25-03-2026-Essay Plan
1. Explain and analyse three ways in which judicial independence is upheld in the UK 1 The Judicial Appointments Commission JAC Example: The move from "Secret Soundings" to a forma...
Tag view
110 related notes
1. Explain and analyse three ways in which judicial independence is upheld in the UK 1 The Judicial Appointments Commission JAC Example: The move from "Secret Soundings" to a forma...
WARNING This document was AI generated. Summary The case itself involved legal proceedings that were still sensitive or recently concluded. During or shortly after the case, the Pr...
The EU had a strong impact on UK Parliament Sovereignty. There was several referendums over the EU Parliament had a breakdown during Brexit negotiations UK judges had to give prece...
No preview text yet.
WARNING This document was AI generated. Public inquiries are independent investigations commissioned by government ministers to look into specific events, failures, or issues of pu...
No preview text yet.
1. European coal and steel community, 1951 2. 1957 treaty of rome, changed 1987 single europeean act 3. 1973 4. First past the post 5. a seat with a large majority for example boot...
Institution: an organisation founded for a religious, educational, professional, or social purpose. Bureaucracy: a system of government in which most of the important decisions are...
No preview text yet.
| Case Name | Facts | Case Type | Outcome | | | | | | | A v Home Secretary Belmarsh Case | Foreign terror suspects were held in prison indefinitely without a trial. The denial of t...
"The UK judiciary is becoming increasingly politicised." Analyse and evaluate this statement. | Yes | No | | | | | The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 created a new Supreme Court. T...
ECSC European Coal and Steel Community ✅ EEC European Economic Community ✅ Common market a group of countries imposing few or no duties on trade with another, and a common tariff o...
1. ‘Devolution is a largely irrelevant process, with all significant powers still in the hands of Westminster.’ Analyse and evaluate this statement. 1 Westminster retains legal sov...
Feature, How & Impact | Feature | How | Impact | | | | | | Independent Selection | Judicial Appointments Commission JAC | Ensures judges are chosen via merit based interviews, not...
1. A party victory with a big majority 1997 Tony Blair Labour 2024 Margaret Thatcher 1983 2. 2010 Conservatives & Lib Dems 3. Strength simple system, consistently produces strong g...
NOTE The Balkans are still not allowed in the EU since they are still quite corrupt. The EU was fundamentally created to unite the EU and avoid future wars within, as well as to un...
1. Provide an example in which the UK constitution has proved to be flexible Dunblane Shooting Firearms Act 1968 aka. the "Hand Gun Act" Correct 2. Think of one reason, above all o...
A judicial review is held against the government to determine if government's actions were lawful or unlawful . This is one of the key functions of the court hence rule of law . DE...
Judges have three key roles: 1. Ensuring the law is applies 2. Preside over trials lower courts, e.g., High Court, Magistrates Court, County Court, etc. 3. Clarifying the law highe...
The Human Rights Act brought the European Human Rights legislation into UK constitution/law. Additionally, it gave judges the power to declare a bill as incompatibility "declaratio...
window.addEventListener "message",function a {if void 0 ==a.data "datawrapper height" {var e=document.querySelectorAll "iframe" ;for var t in a.data "datawrapper height" for var r,...
| For | Against | | | | | Entrenched | Current constitution is flexible | | Would protect rights more effectively | Britain has a good track record on Human rights | | Limit the po...
Human Rights Protection Point: Extract 1 argues that human rights are not properly protected under the UK’s uncodified constitution , whereas Extract 2 argues that rights are alrea...
Levels of Courts | Court Name | Considerable? | Why? | | | | | | Supreme Court | ✅ | The highest level of court, the second level of appeal court. Overrides the Court of Appeal. |...
| Feature | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | | | | | | | Brief History & Key Laws | Established via Scotland Act 1998 after a "Yes Yes" referendum. Powers expanded by Scotland...
Asymmetrical Devolution Asymmetrical devolution where the powers of devolution are unbalanced, with powers being inequal. Changes Legislative law. Fiscal money. Scottish Progress S...
1. Three principles: parliamentary sovereignty, rule of law, unitary state 2. Five sources: authoritative works, common law precedent/royal prerogative , statue law, conventions 3....
Extract 1 was written by Sinonaidh Douglas Scott, a law professor, for the Constitution Unit in 2020. Her perspective is pro codification because she believes the UK's uncodified s...
