5.Election

The British electoral system is very favorable to the two major parties.The minor parties have little chance to get their candidates elected for the House of Commons.Because the electoral system makes it possible for a candidate to win a constituency with a minority of its total votes，government may be formed by aparty with a majority of seats but fewer votes than the principle opposing party.This phenomenon is criticized particularly by the Liberal Party，for its proportion of seats in the House of Commons is much smaller than that of its votes.The system is defended on the ground that it usually provides a government with a working parliamentary majority and thus favors a strong and stable executive rather than a“mathematically representative”House of Commons.

Distortions in representation can also be caused by regional differences in party strength.A party that gains uselessly large majorities in some constituencies while its opponents win seats by small majorities may collect a majority of total votes but a minority of parliamentary seats.Since 1945such distortions have often been corrected by the dominance of the Conservatives in agricultural and semirural areas and the strength of the Labour in urban and industrial areas.

The official party candidates of MPs are nominated by the local constituency associations acting on the advice of the party’s central bureaucracy.In the two major parties the nomination is usually made by a small committee of the local party.And both parties have strict and effective rules designed to prevent the possibility of someone“buying”a constituency nomination with contributions to party funds.

All duly nominated candidates are provided facilities by the state，principally free postage for campaign literature up to a certain limit.But the bulk of campaign spending in the constituencies is underwritten by the parties，whose funds are contributed both by individuals and organizations—trade unions in the case of the Labour and business interests in the case of the Conservative.A strict legal limit is imposed on the amount each candidate may spend during a campaign，but no limit is placed on the amount he can spend in the rest of the period between general elections.

The election is held by secret ballot.On election day each voter goes to particular voting station to cast his vote.When he comes in，an official gives him his ballot paper，and his name is recorded as having voted.The voter must take his paper to a screened cabin，or“booth”，where he puts a cross against the names of the candidates for whom he wishes to vote.He then folds the paper，so that nobody can see how he has marked it，and puts it folded into a large box.It is forbidden for any voter to show any person how he has marked his paper；he may go out and tell all his friends if he wishes，but the rules about the secrecy of the actual voting process are very strict.

Voting in Britain is not compulsory.The candidate who gets the most votes in the constituency is elected.The party that wins a majority of seats in the House of Commons will form the government，and its leader will be the Prime Minister.Another major political party will form the Opposition⁶.The chief members of the Opposition who sit on the front bench in House of Commons are called Frontbenchers.They are the members of the Shadow Cabinet⁷，who are always ready for replacing the party in power if the Government has to resign.

Notes

1.Asquith，Herbert Henry（1852-1928）：British Liberal statesman.He was Prime Minister from 1908to 1916.His govermnent brought in unemployment insurance and limited the power of the House of Lords（1911）.

2.Lloyd George，David（1863-1945）：British Liberal statesman.As Liberal Chancellor of the Exchequer（1908-1915）he brought in many social reforms such as old age pensions and national insurance.He was Prime Minister during the First World War，and took an important part in the Versailles peace conference.He，together with Asquith，was unable to lead a revival of the Liberal Party.

3.Free enterprise：the condition under which a firm or individual is able to function competitively without excessive government restriction.

4.Fabian Society：apolitical organization founded in London in 1884for the advancement of socialism by democratic means rather than by sudden change of revolution.Its founder members included the writer George Bernard Shaw as well as Sidney and Beatrice Webb.It took its name from Fabius，a Roman commander known as Cunctator（delayer）due to his successful delaying tactics against Hannibal in the 2nd Punic War Between 218and 202 BC.

5.Blackpool：a seaside resort and county borough in Lancashire，England.

6.Opposition：the major political party opposed to the party in power.In Britain its full name is“Her Majesty’s Opposition”.

7.Shadow Cabinet：the team of ministers in the Opposition who would probably form the Cabinet if their party won the next general election.

Exercises

Ⅰ.Choose the correct answer.

1.The Whig took the name“Liberal”，while the Tories became the Conservative after________.

A.1760　　　B.1830　　　C.1832　　　D.1916

2.The Labour Party became one of the two major parties after________.

A.1916　　　B.1922　　　C.1930　　　D.1945

3.The Conservative Party supports the following policies except________.

A.denationalization　　　　　　　　　B.free enterprise

C.extending the social service　　　 D.cautious social reform

4.Which one is not correct to comment on the Labour Party？

A.It is a party of unti-Communism.

B.It is in favour of social and economic equality.

C.It is less radical in dealing with foreign affairs.

D.It is a real socialist party.

5.The Labour Party Conference is attended by ________from trade unions and local associations.

A.representatives　　　B.delegates

C.party leaders　　　　D.Labour MPs

6.The third largest political partyin Britain is the________.

A.Social Democratic Party　　　B.Liberal Party

C.British Communist Party　　　D.Ulster Unionist Party

7.With the aim of gaining more seats at a general election the Liberal Party formed an official alliance in 1981with________.

A.the SDP　　　　　　　　　　　　B.the Labour Party

C.the British Communists　　　　　D.the Ulster Unionists

8.During ageneral election the amount of money each candidate can spend is________.

A.limited by his party　　　B.limited by law

C.limited by government 　　D.unlimited

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks.

1.The United Kingdom has a________-party system.The present two major parties are the________and the________parties.

2.In________the Liberal Party split into two halves，and soon lost its place to the________Party.

3.The Establishment in Britain refers to the top________sectors of society，in particular，________and business leaders，the________and the Church of England.

4.The Labour Partywas founded in________by a union between the trade unions and socialist groups，including the________Party and the________Society.It first took the name Labour Party in________.

5.The British Communist Partywas founded in________，and it changed its name into the“Democratic Left”in________after the collapse of the________，while a________of the party determined to stick with the old name.

6.Votingin Britain is ________compulsory.The candidate who gets the________votes in the constituency is elected.The partythat wins a________of seats in the House of Commons will form the government，and its leader will be the________.Another major political partywill form the________.Its chief members who sit on the front bench in House of Commons are called________.Theyare the members of the________ Cabinet.

Ⅲ.Questions for Discussion.

1.What are the general policies of the Conservative Party？

2.Who usually support the Conservative Party in Britain？

3.From what areas does the Labour Party usually draw its support？

4.How does the Labour Party elect its leader now？

5.How do the decisions of the Labour Party conference influence its MPs？

6.How do you understand that government may be formed by aparty with a majority of seats but fewer votes than the principle opposing parties？