text:

Appellate Committee – апелляционный комитет judgement – приговор, решение суда

Task 17. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: процедура принятия законопроекта, приводить в действие, единогласный, детальной рассмотрение, дальнейшее обсуждение, отклонить законопроект, отложить законопроект, принимать поправки, представить законопроект на рассмотрение, выносить приговор, занимать должность.

Task 18. Find synonyms from the text to the following words: alike, very important, aim, to pay no attention, to introduce a bill, discussion, to perform work.

32

Task 19. Answer the questions:

1.What does the first reading stage consist of?

2.What takes place during the second reading?

3.Why do the members of the House have to pass through" Yes" or "No" doors?

4.Where is the bill sent if it passes the second reading?

5.What is going on during the third reading?

6.When does the bill become an Act of Parliament?

7.What other types of bills besides the Government bills do you know?

8.Which of the Houses carries out the main judicial functions?

UNIT 4

GOVERNMENT

Task 1. Read and translate the text.

Part I

Her Majesty's Government, in spite of its name, derives its authority and power from its party representation in Parliament. It is so because when a party wins a majority of votes in Parliament it forms the Government – Her Majesty's Government. Her Majesty's government governs in the name of the Queen and is responsible for the administration of national affairs. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Queen but automatically it is the leader of the party which wins a majority. And all other ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The number of ministers in the Government may vary

69

Notes to the text:

Lib-Lab – «либ-лаб» (сторонник союза либералов и лейбористов), от Lib(eral) + Lab(our)

by and by – вскоре

to precipitate – ускорять rut – колея, борозда

landslide – внушительная победа

Task 7. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: переименовывать,

сотрудничать, сотрудничество, братство, разоружение, получать и удерживать власть, предпринимать определенные шаги, пенсия по старости, отменить плату за медицинские услуги, национализировать промышленность, проиграть всеобщие выборы, ядерные бомбы, избавиться от, консервативное воспитание, страдать от дурной славы, одержать внушительную победу на выборах.

Task 8. Guess the words used in the text by their definitions: link between two groups; to work together; abolition of weapons by a country; money paid to doctors, schools, etc.; money taken by the state from incomes; training of a child; an electoral victory in which one party is totally defeated; to put (a private industry) under government ownership; way of pronouncing.

Task 9. Define the function of “that” in the following sentences:

1.The history of the Labour Party is different from that of the Conservative and Liberal parties.

2.The party decided that nuclear bombs were a good thing after all, that low taxes made sense and that privatization had been a success.

3.But by and by the policy of the Labours has been shifting rightwards coming closer to that of the Conservatives.

68

By its officially stated ideas and purposes the party has claimed to be progressive. Its central ideal has been the brotherhood of men. It has rejected discrimination on grounds of race or colour, it has defended the right of all peoples to freedom, independence and self-government, it has supported the work for world disarmament, it has affirmed the duty of richer nations to assist poorer ones, it stood for social justice and the creation of the socialist community with a classless society and with planned economy. It claims to obtain and hold power only through free democratic institutions, by reforms.

The party has always been unique as it comprises collective members which are trade unions, small parties, different social organizations and groups. The proportion of individual members of the party is comparatively small.

The Labour Government undertook some steps to improve the life of the working people. In the 1960s it increased old-age pensions, abolished fees for some medical services, introduced comprehensive schools, which admit pupils without insulting 11+" exams, and nationalized some important industries. But by and by the policy of the Labours has been shifting rightwards coming closer to that of the Conservatives. The process was precipitated after losing General Elections four times in the second half of the 20th century. The party decided that nuclear bombs were a good thing after all, that low taxes made sense and that privatization had been a success. Labour finally dropped all its old socialist ideas. It got rid of Neil Kinnock with his Welsh accent and working-class background, and chose as its leader a public school educated lawyer with a conservative upbringing – Tony Blair, for the first time the Labour leader was more upper class than the Conservative leader. Blair had done all in his power to cut Labour away from its trade-union ruts. While Tories made a series of mistakes and suffered from the resulting bad publicity, Labour won the 1997 and 2001 elections by a landslide: 63 % seats against 25 % of the Conservatives.

