44. Devolved Administration programme started in 1997 and since 1999, there has a Welsh Assembly, a Scottish Parliament and a Northern Ireland Assembly (suspended since 2006) for public services in the areas, using a different form of Proportion Representation from MEP. 权力分解运动始于1997. 自1999年起，威尔士、苏格兰和北爱尔兰（2006年被暂停）都分别有自己的议会，通过“比例代表制”产生，管理地方的公共事务。
45. Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has 60 Assembly Members (AMs) to be selected every 4 years and can pass laws for Wales within UK Parliament’s framework. Scottish Parliament has 129 members (MSPs) sharing power between the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties and not specifically reserved to UK Parliament. Northern Ireland Assembly was established soon after the end of the Troubles in 1969 and has 108 members as MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly). 威尔士议会有60个议院，每4年选举一次，可在英国议会框架下通过地方法律。苏格兰议会有129个议席（工党和自由民主党），地方权限不受英国议会约束。北爱尔兰议会在1969年的骚乱结束后就成立了，有108个议席。
46. Towns, cities and rural areas are governed by democratically elected (May every year) councils, often called Local Authorities. Some has two and most has one. Many mayors are the ceremonial leader of the council and some are effective leader. London has 33 Local Authorities with the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London coordinating. Their “Mandatory Services” include education, housing, social, passenger transport, fire, rubbish, planning, environmental and libraries. Most money from government through taxes and about 20% from local Council Tax. 城乡有民主选举（每年5月）的理事会（一般称为“地方当局”）。有些有两个，多数是一个。市长大多为仪式上的领导，少数地方也掌握实权。伦敦有33个地方当局，他们和大伦敦当局及伦敦市长协同管理，其职责包括教育、住房、社区、交通、防火、垃圾处理、规划、环境卫生和图书馆。大部分资金来自政府税收，约20%来自所辖人口的“住房税（Council Tax）”。
47. The judges together are called “The Judiciary”. They interpret laws and if the actions of the government are claimed to be illegal, if the judges agree, then the government must either change its policies or ask Parliament to change the law. If the judges believe that an Act of Parliament is incompatible with the Human Rights Act, they can ask Parliament to change it. However, for serious crime, only a jury can decide whether someone is guilty and if guilty, the judge can decide the penalty. For less important crimes, a magistrate can decide on guilty and penalty. 法官群体组成司法部门，负责解释法律。如果政府行为被认为违法，政府必须要么修改政策要么要求议会修改法律。如果法官们认为议会的议案跟“人权法案”有冲突，他们可以要求议会修改议案。不过，重大案件由陪审团裁决是否有罪，法官只负责量刑；普通案件才由地方法官定罪和量刑。
48. The police service has “Operational Independence” and is organised locally for each county or group of counties. The largest is the Metropolitan Police based at New Scotland Yard inLondon. Northern Irelandas a whole has one Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI). The Independent Police Complaints Commission (the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland) investigates serious complaints against the police. 警方的工作享有“操作独立性”，按郡或几个郡联合组织。最大的为伦敦新苏格兰场的“大都会警察局 ”。北爱尔兰整体由一个警察局负责，叫PSNI。“独立警方投诉监察委员会”（在北爱叫“警察专员”）负责调查针对警方的重大投诉。
49. Non-departmental public bodies, also known as Quangos, are independent organizations that carry out functions inappropriate for a Cabinet minister and are usually appointed by ministers in an open and fair way. 非政府公共组织，也叫“半官方机构”，负责处理内阁总理不方便处理的事物，通常由总理公开公平的任命。
50. Proceedings in Parliament are broadcast on digital television and published in official reports such as Hansard (available online). Most people, however, get information from newspapers (often called press), television and radio.UK has a free press but the press coverage of the political parties must be balanced (equal time). 议会议程会在数字电视和官方报告（例如“议事录Hansard”）上广播，不过大多数人通过报纸、电视和电台获取信息。英国新闻自由，但媒体必须给不同政见人士相同的曝光率（平等的时间）。
