Week 1
Austerity - Government cutting spending and services to save money,
usually during economic hard times.
Brexit - Britain's exit from the European Union - the vote and process of
leaving the EU in 2016-2020.
Deficit - When the government spends more money than it collects in
taxes, creating debt.
Enterprise culture - Encouraging people to start businesses and be
entrepreneurial rather than relying on government.
English Channel - The body of water between England and France - only
21 miles wide at its narrowest point.
European Union - Political and economic partnership of European countries
that the UK belonged to from 1973-2020.
Expansionism - Growing a country's territory or influence, often through
taking control of other areas.
Inclusive - Making sure everyone feels welcome and included regardless of
their background or differences.
Insular - Being isolated or separate from other countries; thinking your
country is better than others.
Neoliberal - Economic philosophy supporting free markets, privatization,
and reduced government spending.
Pragmatism - Making practical decisions based on what works rather than
following strict ideology.
Ben Nevis - The tallest mountain in the UK, located in Scotland.
Channel Islands - Small islands near France that belong to the UK (like
Jersey and Guernsey).
White Cliffs of Dover - Famous white chalk cliffs on England's south coast
facing France.
Factory farming - Raising large numbers of animals in enclosed spaces to
produce food efficiently.
Giant's Causeway - Natural rock formations made of hexagonal stones in
Northern Ireland.
Lake District - Beautiful area with lakes and mountains in northwest
England, popular for walking holidays.
Localism - Giving more decision-making power to local councils and
communities rather than central government.
Peak District - Hilly area in central England, popular for outdoor activities
and walking.
Shetlands - Group of remote islands far north of Scotland, closer to Norway
than London.
Strait of Dover - The narrow stretch of sea between England and France,
the busiest shipping lane in the world.
UK - United Kingdom - made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
Week 3
Backbenchers - Regular Members of Parliament who aren't government
ministers or opposition leaders - they sit on the back benches.
Bill - A proposed new law that needs to be approved by both Houses of
Parliament before becoming official.
Cabinet - The Prime Minister's top team of about 20 senior ministers who
make important decisions together.
Civil servant - Government workers who aren't politicians - they run
government departments and implement policies regardless of which party
is in power.
Clement Attlee - Labour Prime Mainister (1945-1951) who created the
modern welfare state and NHS.
Coalition - When two or more political parties join together to form a
government because no single party has enough MPs.
Constituency - A local area that elects one Member of Parliament to
represent it.
Constitution - The basic rules of how the country is governed - in the UK it's
not written in one document but comes from various laws and traditions.
Constitutional Monarchy - System where the King/Queen is head of state
but can't make political decisions - they act on government advice.
Devolution - Giving some government powers to Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland to make their own decisions.
Executive - The part of government that runs the country day-to-day (Prime
Minister, Cabinet, civil servants).
Glorious Revolution - 1688 event when Parliament asserted its power over
the monarchy, establishing that Parliament is supreme.
Government (UK Government) - The ruling political party led by the Prime
Minister that runs the country.
House of Commons - The elected chamber of Parliament where MPs
debate and make laws.
House of Lords - The unelected upper chamber that reviews and suggests
changes to laws.
Hung Parliament - When no single party wins enough seats to form a
government on its own.
Irish Free State - Ireland when it became independent from the UK in 1922,
now called the Republic of Ireland.
Legislature - The group of people who make laws - in the UK this means
Parliament (House of Commons + House of Lords).
Lords Spiritual - The 24 senior church leaders (bishops) who sit in the
House of Lords.
Magna Carta - A famous document from 1215 that first limited the king's
power and protected people's basic rights.
Member of Parliament (MP) - Someone elected to represent their local area
in the House of Commons.
Monarch (Queen) - The king or queen who is head of state but doesn't
make political decisions.
Oliver Cromwell - A military leader who defeated the monarchy in the
1640s and briefly abolished the crown.
Precedent - When judges use previous court decisions to help decide new
similar cases.
Prime Minister - The head of government who leads the country and chairs
the Cabinet.