33

from 80 to 100, all the ministers are members of either of the two Houses, but the majority of them, are members of the House of Commons. Naturally, the Prime Minister cannot belong to the House of Lords. Functionally ministers may be classified as:

1)departmental ministers – who are in charge of government departments (they are also known as Secretaries of State);

2)non-departmental ministers or ministers "without portfolio". They include the holders of traditional offices: the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord President of the Council, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster;

3)ministers of State – usually appointed as subordinate to government departments where the work is particularly heavy or complex and where it involves frequent travelling abroad;

4)junior ministers, or Parliamentary Under-secretaries – assistants of Secretaries of State.

The central institution, the core of the British Government is the Cabinet. The Cabinet is composed of about 20 ministers personally selected by the Prime Minister, who is the directing head and force of the Cabinet as well as of the whole government. Cabinet-making is a very important part of a Prime Minister’s job and a Cabinet remains very much the expression of Prime Minister’s personality. He not only appoints ministers but can require their resignation. He can replace a minister or break up the

34

entire Cabinet. He controls the agenda of business to be dealt with at Cabinet meetings. He can dissolve the House of Commons and thus bring about a General Election at any time.

The Prime Minister can introduce peers, and if necessary make peers, and he can demote his rivals.

In the middle of the 19th century the doctrine of collective responsibility was accepted. That means that the policy of ministers must be in agreement with the policy of the Government as a whole. Once the Government policy on a particular matter has been decided each minister is expected to support it. If he cannot agree with it or if he lost the confidence of the majority of his colleagues a Cabinet minister has no choice but to resign.

Notes to the text:

Secretary of State – (букв. государственный секретарь) министр

(возглавляет одно из ведущих министерств) Minister of State – государственный министр (является

фактически первым заместителем министра соответствующего министерства)

Lord Privy Seal – лорд-хранитель печати

Lord President of the Council – председатель тайного совета

(представляет королеву) Chancellor of the Duchy – канцлер герцогства to demote – понижать в должности

Task 2. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: от имени королевы, любая из двух палат, принадлежать чему-либо, должность, требовать отставки, распустить кабинет министров, всеобщие выборы, соперник (конкурент), коллективная ответственность, потерять доверие, уходить в отставку, отставка.

67

conservatives.

2.It was the Conservative Party that had Britain's first woman prime minister and the longest serving British prime minister of the 20th century – Margaret Thatcher, who successfully waged the war against Socialism and collectivism and who managed to reshape the image of the Conservative Party.

Task 5. Answer the questions:

1.Whose interests did Tories and Whigs emerge to defend and what do their names mean?

2.Why was the Tory Party split in the middle of the 19th century?

3.What did Benjamin Disraeli do to reorganize the party?

4.What are the aims of the Conservative Party today?

5.What did Margaret Thatcher do being a member of the Conservative Party?

Task 6. Read and translate the text.

Labour Party

The history of the Labour Party is different from that of the Conservative and Liberal parties. The Labour Party was founded outside Parliament, stimulated by work of socialist propagandists and trade unions. Its aim was to protect legal rights of the unions, to promote legislation in the direct interests of Labour through working-class representatives in Parliament. In 1900, when the Party was formed, its name was the Labour Representative Committee. In 1906 it was renamed into Labour. At its first stages the party collaborated with the Liberal Party making an unofficial alliance with it which was known as "Lib-Lab" policy. This collaboration lasted till the Labour Party itself was strong enough to become one of the main Parliamentary parties.

66

successfully waged the war against Socialism and collectivism and who managed to reshape the image of the Conservative Party.

Notes to the text:

gentry – мелкое и среднее нетитулованное дворянство clergy – духовенство

Tories – тори (политическая партия, возникла в конце 70-х – начале 80-х гг. 17 в.; выражала интересы наиболее реакционной части земельной аристократии и высшего духовенства англиканской церкви; в начале 19 в. преобразована в Консервативную партию)

Whigs – виги (политическая партия, возникла в конце 70-х 17 в.; выражала интересы крупной торговой и финансовой буржуазии; в середине 19 в. преобразована в Либеральную партию)

outlaw – человек вне закона, изгой, разбойник insular – ограниченный, недалекий

to rally – собираться или сплачиваться (для совместных усилий)

Task 2. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: защищать существующий порядок, запрет, раскалываться, разрабатывать программу, сопротивление, поддерживать религию, свободное предпринимательство, улучшать уровень жизни, придавать значение, вести войну.

