Devolution describes the shift of Great Britain’s legislative power from the UK parliament to elected representations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. England does not have its own parliament. In England, policies concerning health, schools, housing, agriculture, environmental protection, tourism, sports and cultural goods are decided by the national government.
The following table lists arguments in favor of and against the monarchy. These arguments allow us to have a discussion where tradition and change are juxtaposed, since the political system in Great Britain is an important tradition that is still relevant today.
| Pro-monarchy | Con/anti-monarchy |
| Unlike other countries, traditions and values represented by the queen and royals attract tourism, which in turn generates revenue | Younger generations consider their monarchical system old-fashioned and out of touch with modern life. |
| British values and traditions strengthen national unity; the British are proud. | It is more difficult for foreigners/immigrants to integrate and identify with the long-lasting tradition which is represented in British society. |
| The Queen has been in office for over 63 years and has worked together with 14 prime ministers (from Winston Churchill to today’s prime minister Boris Johnson). She was able to gain experience over a long period of time. | The Church of England decided that no Roman Catholic can become monarch, which makes the monarchy of GB discriminatory towards most denominations. |
| Social commitment through charities by the royals. | The monarch has to fulfill certain expectations to be respected. They hold immense responsibility and must withstand significant pressure. |
| The monarch has to fulfill certain expectations to be respected. They hold immense responsibility and must withstand significant pressure. | The monarch is born into his/her position, which represents unfairness and discrimination in a modern classless democratic system. |
Republicanism is a movement working against the abolition of the monarchy and it intends to replace the head of state by a president elected by parliament or the citizens. While older people support the more traditional monarchy, younger people tend to be against the monarchical system.
The “Republic Campaign” wants the Queen to be replaced by someone chosen by the population. The main intention is to be able to elect someone who represents the people’s hope and aspirations is the central aspect.
In Great Britain, the Parliament dissolves after 5 years, the next election being on May 2, 2024. The elections are ordered by the Queen on the advice of the prime minister and the political party that wins most seats in the House of Commons usually forms the government and its leader becomes prime minister. The most famous parties are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.
The Conservative Party (Tories) is a right-wing party, mainly associated with law and order, nationalism, private enterprise and minimal interference of the state in the economy.
The Labour Party is the traditional party of the “working class” and it is mainly associated with state control and planning, welfare, and its affiliation to the trade union.