Privy Council - A formal body of senior politicians who advise the monarch
(listed twice in your image!).
Question Time - When MPs ask government ministers questions, including
the weekly Prime Minister's Questions.
Royal Assent - When the monarch formally approves a bill to make it
become law.
Shadow Government - Senior opposition MPs who would take over
government jobs if their party won power.
The Speaker - An MP who acts as a neutral referee during House of
Commons debates.
The Troubles - Period of violence and political conflict in Northern Ireland
from the late 1960s to 1998.
Tories - Another name for the Conservative Party, originally a royalist
political faction.
Whip (and 'three-line-whip') - Party instructions telling MPs how to vote - a
three-line-whip means they must vote with the party or face punishment.
White Paper - A detailed government document explaining proposed new
laws or policies.
William of Orange - Became king in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution,
establishing that Parliament is supreme over the monarch.
Brexit – Britain’s exit from the European Union: the 2016 referendum and
the 2020 departure that ended 47 years of membership.
Commonwealth (Old vs New) – The “Old Commonwealth” are the mainly-
white, self-governing Dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa) that shared the monarch; the “New Commonwealth” is the modern
club of 56 mostly former colonies, now open to republics and covering a
third of the world’s population.
Decolonization – The post-WWII process of the UK giving up control of its
colonies so they could become independent countries.
EEC – European Economic Community, the 1957-1993 “Common Market”
that the UK joined in 1973 and which later became the EU.
EU – European Union, the 27-country bloc the UK left in 2020; it makes
common rules on trade, travel, standards, etc.
Falklands – Remote South-Atlantic islands claimed by Argentina but held
by Britain; the 1982 Falklands War cemented UK control.
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the 30-country military alliance
(including UK, US, most of EU) that promises collective defence.
Republic of Ireland – The independent country covering most of the island
of Ireland, separate from the UK since 1922.
Special relationship – The informal but close political, military and
intelligence partnership between the UK and the United States.
Statute of Westminster – 1931 law that gave Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, South Africa etc. full legal freedom—marking the birth of the
modern Commonwealth.
Week 4
The origins of Empire - How Britain began building its overseas territories
and control, starting in the 1500s.
The age of imperialism - The period (mainly 1800s-1900s) when European
powers competed to conquer and control other parts of the world.
The Empire where the sun never set - A phrase meaning Britain's empire
was so vast that it was always daytime somewhere in its territories.
Ulster Plantations - When English and Scottish settlers were given land in
Northern Ireland (Ulster) in the 1600s, which created lasting tensions.
Trading post - Small settlements established abroad for buying and selling
goods, like those in India and Africa.
Chartered companies - Private businesses (like the East India Company)
given royal permission to trade and govern overseas territories.
Colonization - Settling people from Britain in other lands to establish control
and build new communities.
Exceptionalism - The belief that Britain was special and superior to other
nations, justifying its empire.
The triangular trade - The three-sided trade between Britain, Africa, and the
Americas involving slaves, sugar, and manufactured goods.
Stiff upper-lip - The British ideal of showing no emotion in difficult
situations, seen as a colonial virtue.
The Great Exhibition - A huge 1851 exhibition in London showcasing
Britain's industrial achievements and empire.
District commissioners - British officials who governed local areas in
colonies, acting as the main authority.
Public Schools - Elite private schools (like Eton) that trained boys to
become colonial administrators and officers.
Play up and play the game - A phrase meaning to do your best and follow
the rules, seen as embodying British colonial values.
Missionaries - Christian volunteers who went abroad to convert local
people to Christianity and teach Western ways.
The Scramble for Africa - The rapid period (1880s-1914) when European
powers competed to conquer and divide African territories.
The White Man's Burden - The racist idea that white Europeans had a duty
to "civilize" non-white peoples through colonization.
Cecil Rhodes - A British businessman who conquered territories in
southern Africa and founded Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe/Zambia).
The Cape Colony - The first British territory in South Africa, captured from
the Dutch in 1795.
Cape to Cairo - The dream of British control from the bottom (Cape Town)
to the top (Cairo) of Africa.