Task 3. Find what adjectives in the text are used in the comparative degree, and then give their superlative forms.

Task 4. Translate the following sentences paying attention to the emphatic construction used:

1.It was Benjamin Disraeli, a brilliant orator, great politician, a man of many talents, who formed the new party of the

35

Task 3. Match the words having the same meaning:

Task 4. Answer the questions:

1.How is the government formed?

2.How are the ministers of the government classified?

3.What is the Cabinet? How is it formed?

4.What powers has a Prime Minister got?

5.What is meant by the doctrine of collective responsibility?

Part II

The Cabinet is the most powerful and strongly rooted organ of government in Britain. The powers of the Cabinet are immensely large in every sphere of government. The Cabinet of Ministers introduce legislation, control finance, arrange the timetable of the House of Parliament, conduct foreign affairs, control the colonies, exercise supervision over every department of administration.

The Cabinet meets in private and its proceedings are strictly secret. Its members are bound by their oath not to disclose information about its proceedings. Publication of the Cabinet or State papers is forbidden (only after 30 years of being in existence they may be available for inspection or publication). The Cabinet meets for a few hours once or twice a week during parliamentary sittings and less frequently when parliament has vocations. Much

36

of the work of the Cabinet is done through committees which are the "engine-room" of government. Government secrecy is widely discussed and criticized. While in opposition, Conservative and Labour MPs have called for more open government but almost without exception they have all maintained secrecy when in power.

The Cabinet is constitutionally responsible to Parliament and can be forced to resign but in practice it is the Cabinet that dominates Parliament. Its ministers are front-benchers in Parliament. The final decision on all the questions of policy rests with the Cabinet. Every matter of first class importance goes before the Cabinet for final decision or approval.

According to constitution, power should rest where the public can see it, but in practice Britain is governed by the Cabinet, by a largely hidden system named "elective dictatorship". Even legislation, the overriding function of Parliament, is done by the Government and its supporters, because any Government enjoys a majority in the House.

There is a tendency to develop an Inner Cabinet, consisting of the Prime Minister and three or four senior ministers in whom he has exceptional confidence, for the daily work and conduct of the most important business.

The party out of power elects by secret ballot its Leader, Deputy Leader, Chief Whip and 12 members who together form the Shadow Cabinet. Its aim is to watch closely and criticize the Government and if possible to replace the party in power.

The seat of the Government is Whitehall, its center being Downing Street 10, a short walk from Parliament. Ministers' salaries are from 86,173 to 95,281; the Cabinet ministers' – 130,347; the Prime Minister’s – 178,922 pounds (2003).

Task 5. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: руководить делами,

осуществлять надзор над чем-либо, конфиденциально, быть

65

The land-owning Tories, on the other hand, had a more insular position and were opposed to warlike policies.

But in 1789 the French Revolution took place. As the Revolution became more violent in the following years, most Whigs rallied to the side of Tories to defend the existing order at home. After the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 Tories' policies were so repressive, there were so many bans (on meeting and clubs, for example) and raising of tax on all newspapers, that Whigs saw the danger of such politics. By the middle of the 19th century the Tory Party was split. After 1867 the Tory Party emerged as a new, freshened party with a brighter future. Whigs formed the Liberal Party.

It was Benjamin Disraeli, a brilliant orator, great politician, a man of many talents, who formed the new party of the conservatives. He completely reorganized the party, worked out the lines and program which it follows up to now. He succeeded in ending the unhappy quarrel between town and the country. The old force of landowners and the newly growing aristocracy among bourgeoisie in town were all united together in the new party.

Today the Conservative Party is the party of the Right, identified with the idea of economic freedom and mainly with the idea of resistance to change. The aims of the Party are: to uphold religion, to maintain defence forces adequate for prevention of war, to provide freedom and opportunity by supporting free enterprise, to encourage wider spread of ownership of property, to improve standards of life, to promote better health, to give greater educational opportunities. As it appeals to a property-owning democracy it is supported by wealthier classes, receiving much money from major business and financial institutions. It gives emphasis to the importance of law and order, and it is highly disciplined.

