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LIFE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Values and Principles

Fundamental principles of British life include:
- Democracy
- Rule of the Law
- Individual liberty
- Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

UK Permanent Residents should:

- Respect and obey the law
- Respect the rights of others, including the right to their own
opinions
- Treat others with fairness
- Look after yourself and your family
- Look after the area in which you live and the environment

What the UK offers:

- Freedom of belief and religion
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom from unfair discrimination
- A right to a fair trial
- A right to join in the election of a government

What is the UK?

- Ireland is an independent country
- Great Britain- England, Scotland and Wales, not Northern
Ireland
- ‘British’ refers to everyone in the UK
- Islands linked: Channel Islands and Isle of Man. They have their
own agreements & are Crown Dependencies
- Overseas territories: St Helena, Falkland Islands
- Governed by parliament sitting in Westminster
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own
parliaments or assemblies

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History:
- Stone Age, hunter gatherers
- People lived in roundhouses and buried dead in tombs called
barrows
- Britain became separated from the continent by the Channel
10,000 years ago
- First farmers 6,000 years ago. Ancestors from SE Europe, built
Stonehenge- Wiltshire
- Skara Brae on Orkney- North coast of Scotland- best preserved
prehistoric village in Northern Europe

- Bronze Age- 4,000 years ago

- Lived in roundhouses and buried their dead in tombs called
round barrows
- Accomplished metalworkers- tools, ornaments, weapons

- Iron Age- made weapons and tools from iron

- Lived in hill forts- Maiden Castle in Dorset
- Farmers, craft workers or warriors. Spoke Celtic language
- Sophisticated culture, made first coins- marks beginning of
British history

ROMANS
- Julius Caesar, invasion of Britain 55BC. Unsuccessful for 100
years
- AD 43- Emperor Claudius was successful
- Boudicca- Queen of Iceni- statue on Westminster Bridge
- Areas of Scotland never conquered
- Emperor Hadrian built wall in North England to keep out the
Picts (ancestors of Scottish people). Parts of wall forts of
Housesteads and Vindolanda can still be seen
- Romans remained 400 years. Built roads, structure of law,
introduced new plants and animals
- During 3rd and 4th centuries AD 1st Christian communities began
to appear in Britain

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ANGLO-SAXONS
- Roman army left in AD 410; never returned
- Britain invaded by tribes from Northern Europe- Jutes, Angles,
Saxons
- Languages they spoke are basis of modern-day English
- AD 600 Anglo-Saxon kingdoms established in Britain
- Sutton Hoo in modern Suffolk- burial place of one of the Kings
- Parts of Wales and Scotland remained free of Anglo-Saxon rule
- Anglo Saxons were not Christians. But missionaries came. St
Patrick from Ireland. St Augustine led missionaries from Rome-
first Archbishop of Canterbury

VIKINGS
- Came from Denmark and Norway. First visited in AD 789 to raid
coastal owns and take away goods and slaves.
- United in England under King Alfred the Great- who defeated
the Vikings
- Many Vikings stayed in Britain- especially east & north of
England in Danelaw. They converted some people to
Christianity
- Anglo-Saxons continued to rule with exception of Danish King.
Cnut- also called Canute
- Threat of attack by Vikings encourage People to unite in the
North under Kenneth MacAlpin
- Term ‘Scotland’ began to be used to define country

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NORMAN CONQUEST-
1066- Duke of Normandy- William the Conqueror DEFEATED
HAROLD the Saxon King of England at the BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
Harold killed in battle.
- Battle commemorated with Bayeux Tapestry- in France today.
- This was last successful foreign invasion of England
- Led to many changes in government and social structures in
England
- Norman French- language of the new ruling class
- Initially Normans conquered Wales, but they gained territory
back
- Scots and Normans fought on border but Normans didn’t
invade Scotland entirely
- William- sent people to draw up lists- what land they owned,
animals. Domesday Book. Gave picture of society in England
just after conquest.
MIDDLE AGES:
- Norman Conquest to 1485, constant war
- English established rule in Wales
- 1284 King Edward I introduced Statute of Rhuddlan, which
annexed Wales to the Crown of England
- Huge castles (Conwy, Caernarvon) built to maintain power
- Middle of 15th century English laws and language introduced in
Wales
- Not successful in Scotland. 1314 Robert the Bruce defeated
English at the Battle of Bannockburn. Scotland remained
unconquered by the English
- At beginning Ireland was independent country
- English ruled area around Dublin- Pale by 1200
- Many English Kings took part in Crusades, in which European
Christians fought for control of the Holy Land.
- 100 Years War- lasted 116 years. English kings fought long war
with France. Battle of Agincourt in 1415- King Henry V’s
outnumbered English army defeated the French. English left
France around 1450s.

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BLACK DEATH
- 1348 Black Death. 1/3 of population died in England. Similar
numbers in Scotland and Wales. Labor shortages, peasants
wanted higher wages. New social classes appeared, including
owners of large land (gentry). People left countryside for towns
- Normans used Feudalism- landownership system. This system
developed in southern Scotland. In the north of Scotland and
Ireland- land owned by ‘clans’ prominent families

Legal and Political Changes

- Parliament began to develop. Traced to King’s council of
advisers which included noblemen and Church leaders
- 1215- King John forced to agree to number of demands.
Magna Carter- Charter of Rights. Established idea that king
was subject to law. Protected rights of nobility & restricted
King’s power to collect taxes or make/change laws
- Parliaments increased and became 2 parts; Houses were
established.
o House of Lords- Nobility- great landowners & Bishops
o House of Commons- Knights, wealthy people from towns
- Similar Parliament established in Scotland.
o 3 houses called Estates (Lords, Commons, Clergy)
- Time of development of legal system
- England- judges developed ‘common law’ by process of
precedence and tradition
- Scotland- different. Law system developed as laws were
‘codefied’ or written down

