Basic Brit/pol/ info

Guide to Brit/pol/ from one burger to another.
Version 0.11 (Updated: 6/23/17)

FAQ:
Q: Why did you make this?
A: Americans (Burgers) always seem to make the most inane posts on Brit/pol/.   This is so they can read it and at least not sound like a idiot.

Q: Why do you know so much about British Politics
A: Married a Brit and I have a political Science background

Q:  What is Britain?
A: The United Kingdom (for reference, Great Britain refers to the island that England, Scotland, and Wales is located on, and the British Isles includes the UK and the republic of Ireland.)

Q: What is the United Kingdom?
A: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.   Prior to the 1920s all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, so sometimes Irish Politics are referenced.

Q: What is a MP?
A: It is shorthand for Member of Parliament.  The Main elected offical in the UK.

Q: What is PM?
A: Prime Minister, who is like the president of the UK. (But is elected by MPs)   As of 6/10/17 is is Theresa May who is a Tory.

Q: Tory?
A: Means Conservative Party.

Q: What parties are in the UK?
A: There is a fair number of parties in the UK.

The Conservative and Unionist Party - more often called the Conservatives or Tories are the main right of center party. They are not as conservative as the republican party in the United States, they would be more of a mix of Neocons and Democrats and thus left of center in the US.   They are lead by Theresa May.  They are currently (6/10/17) the largest party in the UK.

The Labour Party - Known usually as just Labour, it is the main Left of center party.   They are the trade unionist and Socialist party in the UK.  For many years they where lead by Tony Blair and his followers (Called Blairites or Blairism) who diluted the socalist message and moved it to the center to win votes.  (Think Bill Clinton) Right now they are lead by Jeremy Corbyn, a far left guy (think Bernie Sanders but even more left of center)

Liberal-Democrats - AKA the Lib-Dems. The Liberal Democrats are the 3rd nationwide party (and right now 4th largest) party in the UK.   They ran on staying in the European Union and are the most civil libertarian of all the main parties.   They want to decriminalize drugs, weaken the Church of England role, and Proportional representation.

UKIP - This party called for the UK to leave the EU.   Due to the success of the referendum on leaving the EU, it main issue went away and it was crushed in the most recent elections.   At this time no one is sure if it is going to go away or find a new role in political life.

Green Party - or Greens.  Environmental party.  Left of center.

Regional Parties.

There are a number of Regional Parties in the UK.

Plaid Cymru - A welsh party who wants among other things, Wales to become it own nation.

Scottish National Party - AKA SNP, A party that wishes to have a independent Scotland, and is the largest party in Scotland.  They lost a ton of seats in the last election.

Northern Ireland parties - Northern Ireland parties must be looked at in the lens of the troubles - a 30 year low level civil war between Loyalist (People who wished to stay in the UK) and Republicans (People who wanted to leave and become part of the Republic of Ireland.)

Democratic Unionist Party - AKA DUP - a Hardline right wing party of Calvinists.   Due to the last election everyone claims to be a expert on this party even if they do not know who the heck Ian Paisley is.

Ulster Unionist Party - AKA UUP - the old school Unionist party in Northern Ireland.  It has struggled in recent years as unionists have voted more for the DUP.

Sinn Féin - or SF.  The main Republican party.  Generally viewed as the party of the IRA.  They stand for elections but refuse to take seats in parliament.  They also are a major party in Ireland.

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) -Labour's sister party in Northern Ireland. A republican party that has struggled in politics as Sinn Fein has gained more support among the republican voter base.


Q: How many seats does X party have?
A: As of the most recent election
Conservative - 317
Labour - 262
SNP - 35
LibDems - 12
DUP - 10
Sinn Fein - 7 (Unseated)
Plaid Cymru - 4
Green - 1
Independent - 1 (Unionist)
Speaker - 1 (Non-partisan)

Note: The Speaker of the house (Currently (((John Bercow))) - Conservative) is to be non-partisan and only votes when there is a tie.

Q: Why doesn't Sinn Fein take seats?
A:  It is a long story seeped in Irish Politics, but the short answer is simple - they do not recognize the government as legitimate, and do not want to take the required oaths of loyalty to the Crown.  Thus to pass a bill only takes 322 votes in the current parliament, not the normal 326.

Q:  Wait, no one has 322 seats, how does that work?
A:  The Conservative party is working on a agreement with the DUP so that on key bills they would have 328 votes.

Q: What is a snap Election?
A: Normally elections take place every 5 years.  However a PM can ask for a snap election if they think the time is good for them (requires approval of parliament).  These also may happen if key votes fail.