David Livingstone - A famous British missionary and explorer who mapped
much of central Africa.
Christianity and Commerce - The belief that spreading Christianity and
British trade would "civilize" Africa.
The Suez Canal - A crucial man-made waterway in Egypt connecting the
Mediterranean to the Red Sea, controlled by Britain.
Commonwealth - The modern organization of former British colonies that
work together voluntarily (56 countries today).
Week 6
Bank of England - The UK's central bank that controls interest rates and
issues money, founded in 1694.
Barclays - One of the UK's biggest high-street banks, offering accounts,
loans and credit cards.
Building society - A mutual organisation (owned by its members) that takes
savings and lends money for home-buying, like Nationwide.
Canary Wharf - The modern financial district in London's Docklands, full of
skyscraper banks and offices.
Deindustrialization - The decline of manufacturing industries in Britain since
the 1970s, as factories closed.
Deregulation - Removing government rules and controls to let businesses
operate more freely.
Euro - The common currency used by many EU countries, which Britain
chose not to adopt.
GDP - Gross Domestic Product, the total value of everything produced in
the country, measuring economic health.
HSBC - A huge international bank that started in Hong Kong, now one of
the UK's "Big Four" banks.
Industrial Revolution - The 18th-19th century period when Britain first
developed factories, steam power and mass production.
Inflation - When prices rise over time, meaning money buys less than
before.
London Stock Exchange - The market where company shares are bought
and sold, one of the world's oldest (founded 1801).
Lloyds of London - A famous insurance market where underwriters insure
unusual risks, from ships to celebrities' body parts.
Market economy - System where prices and production are decided by
supply and demand, not government.
Mixed economy - Britain's system combining private businesses with
government-provided services like the NHS.
Monopoly - When one company controls all of a market, restricting
competition.
Private sector - Businesses owned by individuals and shareholders, not the
government.
Privatization - Selling government-owned companies (like British Gas) to
private owners.
Recession - When the economy shrinks for six months or more, meaning
job losses and business closures.
Stock Exchange - Same as London Stock Exchange - where shares and
investments are traded.
Textiles - Britain's first major industry - cotton and woollen cloth-making that
powered the Industrial Revolution.
The City (of London) - The historic square-mile financial district containing
the Bank of England and major banks.
The Treasury - Government department managing the nation's money,
taxes and spending.
Trade deficit - When Britain imports more goods than it exports, sending
money abroad.
Trade union - Organisations that protect workers' rights, negotiate pay and
organise strikes.a
3 R’s – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic – the basic skills every child is
expected to learn.
A-levels – The final school exams taken at age 18, which decide university
entrance.
Academy – A state-funded school run independently of local councils, often
sponsored by businesses or charities.
Comprehensive school – Non-selective state secondary schools that
accept all children regardless of ability.
Eton – The most famous and exclusive private boarding school for boys,
attended by many prime ministers.
GCSEs – General Certificate of Secondary Education – the main exams
taken at age 16.
Grammar school – State secondary schools that select pupils by academic
ability through an entrance exam.
Independent school – Any school not funded by the government, relying on
fees (same as private school).
Literacy – The ability to read and write – a basic educational goal.
National Curriculum – The set subjects and standards that state schools in
England must teach.
Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge) – The UK’s two oldest and most
prestigious universities.
Prep school – Private primary schools that prepare children for entrance to
selective secondary schools.
Private school – Schools funded by parents’ fees rather than the state
(same as independent school).
Public school – Elite private boarding schools like Eton, Harrow and
Winchester (confusingly, not public-funded).
Redbrick Universities – Major civic universities founded around 1900-1960,
such as Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
Scholarship – Financial aid awarded to students based on academic or
other merit to help pay school or university fees.
Tuition fees – The money students must pay to attend university – currently
up to £9,250 per year in England.
Vocational – Courses and qualifications that teach specific job skills rather
than academic subjects.
Beveridge Report – The 1942 plan by economist William Beveridge that
created the modern British welfare state and NHS.
Building society – A mutual organisation (owned by its savers and
borrowers) that specialises in mortgages and savings accounts.