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A Distinct Identity
- Development of national culture and identity
- After William Conqueror- king and noblemen spoke Norman
French. Peasants- Anglo-Saxon
o Park, beauty- Norman French
o Apple, cow, summer- Anglo-Saxon
- 1400 official documents written in English & became preferred
language of royal court & Parliament
- 1400 Chaucer- poems; group of people going to Canterbury on
pilgrimage. Describe travelers and their stories. The Canterbury
Tales
o One of 1st books published by William Caxton- first
person to print books using a printing press
- John Barbour- Scottish, wrote The Bruce about Battle of
Bannockburn
- Castles built in Middle Ages
- Windsor and Edinburgh still in use
- Lincoln Cathedral
- England important trading nation
- Weavers- France, glass manufacturers- Italy, canal builders-
Holland

THE WARS OF THE ROSES

o 1455 Civil War about who should be English King
o Lancaster- red rose, York- white rose
o Ended in Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485
▪ King Richard III House of York killed
▪ Henry Tudor- leader of House of Lancaster became
King Henry VII. He married Richard’s niece Elizabeth
to unite 2 families
▪ Henry- 1st King of Tudors. Red rose with a white
rose inside

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TUDORS and STUARTS

Religious conflicts
- Henry strengthened central administration of England & reduced
nobles’ power
- Died. Henry VIII- married 6 times and broke away from Church of
Rome
o Catherine of Aragon- Spanish princess. Child- Mary only
survivor. Divorced for hope of son heir
o Anne Boleyn- English. Child- Elizabeth. Took Lovers. Executed
Tower of London
o Jane Seymour- Child-Edward. Male heir. Died after child birth
o Anne of Cleves- German princess. Married for politics.
Divorce
o Catherine Howard- cousin of Anne Boleyn. Took lovers.
Executed.
o Catherine Parr- Was a widow when married to him. survived
him and married again.
- Henry didn’t get pope approval for 1st divorce so established Church
of England
- Same time as Reformation across Europe. Movement against
authority of Pope and practices of Roman Catholic Church
- Protestants formed their own churches. Didn’t read Bible in Latin,
didn’t pray to saints or shrines, believed person’s relationship to
God more important than submitting to Church authority.
- Gained strength in 16th century
- Ireland- Protestant attempts from English led to rebellion. During
Henry VIII Wales became united with England by Act for the
Government of Wales. Welsh sent representatives to House of
Commons and the Welsh legal system was reformed
- Henry VIII succeeded by son Edward VI a strong Protestant. Edward
died at 15. Ruled for 6 years
- Half-sister Mary became queen. Devout Catholic and persecuted
Protestants. Bloody Mary.
- Elizabeth I- daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn became
Queen.

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Queen ELIZABETH I
- Protestant; re-established Church of England as official Church
of England. Found balance between Catholic views and
extreme Protestants. Avoided any serious religious conflict
within England
- Most popular monarchs, particularly after 1588 defeat of
Spanish Armada. Fleet of ships from Spain sent to England to
restore Catholicism

REFORMATION in SCOTLAND and MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS

- Scotland heavily influenced by Protestant ideas
- 1560, predominately Protestant Scottish Parliament abolished
authority of Pop in Scotland & Roman Catholic Religious
services became illegal. Protestant Church of Scotland with an
elected leadership was established but was not a Church state.
- Queen of Scotland (Mary Stuart- Queen of Scots) was
CATHOLIC. Week old when became Queen. Gave throne to
Protestant son, James VI of Scotland. Elizabeth (her cousin)
suspected her of a takeover. Prisoner for 20 years and executed
for plotting against Queen Elizabeth I.

EXPLORATION- POETRY, DRAMA

- Sir Francis Drake- one of commanders of defeat of Spanish
Armada, founded England’s naval traditions. Golden Hind- his
ship- first to sail around world
- Settlers first to began eastern coast of America colonization.
- Richness of poetry and drama. Shakespeare 1564-1616

SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)
- Born Stratford-upon-Avon
- Playwright and actor; wrote poems
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and
Juliet
- ‘greatest playwright of all time’

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JAMES VI and I
- Elizabeth died with no heirs. Cousin James Vi of Scotland
became known as King James I of England, Wales and Ireland
but Scotland remained a separate country
- King James Bible- new translation of the Bible into English-
‘Authorised version’
- Ireland- almost completely Catholic
- Henry VIII took title of King of Ireland. English laws introduced
and local leaders expected to follow
- Many Irish people opposed rule by Protestant government in
England. Rebellions. Protestants encouraged by England to
settle in Northern providence of Ireland- Ulster. Settlements
known as plantations. This had serious long-term consequences
for history of England, Scotland and Ireland.

RISE OF PARLIAMENT
- Elizabeth I skilled at managing Parliament
- James I and Charles I (his son) not skilled. Believed in ‘Divine
Right of Kings’. King doesn’t need Parliament’s approval.
- Charles ruled 11 years found ways to raise money without
Parliament’s approval. Trouble in Scotland meant he had to
recall Parliament

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ENGLISH CIVIL WAR:

- Charles I wanted more ceremony in worship. Introduced
revised Prayer book. Tried to impose book on Presbyterian
Church in Scotland- led to unrest. Scottish army formed. He
recalled Parliament in 1640 to ask for funds. Many Parliament
were Puritans- group of Protestants who advocated strict &
simple religious doctrine and worship. Didn’t agree. Refused to
give him money.
- Parliament took opportunity of the rebellion in Ireland against
Puritans and gained control of English army. This transferred
substantial power from King to Parliament. Charles I entered
Parliament and tried to arrest 5 leaders. But they weren’t
there. Civil War began between Parliament and King in 1642.
o Country split. Support King- Cavaliers, Support
Parliament- Roundheads
o Oliver Cromwell and the English Republic
▪ King’s Army defeated at Battles of Marston Moor
and Naseby. By 1646 clear Parliament won the war.
Charles held prisoner by Parliamentary army.
Executed in 1649
▪ England declared itself a republic called the
COMMONWEALTH, no longer had a monarch
▪ Oliver Cromwell, an English army general sent to
Ireland for a revolt that began in 1641. He
established authority of English Parliament but was
very violent
- Scots had not agreed to Charles execution and declared his son
Charles II to be king. He was crowned King of Scotland and led
Scottish army to England. Defeated by Cromwell in Battles of
Dunbar and Worcester. Charles II hid in oak tree and fled to
Europe. Crownwell recognized as leader of new republic. Lord
Protector and ruled until his death in 1658. Son Richard
became protector. Couldn’t control army. People wanted
stability

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RESTORATION
- May 1660 Parliament invited Charles II back from Netherland
exile. Crowned King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland
- Church of England became established official Church again.
Roman Catholics and Puritans kept out of power
- Major outbreak of the plague during his reign
- Great Fire
- St Paul’s rebuilt Sir Christopher Wren
- Samuel Pepys wrote about these events
- Habeas Corpus Act became law in 1679. You must present the
person in court.
- Charles II interested in science.
o Sir Edmund Halley- comet
o Isaac Newton 1643-1727
▪ Born in Lincolnshire Easter England
▪ Cambridge
▪ Gravity
▪ White light- colours of rainbow
- Charles II died. No heirs. Brother James- Roman Catholic
became King James II in England, Wales and Ireland and King
James VII of Scotland
o Favoured Catholics

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GLORIOUS REVOLUTION
- James II’s elder daughter Mary- married cousin William of
Orange- Protestant ruler of Netherlands
- 1688- English Protestants asked William to invade England and
proclaim himself King. He met no resistance- James fled to
France. William became William III in England, William II of
Scotland. Ruled jointly with Mary.
- This guaranteed power of Parliament. No fighting. Ended threat
of monarch doing as they wished. James wanted to regain
throne. Invaded Ireland with help of French army
- 1690- William defeated James II at the Battle of the Boyne in
Ireland. James fled baack to France. Many restrictions put on
Roman Catholic church in Ireland
- Killiecrankie- all Scottish clans required to formally accept
William as King. MacDonalds of Glencoe late to oath and killed.
Scots distrusted new government
- Those who still wanted James as king became known as
Jacobites

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GLOBAL POWER
Constitutional Monarchy- Bill of Rights
- Coronation of William and Mary- Declaration of Rights read.
Confirmed king no longer able to raise taxes or administer
justice without Parliament agreement. Bill of Rights 1689
confirmed rights of Parliament and limits of King’s power.
- Parliament controlled who could be monarch. Declard king or
queen must be a Protestant
- Every year monarch had to ask Parliament to renew funding for
army and navy
- Two main groups in Parliament- Whigs and Tories. Modern
Conservative party sometimes called Tories. Beginning of
party politics.
- Development of free press. 1695- papers allowed to operate
without government license
- Beginning of ‘constitutional monarchy’
- Monarch couldn’t insist on policies and actions if Parliament
didn’t agree
- ‘Pocket Boroughs’ constituencies controlled by a single wealthy
family
- ‘rotten boroughs’ had hardly any voters

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A Growing Population
- Many people left Britain and Ireland for colonies
- First Jews came since Middle Ages and settled in London.
- 1680-1720 Huguenots- French refugees came from France.
Protestants persecuted for religion
- Act or Treaty of Union in Scotland
o William & Mary’s successor Queen Ann had no children.
Succession uncertain.
o Kingdom of Great Britain created in 1707 Act of Union.
England, Wales and Ireland and in Scotland.
- Prime Minister
o Queen Anne died 1714. Parliament chose George I to be
king as her nearest Protestant relative. He didn’t speak
good English and relied on ministers- most important one
became Prime Minister. 1st one was Robert Walpole,
1721-1742
- Rebellion of the clans
o 1745- attempt to put Stuart king back on throne. Charles
Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) grandson of James
II landed in Scotland. Supported by clansmen. Initially
some success but defeated by George II’s army at Battle
of Culloden in 1746. Charles escaped back to Europe.
o Clans lost a lot of power. Chieftans became landlords
o ‘Highland Clearances’. Scottish landlords destroyed
individual small farms. Scottish people left for Noth
America
- Robert Burns
o ‘The Bard’ Scottish poet
o Auld Lang Syne

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ENLIGHTENMENT
- 18th century
- New ideas about politics, philosophy and science
- Many great thinkers were Scottish
- Adam Smith- economics
- Dadiv Hume- human nature
- James Watt- steam power helped Industrial Revolution
- Everyone should have right to their own political and religious
beliefs

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
- Shift from agriculture to industry for development. 18th and
19th centuries
- Development of machinery and use of steam power
- Bessemer process for mass production of steeled to
shipbuilding and railways
- Manufacturing jobs became main source of employment in
Britain

Richard Arkwright (1732-92)

- Trained as barber. Started working in textiles. Improved original
carding machine- preparing fibres for spinning into yarn and
fabric
- Developed horse-driven spinning mills using only one machine
- Used steam engine to power machinery

- Captain James Cook mapped coast of Australia

- Britain gained control of Canada & East India Company, large
parts of India, colonies established in Southern Africa
- Sake Dean Mahomet (1759-1851)
o Came to Britain from Inia in 1782. Hindoostane Coffee
House, George Street London. First Curry to open in
Britain. He and Irish wife introduced Indian art of massage
‘shampooing’