It was the Conservative Party that had Britain's first woman prime minister and the longest serving British prime minister of the 20th century – Margaret Thatcher, who

64

Task 8. Answer the questions:

1.What are the two dominating parties in Britain?

2.How did the traditional voting change in the end of the last century?

3.In what parts of the country does the Labour Party have an overwhelming majority of votes? What people support this party?

4.Where are the Conservatives supported? What kind of voters do they have?

5.Who constitutes the third category of voters?

UNIT 9

POLITICAL PARTIES

Task 1. Read and translate the text.

Conservative Party

The Conservative party emerged to defend the interests of big, reactionary landowners, of the conservative gentry and the clergy of the Church of England. They were called Tories – an insult with a touch of racial prejudice, as the name meant "Irish thief".

The other group consisted of merchants and landowners linked with commerce was called Whigs, or outlaws. Unlike Tory the name Whig is now forgotten.

Whigs were supporters of the Free Churches and of the expansion of trade and colonies as war brought them good profits.

37

связанным клятвой, раскрывать информацию, быть запрещенным, заседание парламента, требовать, без исключения, вопрос первостепенной важности, поддерживать секретность, окончательное решение, сторонник, исключительное доверие, избирать тайным голосованием, теневой кабинет, партия у власти.

Task 6. Form adjectives from the following nouns with the help of the suffix -al and translate them: department, tradition, exception, constitution, critic, logic.

Task 7. Answer the questions:

1.What are the powers of the Cabinet?

2.How does the Cabinet work?

3.Is Britain governed by the Cabinet or Parliament in practice?

4.What is an Inner Cabinet?

5.What is the Cabinet opposed by?

6.Where is the seat of the Government?

UNIT 5

CIVIL SERVICE

Task 1. Read and translate the text.

The Civil Service is a very important and extremely highly valued body in the machinery of government. MPs are elected for 5 years' term, ministers are appointed for 5 years, they are changeable, not permanent. But the Civil Service is a permanent body of officials that keeps the wheels of government turning. The

38

position and function of the Civil Service remain the same whichever political party may be in power.

Civil servants are servants of the Crown. The constitutional and political role of the Civil Service is to help the Government of the United Kingdom and the administrations formulate the policies, carry out decisions and administer public services for which they are responsible. Execution of policy depends on the work of hundreds of thousands of public servants, such as administrative, managerial, executive, clerical and so on. They may be found in nearly all the great Departments of State. The most important is the administrative class.

This class, numbering about 1200, occupies all the controlling positions in the Service. 3/4 of its members are recruited by a severe open competitive examination from the most able university graduates while the remainder (1/4) is promoted from subordinate groups of classes. The candidate should satisfy certain conditions of character, health, age, nationality. The employed officials are required to observe the code of conduct preventing them from betrayal of trust, they cannot offer themselves as candidates to Parliament, they are restricted in participation in municipal elections, they can not be indulged in political or party controversy, they should be reserved and impartial in political matters, they may not belong to trade unions. They should make a corps of administrators whose competence, integrity and devotion to the public weal is unquestionable and on whose loyalty, obedience and neutrality the Government of the day can rely.

The heart of the Civil Service is the Cabinet Office, whose Secretary is the senior civil servant at any given time, responsible for the smooth running of the whole Civil Service. In each ministry or department the senior official is Permanent Secretary and his immediate subordinates are Under-secretaries and Assistant Secretaries. They work with the ministers assisting them in implementation of government policy. In Whitehall it is said in

63

to decline – уменьшаться

concern – забота, беспокойство, интерес

Task 6. Match each word in the left column with two words having the same meaning in the right column:

Task 7. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: последовательный,

подавляющее большинство, в подавляющем большинстве случаев, ценить верность, люди с более низкими доходами, стремящийся к успеху, богатству и власти, личная свобода, беспокойство о всемирной экологии.

62

supporters. About 1/3 of the people vote for the labour party candidates all the time, another third for the Conservatives. The traditional voting changed in the end of the last century. The electorate chose the Conservatives in four consecutive General Elections and Labour seemed consigned to the dustbin of history. They realized that it would help to move to the centre if it was ever to be elected again. So the growth of the middle class and the changes and the policy of the Labour Party resulted in a shift in favour of Labour, bringing overwhelming majority of votes in the next two General Elections (1997, 2001) – they won 63 % seats in the House of Commons.