Gorton and Denton The 2026 Gorton and Denton election is an example of one of the largest protest voting scenarios in UK history. The Greens were at 3 rd place and managed to doubl...
The Start of Devolution Once elected in 199, Tony Blair's Labour government quickly moved to hold new referendums in Scotland and Wales to seek support for the creation of devolved...
| Word | Definition | | | | | Asymmetry | Shape, inequality, imbalance in relation to politics, an imbalance of powers or representation | | Unitary | Singular, one | | Devolution...
William IV 1832 Reform Act redistributing parliamentary seats from "rotten boroughs" to new industrial cities Demonstrated the power of the House of Commons House of Lords was bloc...
| Advantages | Disadvantages | | | | | Rights are adequately protected Example: The Human Rights Act 1998, The Equalities Act 2010 | Easy to remove peoples' rights Example: Police...
INFO Different format might be better to work with? I didn't provide any explicit example cases. NOTE Potentially useful case: Birmingham City Pay Dispute Gender discrimination, co...
| Question | Point | Type | Description | | | | | | | Explain and analyse three features of cabinet government | Collective Ministerial Responsibility | Example | Theresa May’s Cab...
An establishment is an organisation founded for either a a religious, b educational, c professional, or d social purpose. Courts Schools Trade Unions Parliament House of Commons Ho...
Defeats in the House of Commons | Prime Minister / Ministry | Term | Total Defeats | | | | | | Thatcher | 1979–1990 | 4 | | Major | 1990–1997 | 6 | | Blair | 1997–2007 | 4 | | Brow...
Terminology An establishment is an organisation founded for either a a religious, b educational, c professional, or d social purpose. Sovereignty is the idea of an absolute, suprem...
No preview text yet.
Watch the clip from John Major and take a few notes on Thatcher's downfall Margaret Thatcher’s downfall is often misrepresented and oversimplified The poll tax was the primary fact...
The UK government has a persistent culture of avoiding formal scrutiny, leading to repeated policy failures." How far do you agree? I completely agree with this Iraq War Tony Blair...
1. ?, ? 2. The Poll Tax the Poll Tax aka. "community charge", Duke and dustman example was a policy by Margaret Thatcher was intended to replace the pre existing housing tax based...
Question: 'Backbench MPs have few ways to influence the government.' Analyse and evaluate this statement. | Agree Limited power/influence | Disagree Significant power/influence | |...
Parliamentary sovereignty Act of settlement 1701 is an example of this Dictates the line of heir Acts of parliament examples Act of settlement 1701 Representation of the people act...
%% 13/18 = A 11/18 = A 9/18 = B 7/18 = ~C 5/18 = D %% | Reform | Details | Evaluation successful? | | | | | | The Human Rights | Enshrined most provisions from the European Convent...
This document was partially AI generated, however adapted. One Nation Conservatives Moderate, pragmatic wing of the party Support a mixed economy and limited state intervention Emp...
Statute law Acts of Parliament Law that has been passed by Parliament and written into Acts of Parliament . It is legally binding and must be followed by courts. Common law precede...
Poll Tax Poll tax as a Margaret Thatcher policy which would benefit the rich and negatively impact the poor. It would replace property tax, which was based on size, with a flat rat...
Basic Principles Four core principles formed the foundation of the UK constitution: 1. Parliamentary sovereignty Parliament is the highest law making body 2. Rule of law No one is...
Authoritative works Books written by constitutional experts, e.g., Waller Bagshot or Erskine May Authoritative works are not legally binding, they are not enforceable, they serve a...
| Poll Tax 1990 | | Iraq 2003 | | | | | | Differences | Similarities | Differences | | Resulted in riots | Poorly received by the public | Only large protests | | Led to Margaret T...
Party manifesto Media Cabinet meetings Referendum Deals with other parties Prime Minister convictions Factors Affecting Policy Making Manifesto pledges Coalition deals National eme...
Bicameral means two chambers. | Word | Definition | Date Added | | | | | | Authoritative works | Books written by respected judges or academics that are used to clarify and explain...
Definition A set of rules and conventions that outlines the powers that the different branches of Government have. It also outlines the relationship between the branches of governm...
Similarities between Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher: strong beliefs pushed for them both won 3 general elections large majorities centre right politics characteristic? Similariti...