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SLAVE TRADE
- First formal anti-slave groups set up by Quakers in late 1700s.
- William Wilberforce an evangelical Christian and Parliament
member played important part in changing the law. Turned
public opinion against slave trade. 1807 it became illegal to
trade slaves in British ships or from ports. Emancipation Act
abolished slavery through British Empire.
- After 1833 2 million Indian and Chinese workers employed to
replace freed slaves

American War for Independence

- 1776 declared independence, 13 American colonies, recognized
in 1783

War with France

- 18th century fought number of wars with France
- French Revolution
- 1789 new government declared war on Britain. Napoleon.
Britain’s navy won the fought against French and Spanish fleets
- Battle of Trafalgar 1805. Admiral Nelson in charge of British
Fleet at Trafalgar and killed in battle. Nelson’s column in
Trafalgar Square- monument to him. His ship- HMS Victory is
at Portsmouth
- 1815 French Wars ended- defeated Napoleon. Duke of
Wellington at Battle of Waterloo. Wellington known as ‘Iron
Duke’ later became Prime Minister

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UNION FLAG
- 1801 Ireland became unified with England, Scotland and Wales
under Act of Union of 1800. It created United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland
- New version of flag- Union flag. ‘Union Jack’
o Crosses associated with England, Scotland and Ireland
▪ Cross St George- patron saint of England- red cross
on white ground
▪ Cross of St Andrew- patron saint of Scotland-
diagonal white cross on blue ground
▪ Cross of St Patrick- patron saint of Ireland- diagonal
red cross on white ground
- Welsh flag has dragon

VICTORIAN AGE
- 1837 QUEEN VICTORIA. AGE18. Reigned until 1901, almost 64
years
- Middle class significant; improve conditions of life of poor

BRITISH EMPIRE
- India, Australia, parts of Africa
- Largest empire the world has ever seen, estimated population
of 400 million people
- 1853-1913 13 million British citizens left country
- 1870-1914 120,000 Russian and Polish Jews came to Britain to
escape persecution. Many settled in London’s East End and in
Manchester and Leeds
- Corn Laws in 1846- repealed. They had prevented import of
cheap grain
- 1847 hours women and children could work was limited to 10
hours per day
- George and Robert Stephenson pioneered railway engines.
Major expansion of railways

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Isambard Kingdom Brunel 1806-59

- From Portsmouth. Engineer built tunnels, bridges, railway lines,
ships
- Constructed Great Western Railyway- 1st major railway in
Britain. Paddington Station to SW England, the West Midlands
and Wales. Clifton Suspension bridge spans Avon Gorge
- Industry- UK produced more than half the world’s iron, coal
and cotton cloth Centre for financial services
- 1851 Great Exhibition- Crystal Palace

Crimean War 1853-1856

- Fought with Turkey and France against Russia
- First war extensively covered by media
- Victoria cross medal
- Florence Nightengale (1920-19100
o Born in Italy
o Founder of modern nursing

IRELAND in 19th century

- Bad conditions compared to rest of uK
- Farming, dependent on potatoes; crop failed in middle of
century; famine

Right to Vote
- Reform Act of 1832- increased number of people with right to
vote
- Voting still based on property ownership
- Chartists began movement for voting equality
o Every man to have right to vote
o Elections every year
o For all regions to be equal in the electoral system
o Secret ballots
o For any man to be able to stand as an MP
o For MPs to be paid

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Emmelline Parkhurst (1858-1928)

- Born in Manchester. Helped found Women’s Social and Political
Union (WSPU)
- First group ‘suffragettes’
- 1918 women over 30 could vote
- 1928- vote at age 21, the same as men

Boer War 1899-1902- British went to war with South Africa with
settlers from Netherland called the Boers

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

- Born in India
- Nobel Prize
- Just So Stories, If- (one of England’s fav poems); Jungle Book

The 20th Century

The First World War
- Early 20th century- salary for MPs introduced
- 28 June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
assassinated. Set off chain of events 1914-1918.
- Allied Powers
o Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Belgium, Serbia. Later
Greece, Italy, Romania and US
o All of British Empire in conflict
o 40,00 Indians fought and died on behalf of emire
- Central
o Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ottoman Empire and
later Bulgaria
- 2 million British casulaties
- British attack on Somme in July 1916 60,000 British casualties
on 1st day
- Ended 11-11- 1918

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Partition of Ireland-
- 1913 British government promised Home Rule for Ireland.
Protestants in north of Ireland unhappy
- WWI caused postponed changes to Ireland
- Easter Uprising 1916 against British in Dublin. 1921 peace treaty
signed and Ireland became 2 countries in 1922
- 6 counties north mainly protestant remained part of UK under
name of Northern Ireland
- Rest of Ireland free stated and had its own government and
became a republic in 1949
- ‘The Troubles’ terror- conflict between those wishing for full Irish
independence and those wishing to remain loyal to the British
government

MID WAR
- 1929 Great Depression
- Shipbuilding suffered
- Automobile and aviation developed
- Car ownership doubled from 1 million to 2 between 1930-39
- Economist John Maynard Keynes
- BBC started radio broadcasts 1922. First regular television service
The Second World War
- Hitler in power 1933. Invaded Poland in 1939- Britain and France
declared war to stop him
- Axis powers
o Fascist German, Italy and Empire of Japan
- Allies
o UK, France, Poland, Australia, new Zealand, Canada, Union of
South Africa
o
- Hitler followed Polish invasion by taking Belgium and Netherlands
- 1940 German forces defeated Allied troops and advanced through
France