Charities – Non-profit organisations like Oxfam that raise money to help
with social problems, poverty or emergencies.
Council housing – Homes built and owned by local councils and rented at
lower cost to people who need affordable housing.
Detached house – A stand-alone house that doesn’t share any walls with
neighbours.
GP – General Practitioner: the local family doctor you register with for
check-ups, prescriptions and referrals to hospital.
NHS – National Health Service: the tax-funded system that provides most
medical care free at the point of use (1948- ).
Oxfam – A large British charity originally set up to relieve famine in World
War II, now working against global poverty.
Right-to-buy policy – A law (1980s) that let council tenants buy their home
at a discount; it reduced the stock of council housing.
Rough sleepers – People who are homeless and sleeping on the streets
rather than in shelters or temporary accommodation.
Semi-detached house – Two houses built side-by-side and joined by one
common wall – a typical British suburban home.
Social services – Local-government departments that protect vulnerable
children, adults and families.
Terraced house – A row of houses joined together in a continuous line,
common in Victorian towns and cities.
Welfare state – The whole system of government benefits, services and
safety-nets (unemployment pay, NHS, pensions, etc.) designed to protect
citizens from hardship.
Week 8
Bail - When someone accused of a crime is released from custody until
their trial, sometimes with conditions like electronic tagging.
Barrister - A lawyer who specializes in courtroom advocacy and gives legal
opinions, usually hired by solicitors to represent clients in higher courts.
Burglary - Illegally entering a building with intent to steal or commit another
crime.
Civil law - Legal disputes between individuals or organizations (like contract
disputes or divorce), as opposed to criminal law.
Claimant - The person bringing a civil case to court (previously called the
plaintiff).
County Court - Local courts handling most civil cases like small claims,
debt recovery, and personal injury claims.
Crown Court - Higher criminal courts dealing with serious offences like
robbery or murder, usually with a jury.
Crown Prosecution Service - Government lawyers who decide whether to
charge suspects and prosecute cases in court.
Common law - Legal system based on judges' previous decisions and
customs rather than written codes.
District Judge - Professional judges who sit alone in County Courts and
some Magistrates' Courts.
Indictable offence - Serious criminal offences that must be tried in Crown
Court with a jury.
Inns of Court - Four historic institutions (Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple, Middle
Temple, Gray's Inn) that train and regulate barristers.
Justice of the Peace (JP) - Unpaid volunteers who sit with magistrates in
court to help decide cases.
Jury - 12 randomly selected members of the public who decide the verdict
in serious criminal trials.
Legal aid - Government funding to help people who can't afford legal
representation.
Magistrate - Volunteer judges who handle minor criminal cases and some
family matters.
Magistrates' Court - Lower criminal courts handling minor offences and
preliminary hearings for serious cases.
Metropolitan Police - London's police force, the largest in the UK,
responsible for Greater London.
Not proven - Unique Scottish verdict meaning the prosecution didn't prove
guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Precedent - Legal principle that courts must follow decisions made in
previous similar cases.
Queen's Counsel (QC) - Senior barristers appointed for excellence in
advocacy, now called King's Counsel when a king reigns.
Roman Law - Legal system based on written codes, influential in European
legal systems but not the UK.
Solicitor - Lawyers who give advice, prepare cases, and handle legal
paperwork, usually the first point of contact.
Summary offence - Minor criminal offences tried by magistrates without a
jury.
Supreme Court of Justice - The UK's highest court that hears appeals on
important points of law.
Tagging - Electronic monitoring device attached to offenders as a condition
of bail or community sentence.
Anglo-Saxon – The Germanic peoples (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) who settled
in England after the Romans left and gave England its name and early
language.
asylum seekers – People who have left their own country and ask the UK
for protection because they fear danger at home.
Battle of Hastings – The 1066 battle in which William the Conqueror (from
Normandy, France) defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold and took the
English throne.
British Empire – The group of colonies, protectorates and dominions that
came under British rule from the 16th to the 20th centuries.
British National Party (BNP) – A far-right political party that wants strict
limits on immigration and promotes ethnic nationalism.