Q: What is a key vote?
A: Generally a vote of Confidence (where the MPs vote if they feel the PM is doing a good job), or in "Supply bills" which are budget bills.   If no one can gain Confidence or a supply bill fails to pass, new elections are called.

Q: What is First Past the Post mean? (FPTP)
A: In the UK, elections are held for seats, and whoever gets the plurality (most, but does not need to be a majority) obtains the seat.  This system rewards the major parties and parties that are regional, but punishes parties that have broad support but not a plurality in a area.  (For example, in the 2015 general election, UKIP almost had 3.88 million votes, while the regional SNP had 1.45 million votes. The UKIP earned 1 seat, the SNP earned 56.)

Q: What is the house of Lords?
A: The upper house of the UK government.  Somewhat like the US senate.  However there are a number of differences that are important to remember.  First members are appointed for life.   That there are a handful of lords who sit due to being born into a noble family, and lastly they can only delay, not stop a bill.

Q: What is the Queen's Speech?
A: At the opening of a parliament, Both houses will go to the House of Lords to hear the Queen read a speech about what bills are planned by the current government.  A important thing to remember is that the speech is written by the PM and his or her ministers, not the Queen herself.

Q: What is Thatcherism?
A: It can mean different things to different people, as each person will claim it means something else.  Generally speaking however it means to follow the policies of Margret Thatcher, which is a pushback on the welfare state, selling off nationalised industry, and opening regulation of the economy.  However, it specifically keeps the NHS in public hands.

Q: NHS?
A: National Health Service - The Socialized medicine and hospitals of the UK.

Q: What is Blairism?
A: Policies supported by Tony Blair.   These include heavily investments in public services, an interventionist foreign policy, a surveillance state, and a focus on education to disrupt the traditional class society of the UK.

Q: Who is Nigel Farage?
A: The former leader of the UKIP.  He is loved by some, and hated by others.  Generally on Brit/pol/ he is loved.

Q: Who is Rees-Mogg?
A: A Tory backbencher who is popular on BritPol, even if he never had a key role.  He makes good conservative speeches and comes off as a very proper British man.

Q: Backbencher?
A: someone who sits in the back and does not take leadership roles, but gives them more freedom to ask pointed questions about whatever subject they have concerns about.  While cabinet members focus on their portfolio (what they work on in the cabinet).

Q: What is QT?
A: A popular British political show called Question Time.

Q: Who is Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh?
A: A annoying witch of a woman whom no longer a MP.

Q: Who is Alex Salmond and Angus Robertson?
A: Two SNP members who where major political leaders (Alex Salmond was the head of the SNP for years) who lost in the 2017 elections.

Q: Who is Clegg?
A: A LibDem leader and former Deputy PM.   Lost to a guy who didn't even own a suit in the last election.

Q: What are "Orange Book Liberals"?
A: The Liberal Democrats have always been a odd collection of views, as it was formed from some Labour leaders who broke away from Labour and the Liberal party.   Orange book Liberals are a group of Liberal Democrats who wrote and edited a book called "The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism" which was very economically liberal (Individual choice over group choice) and moved the party to the center of British politics.

Q: Who is David Cameron?
A: A Former Prime Minister (PM) who resigned after the UK decided to leave the EU.  Noted for his good public speaking skills, electoral wins prior to the EU vote, and his fondness of pigs.

Q: Who is Gordon Brown?
A: The Prime minister prior to David Cameron.   He was a Labour guy.  Ended up being deeply unpopular due to the economic crisis.

Q: Who is Tony Blair?
A: The Prime Minister prior to Gordon Brown.  Was a major Labour leader who moved the party to the Center.   Think "the UK version of Clinton without issues of having affairs.

Q: Who is John Major?
A: As you may guess, the PM before Tony Blair.  You might be forgiven if you do not know much about him.

Q: Who is Margret Thacher?
A: The Iron Lady is one of the most divisive leaders in the UK.  Liberals hate her, Conservatives love her, Argentinians still miss the General Belgrano.   Unlike Major, you do need to know who she is.

Q: Who is Mosley?
A: Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet was the leader of the UK fascist party in the 1930s.  The party was called the British Union of Fascists (BUF).

Q: What is the BUF?
A: See "Who is Mosley"

Q: Who is Enoch Powell?
A: A Conservative and UUP leader who made a famous River of Blood Speech that was strongly opposed to Immigration.

Q: Who is Jean Claude Junker?
A: The president of the EU.  He represents everything that is wrong with the EU.