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Winston Churchill became Prime Minister- war leader

o Conservative
o Lost General election in 1945 but returned as Prime
Minister in 1951
o 2002- greatest Briton of all time voted
- 300,000 evacuated Dunkirk
- ‘Battle of Britain’ crucial aerial battle against Germans summer
1940
- Royal Airforce used Spitfire, Hurricane planes
- Germany still kept bombing- The Blitz
- US entered 1941 Pearl Harbour
- Hitler attempted invading Soviet Union
- June 6 1944 allied forces landed in Normandy, D Day. Victory
on Normandy beaches- allied forces pressed through France to
Germany. Allies won by beating Germany in 1945
- August 1945 Hiroshima, Nagasaki
- New Zealand born scientist Ernest Rutherford- Cambridge first
to split the atom; Manhattan Project

Alexander Fleming (1881-1955)

- Doctor, 1928 penicillin, Nobel Peace Prize

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BRITAIN SINCE 1945

The Welfare State
- 1945 Labour government elected
- Prime Minister Clement Attlee. Promised welfare state as
outlined in Beveridge Report
- 1948 Minister of Health Aneurin (Nye) Bevan, led
establishment of NHS
- Social security
- Government took public ownership of railways, coal mines and
gas, water and electricity supplies
- 1947- changes for British colonies, joined NATO (alliance of
nations set up to resist perceived threat of Soviet Union and its
allies)
- Conservative government 1951-1964
- Harol Macmillan- Prime Minister- wind of change speech

Clement Attlee (1883-1967)

- Labour MP, Churchill’s Deputy PM became PM when Labour
party won 1945.
- PM 1945-1951 and led Labour party 20 years
- Created NHS

William Beveridge (1879-1963)

- British economist, Social insurance and Allied Services,
Beveridge Report
- Fighting the five ‘Giant Evils’ of want

R A Butler 1902-82
Richard Austen Butler
- Conservative, responsible for Education in 1941
- Butler Act- free secondary education in England and Wales

Dylan Thomas (1914-53)

- Welsh poet and writer. Radio play Under Milk Wood
- Died 39 in NY

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Migration and Social change in the 1960s

- Technological progress- Britain and France- Concorde
- 1970s Britain admitted 28,000 people of Indian origin who have
been forced to leave Uganda

INVENTIONS of 20th Century

- Television- Scotsman John Logie Baird 1932 first broadcast.
Between London and Glasglow
- Radar- Sir Robert Watson-Watt 1935
- Sir Bernard Lovell astronomy; radio telescope
- Turning Machine- Alan Turing- influenced modern computer
1930s
- Insulin- John Macleod
- DNA molecular structure- Crick, Nobel Peace Prize
- Jet Engine- 1930s Sir Frank Whittle, British Royal Air Force
Engineer
- Hovercraft- Sir Christopher Cockerell 1950s
- Harrier jump jet- designed and developed in UK; takes off
vertically
- ATM- James Goodfellow 1960s
- IVF- Sir Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe
- World’s first test tube baby in Lancashire 1978
- Sir Peter Mansfield- MRI
- Sir Tim Berners-Lee- WWW

Problems in the economy in the 1970s

- Prices rose sharply in 70s; industries and services affected
- Unrest in Northern Ireland
- 1969- 3,00 people lost lives to unrest
- Mary Peters- Olympic athlete pentathlon 1972; English but
moved to Northern Ireland as child
- EEC 1957- West Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg
and Netherlands. UK joined in 1973.

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Conservative government 1979-1997

o Thatcher lead Conservatives 1979-1990 (longest serving
in 20th century)
o Leader of opposition in 1975
o 1982 Falklands; Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a
British overseas territory in South Atlantic
- John Major followed Thatcher and helped establish Northern
Ireland peace process

Roald Dahl
- Welsh; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Labour government 1997-2010

- Tony Blair elected
- Introduced Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly
- Northern Ireland Assembly elected in 1999, suspended 2002,
reinstated 2007
- Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister in 2007

2010-
- First time in UK since February 1974 no political party won;
coalition government. Conservative and Liberal Democrat
parties formed a coalition, leader of Coalition David Cameron
became Prime Minister

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UK TODAY

- 10% of population has a parent or grandparent born outside

the UK
- Longest distance- John O’Groats on north coast of Scotland to
Land’s End 870 miles 1400 km
- Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own banknotes, valid
anywhere in UK. Shops and businesses don’t have to exchange
them
- Gaelic is spoken in Scottish Highlands and Islands, as well as
Northern Ireland

Population
1600 Just over 4 million 5 million
1700 5 million
1801 8 million
1851 20 million
1901 40 million
1951 50 million
1998 57 million
2005 Just under 60 million
2010 Just over 62 million

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- England 84%
- Wales 5%
- Scotland 8%
- Northern Ireland less than 3%
- Women make up half the workforce. More women study at
university than men

- 70% Christian
- 4% Muslim
- 2% Hindu
- 1 % Sikh
- Less than .5% Jewish and Buddhist
- 2% other
- (study tip- cuts in half after 70)

- 21% of people said they had no religion

Christian Churches
- England No constitutional link between Church and state
- Church of England (Anglican Church in other countries,
Episcopal Church in Scotland and US)
- It’s Protestant and has existed since Reformation
- Monarch is head of Church of England, spiritual leader is
Archbishop of Canterbury, choice is made by PM
- Scotland- national Church is Church of Scotland, Presbyterian.
Chairperson of General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is
the Moderator, appointed for only a year.
- No established church in Wales or Northern Ireland

Patron Saints Days

- March 1- St David’s Day Wales
- 17 March- St Patrick Northern Ireland
- November 30 St Andrew’s Day
- Official holidays in Scotland and Northern Ireland