51. UK has a fully democrat system since 1928 when women has same vote right as man. The present voting age of 18 was set in 1969 with a few exceptions such as convicted prisoners. Citizens of the UK, the Commonwealth and the Irish Republic(if resident in UK) can vote in all public elections. Citizen of EU who are resident inUK can vote all elections except national parliament (general) elections. 英国自1928年女性跟男性在投票上平等建立了“全面民主”系统。1969年起，投票年龄被降低到了18岁，除了服刑的罪犯等外。英国公民、英联邦和住在英国的爱尔兰公民可以参加任何选举。住在英国的欧盟公民可以参加出议员大选外其它所有选举。
52. To vote, you must have your name on the register of electors (Electoral Register). The form will be sent to every household in September or October each year and to be returned on 15 October or you can ask the Local Government Association (LGA). In Northern Ireland, you must complete your registration form yourself but once registered, you don’t need to update each year provided your details do not change. This is called “Individual Registration”. By law, each local authority has to make its electoral register available to view in office or some public buildings such as libraries. 投票前必须进行“选举登记”，表格每年9或10月会寄到家里，必须在10月15日前回复有效，或咨询地方政府联合会。北爱尔兰实行“个人登记”政策，必须自己主动登记，但只要信息不变，不必每年更新。法律规定，地方当局必须保证登记信息可在一些公共机构（例如图书馆）查到。
53. Most citizens of the UK, the Irish Republic or the Commonwealth aged 18 or over can stand for public office, except members from the armed forces, civil servants, certain criminals, or Members of the House of Lords may not stand for the House of Commons. 大部分英国、爱尔兰和英联邦年满18的公民都可参选公职，除了军队成员、公务员、某些罪犯及上议院人士不可参选下议院议员等。
54. All elected members have a duty to serve and represent their constituents. You can get their contact details from local library or yellow page or go to their regular local “surgeries”. You fax them online for free. You can listen to debates in the Palace of Westminster for both House of Commons and House of Lords with free tickets, or Scottish Parliament, or Welsh Assembly or Northern Ireland Assembly. 所有被选上的人都有义务服务和代表他们的选区。可以从地方图书馆或者黄页上找到这些人的联系信息，或者参加定期的地方“诊聊会”与他们联系。网上还有免费传真。上议院和下议院在威斯特敏思宫的辩论会也可以免费旁听（需预约门票）。其它地方议会类似。
55. The Commonwealth is an association of 53 countries, most of which were once part of the British Empire. Membership is voluntary and the Commonwealth has no power over its members except suspend membership. 英联邦是一个53个国家组成的联盟。其中大多数曾经是大英帝国的一分子。会员采取自愿制，联邦除了开除会员外对成员国没有任何权利。
56. The European Union (EU), originally called the European Economic Community (EEC) was set up by 6 countries by signed the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 1957 and aims to become a single market. UK joined EU in 1973. In 2004 and 2006, 10 and 2 new countries joined EU so totally 27 members now. 欧盟（前身为欧洲经济共同体）由6个国家1957年3月25日签署《罗马公约》时成立，目的为建成一个统一的市场。英国1973年加入欧盟。2004年和2006分别又有10和2个国家加入，至此欧盟共有27个成员国。
57. Council of the European Union (usually called Council of Ministers) is effectively the governing body of the EU and together with the European Parliament, is the legislative body of the EU. The European Commission is the civil service of the EU based in Brussels. The Council of Ministers passes EU law on the recommendations of the European Commission and the European Parliament. European laws, called Directives, Regulations or Framework, are legally binding in all member countries. 欧盟理事会为欧盟实际政府，同欧洲议会一起，是欧盟的立法实体。欧盟委员会是欧盟的行政机构，位于布鲁塞尔。欧盟理事会在欧洲议会和欧盟委员会的推荐下立法。欧盟法律，一般叫做指令、法规或框架，在所有成员国具有法律约束力。
58. Council of Europe was created in 1949 and the UK was one of the founders. Most countries in Europe are members. It has no power to make laws but conventions and charters, one of the most important is the European Convention on Human Rights. 欧洲委员会成立于1949年，英国为发起国之一。大部分欧洲国家都是成员。虽然没有立法权，但是公约和章程还有很重要的，其中最要的即“欧洲人权公约”。
59. The United Union(UN) is an international organization set up after WWII with over 190 member countries. There are 15 members on the UN Security Council. The UK is one of the 5 permanent members. The very important agreements from the UN are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 联合国是二战后设立的一个国际组织，有超过190个成员国，其中15个安理会成员国，英国为5个常任理事国中的一个（其余为美国、法国、俄罗斯和中国）。联合国最重要的协议包括：《世界人权宣言》，《消除一切妇女歧视公约》和《儿童权利公约》。
Pieces of me 