Special Advisor SpAd political advisors Cabinet Secretary apolitical, serves all If a minister cannot do their job, they will resign If a minister violates the ministerial code, th...
House of Lords ‘The House of Lords performs some important functions in government and does not require radical reform.’ Analyse and evaluate this statement. | Paragraph | Point |...
Evidence the UK has become more of a multiparty system Decline in two party vote share Conservative + Labour vote share in 2024 = ~57% Lowest since 1922 42% of voters chose parties...
| Lots of Say | Little to No Say | | | | | Policy | Policy | | Candidate selection | | | Leadership elections | Leadership elections |
| Two party system | Multiparty system | | | | | Westminster elections in 2019, Conservative and Labour combined won 76% of the vote and 87% of the seats in Commons. | The House of...
| Type | Definition | | | | | Dominant party system | Where a number of parties exist but only one holds government power generally. | | Multiparty system | Where many parties comp...
| Type | Definition | | | | | Mainstream | A party likely to stand candidates in all 650 constituencies and achieve broad support across large parts of the electorate. | | Niche |...
Notes Introduction The report opens by identifying the House of Lords HoL as a powerful but unelected second chamber, whose legitimacy has been questioned increasingly. It highligh...
The Ruling Party The ruling party of the UK is usually the party which has won the most amount of votes in the last election and therefore ends up usually with a majority in the Ho...
Parliament vs. Government Government the people in charge of operating the country. Parliament the whole institution, inclusive of the House of Lords. Core Executive The core execu...
TODO The lesson notes/slides for this go up today I'll be able to finish off my missing notes. | | How this allows for scrutiny | Positives | Negatives | | | | | | | Select Committ...
1. Revise the legislative process The legislative process is the same in both the House of Commons and Lords. Once it has gone through one house, it is sent to the other. Especiall...
| Term | Definition | | | | | Accountability | Government and MPs must explain and justify their actions and can be held responsible by Parliament and the public. | | Adversarial |...
Who does an MP represent? Constituents people who live in their constituency Everyone in the country Their party Themselves Representation The first and foremost job of MPs and Lor...
note TODO: Write about secondary legislation . Private Members bills are pushed by backbenchers , rather than the government. There are very few of these with only a 5% chance that...
Mandate the authority to do something. Core Functions 1. Produce legislation To legislate 2. Represent the people To represent 3. Scrutinise the government/executive hold to accoun...
aka. "The Mother of all Parliaments" Main Functions Parliament is the UK's main legislative law making body. It is made up of the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Monarch....
No preview text yet.
Parties/Systems and Examples Mainstream Party Conservative, Labour Niche Party Scottish National Party Single Issue Party UKIP, previously Reform, previously Green Dominant Party S...
PPERA Political Parties and Referendums Act, 2000 Created and strengthened the Electoral Commission Regulates elections within the UK Requires all donations over £5,000 to be decla...
Conservative Eligibility/Application: Must be on the national Approved List done by passing the Parliamentary Assessment Board PAB, part of the Conservative Board . Longlisting: Lo...
Fun fact: has roots back to the 1600s. Ideas Pro church Pro monarchy Free trade Traditional values Authority law and order Strong national defence Pragmatism %% Disraeli one nation...
| Old Labour | New/Third Way Labour | | | | | Hinted raising income taxes for the first time in 50 years | despite promising to not raise income tax | | could otherwise cut public...
Progressive Taxation: higher taxes the more you earn, linked to redistribution Old Labour 1, 2, 3 New Labour 4, 5 Socialist aspect spending money on public services Capitalist aspe...
Question 1 Question: 'Media support is crucial for achieving success in general elections.' Analyse and evaluate this statement. | Paragraph | Point | Explain and Example | Analysi...
| Category | Key Findings | | | | | Age | Under 30: ~8% voted Conservative 50 59: 34% voted Labour 60 69: 28% Labour 70+: 46% Conservative Labour vote stable in under 50s 41 46% Me...
The significance of factors over time are variable to change but have predominantly remained the same. To grade these factors, we personally gave a score 1 10 for each one and aver...
| Word | Definition | Date Added | | | | | | Apathy | Lack of interest or enthusiasm in politics or voting. | 05/10/2025 | | By election | An election held in a single constituency...