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Coronation Church is Westminster Abbey and since 1066 final resting

place of 17 monarchs

RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
- Diwali- October or November. Festival of Lights. Hindus and
Sikhs. Celebrates victory over good and evil and the gaining of
knowledge
- Eid al-Fitr- end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast for a month;
date changes every year
- Eid ul Adha- remembers prophet Ibrahim. Muslims.
- Vaisakhi- Sikh festival Celebrates founding of Sikh community
known as the Khalsa. April 14

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SPORT
- Millennium Stadium- Cardiff
- Olympics three times. 2012 Britain finished 3rd in medal table
- Sir Roger Bannister- run mile under 4 minutes
- Sir Jackie Stewart- Scottish racing driver; won Formula 1 3
times
- Boby Moore- Engish football team captain World Cup 1966
- Sir Ian Botham- captain English cricket team
- Jayne Torvill Christopher Dean- won gold medals for ice
dancing Olympic Games 1984; 4 consecutive world
championships
- Sir Steve Redgrave- gold medals in rowing in 5 consecutive
Olympics; one of Britain’s greatest Olympians
- Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson- wheelchair 16 Paralympic
medcs; London Marathon 6 times
- Dame Kelly Holmes- 2 gol medals running 2004 Olympic Games
- Dame Ellen MacArthur- yachtswoman; 1st woman sail around
world
- Sir Chris Hoy- Scottish cyclst
- David Weir- Paralympian
- Sir Bradley Wiggins- cyclist Tour de France; Olympics
- Mo Farah- distance runner
- Jessica Enis- heptatholon track and field
- Andy Murray- Scottish tennis player
- Ellie Simmonds- Paralympian swimming

Cricket-
- Expressions ‘rain stopped play’, etc
- Ashes- Test matches between England and Australia

Football-
- UK’s most popular sport
- English Premier League
- 1966 World Cup hosted in England and won- only time

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Rugby-
- 2 different types union and league
- Six Nations
Horse Racing
- Royal Ascot- 5 day race in Berkshire
- Grand National- Aintree near Liverpool
- Scottish Grand National at Ayr
- National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket, Suffolk
Golf
- Originated in Scotland 15th century
- Open Championship is only ‘Major’ tournament held outside
US; hosted by a different course every year
Water Sports
Sir Francis Chichester- 1st person to sail single-handed around world
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston 1st person to do it without stopping
- Most famous sailing event held at Cowes on the Isle of Wight
Motor Sports
- Motor car racing started in 1902
- Formula 1 Grand Prix event held every year in UK
- Winners include Damon Hill, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button

Europe’s longest dry ski slope is near Edinburgh

ARTS and Culture

- Proms 8 week orchestral classical music, various venues
- Henry Purcell- organist at Westminster Abbey
- George Frederick Handel- German born but became UK citizen.
Messiah
- Gustav Holst- composer The Planets
- Sir Edward Elgar- pomp and Circumstance Marches
- Ralph Vaughan Williams- wrote music for orchestras and choirs
- Sir William Walton- wrote wide range of music
- Benjamin Britten- operas. Young Person’s Guide to Orchestra

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Popular venues- Wembley Stadium, The O2 in Greenwich, Scottish

Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow
- Music Festivals- Glastonbury, Isle of Wight Festival, V Festival
- National Eisteddfod of Wales- annual cultural festival
- Mercury Prize- best album from the UK and Ireland

Theatre
- Mousetrap- Agatha Christie- longest initial run of any show in
history
- Gilbert and Sullivan wrote comic operas. Pirates of Penzanze,
Pinafore, The Mikado
- Andrew Lloyd Webber- Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats,
Phantom

Edinburgh festival- arts and cultural ‘The Fringe’

Notable British Artists

- Thomas Gainsborough, portrait painter
- David Allan Scottish painter portraits. The Origin of Painting
- Joseph Turner- landscape painter
- John Constable- landscape painter
- Pre-Raphaelites- detailed pictures on religious or literary
themes in bright colours
- Sir John Lavery- Northern Irish portrait painter- Royal family
- Henry Moore- English sculptor
- John Petts- welsh artist; engravings and stained glass
- Lucian Fredu- portraits
- David Hackney- pop movement

Turner Prize- 1984 celebrates contemporary art. 4 works shortlisted

every year

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Architecture
- Cathedrals- Middle Ages0 Durham, Lincoln, Canterbury,
Salisbury
- White Tower- Tower of London example of Norman castle keep
- Inigo Jones in 17th century deisnged Queen’s house in
Greenwich and Banqueting House in Whitehall London
- Robert Adam- Scottish architect; Royal Crescent in Bath
- Gothic influence in 19t century- Houses of Parliament and St
PAncras Station
- Sir Edwin Lutyens- designed New Delhi to be seat of
government in India; war memorials; Cenotaph in Whitehall

Fashion
Thomas Chippendale- furniture 18th century
Clarice Cliff- Art Deco ceramics
Sir Terence Conran
Fashion- Alexander McQueen, Mary Quant, Vivienne Westwood

Books- 2003 Lord of Rings voted country’s best-loved novel

Man Booker Prize for Fiction- awarded to author from
Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe
- Thomas Hardy- Far from the Madding crowd, Jude the Obscure
- Evelyn Waugh- Decline and Fall, Scoop, Brideshead Revisited
- Kingsley Aims- Lucky Jim
- Graham Green- Heart of the Matter, Honorary Consul, Brighton
Rock and Our Man in Havana
- Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf- middle ages
- Poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight- one of the knights at
the court of King Arthur
- John Milton- Paradise Lost
- Nature- Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott

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Flowers-
- England- Rose
- Northern Ireland- shamrock
- Wales- daffodil
- Scotland- thistle

Traditional Food
- Welsh Cakes- flour, dried fruits and spices served hot and cold
- Scotland- haggis- sheep’s stomach stuffed with offal, suet,
onions and oatmeal
- Northern Ireland- Ulster fry- fried meal with bacon, eggs,
sausage, black pudding, white pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms,
soda bread and potato bread