Britishness – The shared qualities, values and identities that make people
feel they belong to Britain.
Caribbeans – People who came (or whose parents came) from the
Caribbean islands, such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados.
Celtic – The family of peoples (Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish) and languages
that existed in Britain before the Anglo-Saxons arrived.
census – The official count of the whole population every ten years,
showing who lives where, their ages, ethnic backgrounds, jobs, etc.
Cornwall – The south-western county of England where people still
celebrate their Celtic Cornish identity and language.
devolution – Giving elected bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
the power to make some of their own laws.
discrimination – Treating people unfairly because of their race, religion,
gender, age or other personal characteristic.
Domesday Book – The great survey of England ordered by William the
Conqueror in 1086 to record who owned what land.
East End – The traditional working-class area of east London, once home
to many immigrants and now very multicultural.
ethnic – Relating to a group of people who share a common national, racial
or cultural background.
ghettoization – The process by which particular minority groups become
concentrated in one area, often through poverty or discrimination.
Henry VIII – The Tudor king (1509-1547) who broke with the Pope and
made himself head of the Church of England.
immigrant – A person who has come to live permanently in a country that is
not their place of birth.
Indians – People who came (or whose families came) from India, one of the
UK’s largest minority groups.
industrialization – The change from farming and craft work to factory
production that began in Britain in the 18th century.
Jamaicans – People from Jamaica, many of whom came to Britain on the
Empire Windrush in 1948.
Merseyside – The area around Liverpool, an old port city with strong links
to Ireland and the Caribbean.
multiculturalism – The idea that different cultures can live together in one
society while keeping their own identities.
nationalism – Pride in and loyalty to one’s nation; can also mean
movements that want independence for their group.
naturalization – The legal process by which a foreign citizen becomes a full
citizen of the UK.
New Commonwealth – Countries that gained independence after 1945
(e.g., India, Nigeria, Jamaica) whose citizens could migrate freely to Britain.
Old Commonwealth – The mainly “white” Dominions (Canada, Australia,
New Zealand) that became self-governing earlier and share the British
monarchy.
Pakistani – A person from Pakistan, or a British citizen of Pakistani
heritage; large communities exist in cities like Birmingham and Bradford.
racism – Belief that some races are superior to others, leading to prejudice,
discrimination or violence.
Viking – Scandinavian seafarers who raided and later settled parts of
Britain from the 8th to the 11th centuries.
Windrush Generation – Caribbean people invited to rebuild post-war
Britain, arriving on the Empire Windrush in 1948 and in the 1950s-60s.
BBC future- 1)charter must be reviewed and renewed, 2) board of trustes
appointed party by government 3) gout can prevent ‘controversial items’
from being broadcast
Advertising - Paid promotional messages in media platforms to influence
consumer behavior
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) - UK's public service broadcaster
funded by license fee, established 1922
Broadsheet - Large-format quality newspapers focusing on in-depth news
analysis (The Times, Telegraph, Guardian)
Digital - Electronic media content distributed via internet and digital
platforms rather than traditional broadcast
Dubbing - Replacing original dialogue in films/programs with translated
dialogue in another language
Fleet Street - Historical center of British national newspaper industry in
London, now symbolic term
ITV (Independent Television) - UK's first commercial television network,
launched 1955, funded by advertising
License Fee - Annual fee paid by UK households to fund BBC operations,
currently £159 per year
Media - Communication channels and platforms for distributing news,
entertainment, and information
Newsagents - Shops selling newspapers, magazines, tobacco, and
convenience items
Newspapers: The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The
Independent, The Sun, The Times - UK's six major national daily
newspapers representing different political perspectives
Press - Print media, particularly newspapers and periodicals
Press Freedom - The principle that media organizations can operate
without government censorship or interference
Rupert Murdoch - Media mogul controlling News Corp, owner of The
Times, The Sun, and major international media assets
Tabloids - Smaller-format newspapers with sensationalist content (The
Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror)
World Service - BBC's international broadcasting arm providing news in
multiple languages globally