Today the examination of the electoral results shows a growing north-south division in the people's support of the parties. The Labour Party has always been supported overwhelmingly by Wales, Scotland and North England. Those are people concerned with survival and security, who value loyalty and solidarity. They are generally people of lower income.

The Conservatives are supported by South England. Those are people ambitious for success, wealth or power, for whom outward appearances are important. They are "self-made", natural Conservative voters. By 1990 they were about 34 % of the population, but their number has declined to 25 % by 2001.

There is the third category of voters which is markedly growing. Those are people concerned with personal development and individual freedom, with strong moral motivation such as concern about world ecology, nuclear power or weapons, or civil liberties. Such people constitute 36 % of the population and are increasing. Most of them are supporters of the Liberal Democrats.

Notes to the text: to take turns – сменяться

to consign – отправлять in favour of – в пользу

concerned – озабоченный, обеспокоенный

39

jest that the duty of a minister is only to hold a gun and it is the permanent Secretary who will instruct him what to aim at and when to pull the trigger. But when fighting for the interests of their department or ministry civil servants demonstrate traditionally strong loyalty to their minister and together with him they will make the strongest of allies.

To serve the State well and faithfully is regarded in Britain as one of the highest callings to which a man can devote his life. The social status of the Civil Service is extremely high and unrelated to its material rewards.

Notes to the text: public weal – общее благо

Civil Service – государственная служба

Cabinet Office – секретариат кабинета министров Permanent Secretary – постоянный заместитель министра

Under-secretaries and Assistant Secretaries – заместители постоянных заместителей министров

to say in jest – сказать в шутку to pull the trigger – спустить курок

to be unrelated to – не иметь отношения к чему-либо

Task 2. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: аппарат правительства,

избираться на пятилетний срок, чиновник (должностное лицо), выполнять решения, управлять государственными службами, конкурсный экзамен, остальные, выдвигать (продвигать), соответствовать определенным условиям, соблюдать нормы поведения, быть ограниченным, муниципальные выборы, беспристрастный, преданность не подлежит сомнению, послушание, полагаться на что-либо, слаженная работа, непосредственно подчиненный, претворение в жизнь политики правительства, сильнейший из союзников, высшее призвание, материальная награда.

40

Task 3. State the function of the infinitives in the following sentences:

1.The constitutional and political role of the Civil Service is to help the Government of the United Kingdom and the administrations… .

2.To serve the State well and faithfully is regarded in Britain as one of the highest callings… .

Task 4. Find synonyms from the text to the following words: to help, loyalty, a joke, execution, operation, to govern, to show.

Task 5. Answer the questions:

1.What is the Civil Service?

2.What is the role of the Civil Service?

3.How is the administrative class of civil servants recruited?

4.What conditions should a candidate satisfy?

5.What code of conduct should civil servants observe?

6.What is the heart of the Civil Service? Who is in charge of it?

7.What is the hierarchy of civil servants in each ministry?

8.Who has the greater power – a minister or a permanent secretary?

61

представлять, баллотироваться на выборах, обнаруживать, обладать значительным большинством, проводить всеобщие выборы, избираться на какой-либо срок, распустить парламент, день голосования, право голоса, обязательный, принимать участие во всеобщих выборах, избирательный участок, избирательная урна, подсчитывать число голосов, получить наибольшее число голосов, уходить в отставку.

Task 3. Find what nouns in the text have the ending -er/-or and explain how they are formed, then make nouns from the following words using the same ending and translate them: to support, to rule, to work, to speak, to found, to lead, to direct, to govern, to visit, to follow.

Task 4. Answer the questions:

1.What is the main principle of the British electoral system?

2.Who is considered the winner?

3.What is the weakness of the British electoral system?

4.How often are General Elections held in Britain?

5.How is the date of General Elections chosen?

6.How does the election campaign usually go on?

7.When and how does voting take place?

8.Who has the right to vote?

9.When must a by-election be held?

Task 5. Read and translate the text.

Electoral results

The two party dominance has existed since the 18th century. But for more than one hundred years Britain has had two party state with Labour and the Conservatives taking turns in government. And both dominating parties have constant