FILMS
- 1st shown in 1896
- Flourished in 1930s
- 50s-60s British comedy highpoint
- Ealing Studios- oldest continuously working film studio and
facility in world
- Nick Park- Wallace and Gromit- 4 oscars
- BAFTA- British Oscars

Television and Radio

- Over 75 apply for free license
- Blind- 50% off
- 1,000 fine
- BBC largest broadcaster in the world
- Wholly state funded media organization that is independent of
government

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Pubs and Night Clubs, Betting and Gambling

- 18 to buy alcohol in pub; 16 can drink wine or beer with meal in
a hotel or restaurant when with someone over 18
- 18 to go to betting shops
- Under 16 can’t buy lottery

Places of Interest, UK Landmarks

- 15 National Parks
- Big Ben is 150 years old; named ‘Elizabeth Tower’ in honour of
Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012
- Eden Project, Cornwall
- Edinburgh Castle
- Giant’s Causeway- Northern Ireland; volcanic lava; 50 million
years ago
- Lake District is England’s largest national park; biggest stretch
of water is Windermere. 2007 Wastwater voted as Britain’s
favourite view
- London Eye- on southern bank of River Thames; built for
millennium
- Snowdonia- national park in North Wales
- Tower of London- built by William the Conqueror; tours given
by Yeoman Warders ‘Beefeaters’; see the Crown Jewels

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UK GOVERNMENT

The UK is a parliamentary democracy with the monarch as head of

state.

Voting:
1918 women over 30
1928- men and women over 21
1969 18 for men and women

Constitutional Institutions
- Monarchy
- Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords)
- PM
- Cabinet
- Judiciary (courts)
- Police
- Civil service
- Local government

The Monarchy
Queen- head of state; head of state for many Commonwealth
countries
Appoints the government, which the people have chosen in a
democratic election
- Monarch invites the leader of party with largest number of
MPs, or leader of a coalition between more than one party to
become PM
- Decisions on government policies are made by PM and cabinet
- Queen opens Parliament each year. Makes speech which
summarises policies for year ahead; All acts of parliament are
made in her name
- National Anthem- God Save the Queen

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System of government is a parliamentary democracy

Voters elect their members of Parliament (MP) in a General Election.
They form House of Commons
- House of Commons; regarded as more important; PM and
almost all of cabinet; has powers to overrule House of Lords,
but doesn’t use them often
- House of Lords- peers; not elected and don’t’ represent
constituency
- Until 1958 all peers were:
o ‘hereditary
o Senior judges or
o Bishops of the Church of England
- Since 1958:
o PM has had power to nominate peers for their own
lifetime; appointed by monarch on PM advice; since 1999
hereditary peers have lost the automatic right to attend
House of Lords
o Can suggest amendments or propose new laws, to be
discussed by MPs
o Ensures MP laws are fit for purpose
o Holds government to account

The Speaker
- Chairs debates in House of Commons, is chief officer
- Neutral, doesn’t represent a political party, even though he/she
is an MP
- Chosen by MP’s on secret ballot
- Keeps order during political debates to make sure rules are
followed
- Represents Parliament on ceremonial occasions

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Elections
UK
MPs- General election, every 5 years; if die or resign- fresh election;
elected through ‘first past the post’

Government formed by the party that wins the majority of

constituencies
No party wins- coalition

European Parliamentary elections

- Every 5 years
- Members called MEP’s
- Use system of proportional representation, seats allocated to
each party in proportion to total number of votes won

Contacting elected members

- From local library or [Link], phone, letter, etc
- Many hold regular surgeries

THE GOVERNMENT
Prime Minister
- Appoints cabinet members
- Can be changed if MPs in governing parties decide to do so, or
if they resign; Prime Minister usually resigns if his/her party
loses a General Election

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Cabinet
- 20 senior MPs to become ministers in charge of departments
o Chancellor of Exchequer- economy
o Home Secretary crime policing, immigration
o Foreign Secretary- managing relationships with foreign
countries
o Other- Secretaries of State- education, health, defence
- Usually meet weekly
- Each dept has number of other ministers, called Ministers of
State
- Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State- take charge of
particular areas of the department’s work

The Opposition
- 2nd largest party in House of Commons
- Leader usually becomes PM if party wins in General Election;
leads party in pointing out what they see as government’s
failures and weaknesses
- PM’s Questions- every week while Parliament is sitting
- Leader appoints senior opposition MPs to be ‘shadow
ministers’; they challenge government and put forward
alternative policies

Party System
- Anyone over 18 can run for election
- Conservative
- Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, or one of the parties
representing Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish interests
- Independents- don’t represent any parties
- CBI- Confederation of British Industry; lobbyist and pressure
group

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Civil Service
- Accountable to ministers; chosen on merit; politically neutral
- People can apply to join civil service through application

Local Government
- Some areas have district and county councils; many large towns
have a single local authority
- Funded by money from central government and local taxes
- Many appoint mayor, a ceremonial leader of the council
- 33 local authorities in London
- Elections usually held in May every year

Devolved Administrations
- There has been a Welsh assembly and Scottish Parliament sine
1999
- Northern Ireland Assembly- suspended on a few occasions
- Many public services such as education, are controlled by the
devolved administrations; they each have their own civil service

WELSH GOVERNMENT
- Based in Cardiff
- National Assembly has 60 members (AM)s. Elections every 4
years using proportional representation. Assemblies in Welsh
and English
- Assembly has power to make laws for Wales in 21 areas:
o Education and training
o Health and social services
o Economic development
o Housing
- Since 2011, National Assembly for Wales has been able to pass
laws without agreement of UK Parliament

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Scottish Parliament
- Formed in 1999. Edinburgh. 129 members, elected by
proportional representation.
- Can pass laws for Scotland on all matters t=which aren’t
specifically reserved for UK parliament

Northern Ireland Assembly

- Established in 1922, abolished in 1972 shortly after the
Troubles broke out in 1969
- Northern Ireland Assembly established soon after Belfast
Agreement in 1998
- Assembly has 108 elected members, known as MLAs (members
of the Legislative Assembly)
- Elected with a proportional representation

UK Government has power to suspend all devolved assemblies; has

done it several times in Northern Ireland where local political leaders
found it difficult to work together.
- Parliament proceedings broadcast; official reports called
HANSARD.
- UK has free press

Who can VOTE?

