A-level Politics
Component 2 Revision:
Useful Resources:
Skills Booklet (Super useful for Questions and Exam Guidance)
BBC News/The Times/The Telegraph/Financial Times/The Spectator/The Economist/BBC Radio 4/The Guardian
The Politics Shed
Tutor2u
House of Lords Library
Hansard
University of Oxford/Oxford Academic and the London School of Economics and Political Science
A level Politics - Specification
The executive - The Constitution Society
Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom - MoPM (Museum of Prime Ministers)
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
UN expert concerned by UK failure to enforce Supreme Court ruling on sex-based protections | OHCHR (Weakness of SCOTUK)
Devolution - The Constitution Society
2025-11-05-Brexit-Begg-DIGITAL.pdf
CEP | Centre for Economic Performance
, The UK Constitution:
• The Development of The Constitution:
➢ Magna Carta (1215): Principle of The Rule of Law.
➢ Bill of Rights (1689): Established sovereignty of Parliament.
➢ Act of Settlement (1701): Parliament determined succession, monarch as ruler.
➢ Acts of Union (1707): Union of GB and Ireland, disbanded Scottish Parliament.
➢ Parliament Acts (1911 and 1949): House of Lords powers.
➢ European Communities Act (1972): UK’s entry into the EU.
➢ Human Rights Act (1998): Incorporated ECHR into UK law.
➢ Scotland Act, Northern Ireland Act, Government of Wales Act (1998): Devolution.
➢ House of Lords Act (1999): Removed all but 92 Hereditary Peers from Lords.
➢ Freedom of Information Act (2000): Unrestricted access except for National Security.
➢ Constitutional Reform Act (2005): Established an independent Supreme Court.
➢ Fixed Term Parliaments Act (2011): Elections were to take place every 5 years.
➢ Dissolution and Calling of Parliaments Act (2022): repealed the FTPA.
➢ Scotland Act (2016): Welfare and Social Security, power over Income Tax/half of VAT.
➢ Wales Act (2017): Power to choose electoral system.
➢ EU Withdrawal Act (2020): UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
• Monarchy exists due to failure to write a constitution as it remains ‘Organic’.
• The Constitution is uncodified (HRA incorporated ECHR into UK law) and unentrenched (this is
changing, e.g. 2014 referendum protects Scottish Parliament from abolition), Parliament
remains legally sovereign. 2020 Coronavirus Act temporary amendment.
• The Rule of Law is applied, an independent judiciary can hold govt to account, no one is above
the law, and no one can be punished without trial.
• Vote of no Confidence has to be introduced as a separate motion, not tied to current legislation.
• The UK has a unitary constitution; all power resides in one location (Westminster) it can be
devolved and hence recalled at any time. Fusion of powers in executive and legislative.
• Sources of The UK Constitution:
➢ Statute Law: Laws passed by Parliament.
➢ Convention: Unwritten but accepted (e.g. Salisbury Convention)
➢ Treaties: Agreements with external bodies (e.g. ECHR with Council of Europe).
➢ Authoritative Works: (e.g. A.V.Diceys Law of Constitution 1885 est. Rule of Law).
➢ Common Law: Court Judgements (e.g. Rights such as Freedom of Expression).
• Potential Reforms: HP removed (House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill), Life Peers appointed by
commission not PM, Repealing Section 35 of Scotland Act (ability to block devolved legislation).
• Recall of MP’s Act 2015: constituents have the power to order a by-election.
• English Votes for English Laws 2015: address The West Lothian Question.
• Devolution to England: failure of The Northeast Assembly (2004) referendum halted this.
• Human Rights Act debate: replace with a British Bill of Rights (Conservative/Reform policy).
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority: 6 cities and regions directly elected Mayors (2017).
Devolution
up to 2010 –
power has
been
recalled and
reinstated
five times
from NI.
Component 2 Revision:
Useful Resources:
Skills Booklet (Super useful for Questions and Exam Guidance)
BBC News/The Times/The Telegraph/Financial Times/The Spectator/The Economist/BBC Radio 4/The Guardian
The Politics Shed
Tutor2u
House of Lords Library
Hansard
University of Oxford/Oxford Academic and the London School of Economics and Political Science
A level Politics - Specification
The executive - The Constitution Society
Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom - MoPM (Museum of Prime Ministers)
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
UN expert concerned by UK failure to enforce Supreme Court ruling on sex-based protections | OHCHR (Weakness of SCOTUK)
Devolution - The Constitution Society
2025-11-05-Brexit-Begg-DIGITAL.pdf
CEP | Centre for Economic Performance
, The UK Constitution:
• The Development of The Constitution:
➢ Magna Carta (1215): Principle of The Rule of Law.
➢ Bill of Rights (1689): Established sovereignty of Parliament.
➢ Act of Settlement (1701): Parliament determined succession, monarch as ruler.
➢ Acts of Union (1707): Union of GB and Ireland, disbanded Scottish Parliament.
➢ Parliament Acts (1911 and 1949): House of Lords powers.
➢ European Communities Act (1972): UK’s entry into the EU.
➢ Human Rights Act (1998): Incorporated ECHR into UK law.
➢ Scotland Act, Northern Ireland Act, Government of Wales Act (1998): Devolution.
➢ House of Lords Act (1999): Removed all but 92 Hereditary Peers from Lords.
➢ Freedom of Information Act (2000): Unrestricted access except for National Security.
➢ Constitutional Reform Act (2005): Established an independent Supreme Court.
➢ Fixed Term Parliaments Act (2011): Elections were to take place every 5 years.
➢ Dissolution and Calling of Parliaments Act (2022): repealed the FTPA.
➢ Scotland Act (2016): Welfare and Social Security, power over Income Tax/half of VAT.
➢ Wales Act (2017): Power to choose electoral system.
➢ EU Withdrawal Act (2020): UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
• Monarchy exists due to failure to write a constitution as it remains ‘Organic’.
• The Constitution is uncodified (HRA incorporated ECHR into UK law) and unentrenched (this is
changing, e.g. 2014 referendum protects Scottish Parliament from abolition), Parliament
remains legally sovereign. 2020 Coronavirus Act temporary amendment.
• The Rule of Law is applied, an independent judiciary can hold govt to account, no one is above
the law, and no one can be punished without trial.
• Vote of no Confidence has to be introduced as a separate motion, not tied to current legislation.
• The UK has a unitary constitution; all power resides in one location (Westminster) it can be
devolved and hence recalled at any time. Fusion of powers in executive and legislative.
• Sources of The UK Constitution:
➢ Statute Law: Laws passed by Parliament.
➢ Convention: Unwritten but accepted (e.g. Salisbury Convention)
➢ Treaties: Agreements with external bodies (e.g. ECHR with Council of Europe).
➢ Authoritative Works: (e.g. A.V.Diceys Law of Constitution 1885 est. Rule of Law).
➢ Common Law: Court Judgements (e.g. Rights such as Freedom of Expression).
• Potential Reforms: HP removed (House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill), Life Peers appointed by
commission not PM, Repealing Section 35 of Scotland Act (ability to block devolved legislation).
• Recall of MP’s Act 2015: constituents have the power to order a by-election.
• English Votes for English Laws 2015: address The West Lothian Question.
• Devolution to England: failure of The Northeast Assembly (2004) referendum halted this.
• Human Rights Act debate: replace with a British Bill of Rights (Conservative/Reform policy).
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority: 6 cities and regions directly elected Mayors (2017).
Devolution
up to 2010 –
power has
been
recalled and
reinstated
five times
from NI.