T See: Factors in Elections Case Study | Election | Patterns of Voting Behaviour | Influence of Media | Impact of Party Policies/Manifesto | Impact of Campaigns & Leadership | | |...
A demographic classification developed by the National Readership Survey. Middle class ABC1 A senior management B professional Accountants Solicitors Teachers C1 clerical/office su...
Generalisation Conversative White British Less than A Level Over 60 Rural Males Suburb Labour Ethnic Minority Degree or Higher Under 40 Towns Females City Types of Factors Primacy:...
Notes for videos prior homework, due 22/09/2025 Video 1 Video 2 Government position Prime Minister David Cameron supported remaining in the EU Argued EU membership was beneficial f...
For 9 mark questions | Paragraph | Point | Explain and Analyse | Example | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 2 | | | | | 3 | | | | For essays 25 mark questions | Paragraph | Point | Explain...
Analyse significance, cause, effect Explain … TODO WRITE Evaluate reason, should consider strengths and weaknesses Essay Questions Targets: AO1 5 marks AO2 10 marks AO3 10 marks
Example Question: Explain and analyse three reasons for referendums to be called in the UK. Settle debates within a party 1975 Continued membership of the EEC Governing party was s...
Key: European Union Devolution Election | Referendum | Topic | Electorate | Turnout | Yes Vote | No Vote | | | | | : | : | : | | 1975 | Continued UK membership of the ECC also know...
Key: European Union Devolution Election | Referendum | Topic | Result | Turnout | | | | | | | 1973 Northern Ireland | Remain in UK or join Ireland | Remain in UK | 58.7% low due to...
Starter Referendums are "a device so alien to our traditions" Clement Attlee 1. What do you think Clement Attlee meant? Referendums were abnormal for British politics due to how En...
| For | Evidence | Against | Evidence | | | | | | | Turnout was historically low | Only 52.8% of the voting age population voted in 2024 – the lowest since universal suffrage | A m...
Voter turnout decline Fallen gradually globally since the 1960s Peaked in 1992 at 77.7% Lowest in 2001 at 59.4% Has remained below 70% since 1997 Voting demographic Younger people,...
General elections votes every 5 years, the electoral Universal Suffrage Votes are Treated Equally FPTP first past the post system 650 seats divided upon an approximately equal elec...
For Compulsory voting will lead to higher participation Voters will educate themselves Voter turnout will increase Will improve legitimacy as the result is representative of the el...
Electoral Participation participation in voting Standing in elections Voting Joining a political party Supporting a political party Non electoral Participation participation outsid...
info Improve graph possibly an outdated Mermaid implementation of Obsidian? Great Reform Act, 1832 Reduced the property requirements. Made constituencies the same size/more modern....
| Word | Definition | Date Added | | | | | | Electorate | All people who are entitled to vote. | 08/09/2025 | | Voter Turnout | The % of the electorate who voted. | 08/09/2025 | Pa...
info Tag. There are different forms of democracy. Direct A democracy in which people directly make decisions. This is still used in modern democracy, but less often, via. referendu...
Politics surrounds nearly every choice/decision. Course Structure The AQA A Level is split into three main units. Paper 1 Government and Politics of the UK Paper 2 Government and P...
| Question | Point | Type | Description | | | | | | | 1. Explain and analyse three ways in which UK political parties select their leaders June 2022 | MP nomination thresholds | Ex...
| For | Against private funding donations or membership | | | | | Wrong to ask parties to be funded by those that disagree with them | State funding makes party members less import...
Extract 1 Point: A central argument in Extract 1 is that the UK’s uncodified constitution is no longer fit for purpose because it fails to adequately safeguard individual liberties...
Judicial Review Where a citizen or organisation takes government to court.
Scottish independence could Britain break up? Scotland exports about 60% of its goods to the rest of the UK, showing how economically connected they are. Some people argue Scotland...
Asymmetrical devolution devolution where devolved states are not given the same rights District/city council a council within a council which represents a smaller geographical area...
NOTICE This was written with the assistance of AI. Writing Introduction The extracts debate whether ... Extract 1 argues that ... In contrast, Extract 2 argues that ... Paragraph O...
Introduction Codified/uncodified Lack of clarity 1. Clarity vs. Flexibility Extract 1 Argument: Lack of clarity has "exacerbated recent political crises," specifically citing the u...