- Fully democratic system since 1928. Present voting age of 18
set in 1969
- Adult citizens of UK, citizens of commonwealth and Irish
Republic who are residents of UK can vote in all public elections
- Adult citizens of other EU states who are resident in UK can
vote in all elections except General Elections

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ELECTORAL REGISTER-
- To voted- you must have name on it
- Updated every year in Sept and Oct. Form is sent to every
household; sent back with names on it
- NORTHERN IRELAND IS DIFFERENT-
o ‘individual registration’
o Those entitled to vote must complete their own
registration form; once registers details stay on it if their
personal details don’t change
- LA must make electoral register available to anyone who wants
to see it, supervised
- Vote in polling stations; sent poll card in advance
- Vote between 7am-10pm
- Asked for name and address
- Northern Ireland- photo identification

Standing for office

o Members of armed forces
o Civil servants
o Found guilty of certain criminal offences
o House of Lords can’t be eligible for House of Commons
- Visiting Parliament
o Public can visit
o Ask MP for tix or queue that day; free; easier to get in
House of Lords

Northern Ireland Assembly

- MLAs meet at Stormont, Belfast
- 2 ways to visit. Contact Education Service or an MLA

Scottish Parliament
- Meet at Holyrood in Edinburgh

National Assembly for Wales

- Meet in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay; it’s an open building

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Commonwealth
- Most members states were once part of empire
- Support each other and work together towards shared goals in
democracy and development
- Queen is ceremonial head; currently 53 member states;
voluntary membership

The European Union

- Originally called EEX; set up by 6 western countries (Belgium,
France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands)
- Signed Treaty of Rome 1957
- UK member in 1973.
- 28 EU member states
- Croatia in 2013- list page 138
- EU law is legally binding in UK
- European laws are called directives, regulations or framework
decisions

Council of Europe
- Separate from EU
- 47 members, including UK
- Responsible for protection and promotion of human rights in
those countries
- No power to make laws; draws up conventions and charters-
ex: European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms

United Nations
- More than 190 countries as members
- Set up after WWII; prevent war and promote international
peace and security
- 15 members on UN Security Council, UK is one of 5 permanent
members

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NATO-
- European and North American countries- help each other if
they come under attack

LAWS
- Tobacco illegal under 18
- Against law to smoke in enclosed public places
- Alcohol must be 18
- Some alcohol free zones in public places
- November 2012- public elected Police and Crime
Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales; responsible for
delivery of an efficient and effective police force; set local
police priorities and local policing budget; appoint local Chief
Constable
- Complaints about police- writing Chief Constable or going to
station; can be made to an independent body- Independent
Police Complaints Commission in England and wales, the Plice
Complaints Commissioner for Scotland or the Police
Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

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The Role of the Courts

JUDICIARY
- Interpret law and ensure trials are conducted fairly

CRIMINAL COURTS
- England, Wales, Northern Ireland- criminal courts dealt with in
a Magistrates Court
- Scotland- minor criminal offences go to a Justice of the Peace
Court
- Magistrates and Justices of the Peace (JP) members of local
community
- England, Wales and Scotland they usually work unpaid, don’t
need any legal qualifications; receive training; decide verdict in
cases
- Northern Ireland- cases head by a District Judge or Deputy
District Judge
- Crown Courts and Sherriff Courts-
o England, Wales and North Ireland- serious offences tried
in front of jury in crown Court
o Scotland- Sheriff Court with sherriff and jury; most serious
cases High Court- judge and jury
o Scotland- jury 15; all else 12
o Scotland has option 3rd option of ‘not proven’
Youth Courts
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland- ages 10-17 Youth Court;
most serious is Crown Court
- No members of public allowed; parents/carers expected to
attend; photos of accused can’t be published by media
- Scotland- system Children’s Hearings System
- Northern Ireland- system of youth conferencing

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Civil Courts
County Courts
- Small Claims Procedures
o England and Wales- less than £10,000; £3,000 in Scotland
and Northern Ireland
LEGAL Advice:
- Solicitors

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES: (review this section in book, if not common

sense knowledge; some notes are provided below)
- Arranged marriages are legal; forced are not
- National Insurance Contributions pay for NHS and retirement
contributions/pensions
Driving
- must be 17
- 16 to ride a moped
- After age 70 license is valid for 3 years
- Northern Ireland- newly qualified driver must display an R plate
- EU license- can drive until it expires
- MOT test every year if vehicle is more then 3 years old
Jury service- name on Electoral register; anyone age 18-70
School Governors
- Set strategic direction of the school
- Ensure accountability
- Monitor and evaluate school performance
Blood Donation
- Takes about 1 hour
Charities:
- Age UK- older people
- Children- NSPCC- Prevention of Cruelty to Children
- Homeless- Crisis and Shelter
- Medical charities- Cancer Research UK
- Animals- PDSA People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals
- National Citizen Service- gives 16 and 17 year olds opportunity to
enjoy outdoor activities

Looking after the Environment

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