1-Parliament Flashcards
Privy council
-ancient council to advise monarch
-gov (cabinet inc. PM) and shadow cabinet (senior and leader opposition), senior bishops
-former roles held
-affairs of state
-eg. Changeover monarch- elizabeth2 to charles
-sworn to secrecy- see classified documents and matters
-Penny Morden- leader
but lead by civil service
Parliament
-british legislature made up of house of commons , house of lords and the monarch
-bicarmeral- two chambers
Bicarmeral
Two chambers in parliament
House of lords
-not elected
-92 hereditary
-rest appointed- life peers and senoir bishops
-paid attendance fees eg. Travel
House of lords changes- 1997
-blair
-wanted to make house of ords more democratic as most hereditary (male decendants)
-told to keep 92 hereditary peers- for transitionary period
House of lords changes- 1950
-life peers introduced
-have role for their lifetime
-appointed by party leaders
-so could be x-MPs and ministers
-opened up demograhphic- women and working classes ect
-more representative
Pros of house of lords
-less partisan- less party bias
-more experties
-more consistant- general election change every 5 years
-practicality of voting
-demographic- more inclusive
-house of commons moe about charisma, no career politicians in lords (As appointed)
Cons of house of lords
-undemocratic
-not elected
-scandals
-peter cruddes- payed way into seat- 3 mill
-part time- attendance inconsistnt
-accountable, some signed in and not in
-media scandal- taking money
-1/3 house of lords dont attend frequntly- cost 3.2 mil
House of commons
-primary chamber of uk legislature, directly elected by voters
-650mps, 1 per constituency
-first past the post system used (PR- used in EU)
-diff parties
-MPS PAID- 84k
Negatives of fptp
-wasted votes
eg. Djanogly had majority, other votes dont contribute to another mp seat
-doesnt give opportunity to smaller parties eg. Lib dems
Pros of fptp
-clear winner
-less likely to get small extremist parties
-pr means more likely to have coalition govs
Confidence and supply
-rights to remove the gov ad to grant or withold funding
-also used to describe a minority partner agreeing to prop up s gov party to provide these things in exchhange for party cocessins
informal coalition
DUP (NI) and theresa may 2017
Sailsbury convention
-house of lords should not reject/delay legislation that was included in a govs manifesto
-affirms the idea that the lords are just for revising/scrutining chamber
-up to gov whether they want to push the bill again unchanged or altered- after been pushed back
-1949 reform- bill can only be delayed from manifesto not rejected
Sailsbury convention- examples when HoL played up
-reject universal credit bill- usbourne and cam didnt want to push again
2015
-2008-10
-try to put through terrorism bill- can be held in police cell for 44 days w/out trial or charge -now is 14 days
Parliamentary privilege
-mps/lords can make certain statements w/in parliament without being subjectto outside influence, including law
Legislative bills
-proposed laws to pass through parliamnt
-white and green paper
White paper
-draft of gov bill
-goes into house of commons to be debated and voted on
Green paper
-early draft
-eg. May be ideas
Private member bill
-member of public/mp can give in bill to be debated
Public bill committees
-used to be called stand in committees
-committees responsible for looking at bills in detail
-mini house of commons
-proportion mps in pbc same as proportion in house of commons
normally support gov as have most mps in it
-minister responsible for it
-temporary
Backbenchers
-MPs or lords who dont hold any gov office
-not on front bench- ministers or shadow ministers
-can be on public bill committees
-eg. Jo cox-killed by fsr right (labour)
david Amss- killed by islamist terrorists
Frontbench
Serve in gov
Minister
Select committees
-scrutinise goov departments eg. Defence, health
-permenant
-call witnesses and ministers responsible
-not made up of election result majority
-televised
-chair can be fm any party
-members and chairs are voted by other MPs
Why is it good chairs of select committees are paid
-more independant
-job worth doing
-willing to persue diff job not in cabinet (which would mean need to appeal to whips more)
Pros of select committees
-representitive function of parliament
-cross section of all parties
-not whips
independant
-eg. Foreign affairs, dominic raab(foreign secretary) and other people in department on holiday when afghanistan withdrawal
Wright reforms
-reforms to committees
-allowing chairs to be paid
-chairs and members are elcted
rather than chosen by whips, independant
-2009
Whip
-prefects of the party
-senior position
-chief whip- cabinet
-lives on downing street
-overview voting- aim to prevent rebellion of MPs on voting (if do rebel may be called out, kicked out of the party forcing them to become independant)
-control party vote
Opposition
2nd party
Formal oppositions
Westminister
Another name for parliament
Whitehall
-road/area betwee trafalga and westminister square
-all of civil service departments
-each have permenant secretary
-headed by cabnet secretary- head of civil service
-makes up big offices and state
eg. Home office, treasury, foreign office, education
Civil service
-administration for each departemnt
-permenant and neutral
Diplomatic core
-people who work for foreign office
-headed by permenant secretary in foreign office
Legitimacy
-gained consent from the public
-held responsible through elections
Example backbench MPs
Jo Cox (labour) killed by far right
David amess (killed by islamic terrorists
Life peerages act
1958-gave pm authority to nominate life peers of both sexes to house of lords
Law lords
Used to be in house of lords
-12 most senior judges
Meaning Hol served as highest court of appeal
-instead sit in supreme court
1997 house of lords reform sct
Remove right of 750 hereditary peers to continue sitting in. Upper house
-to avoid compromise-allowed 92 to remain
Example when hoc passed bill over objectno hol
2000
Sexual offences ammendment act
Reduced legal age of gay sex from 18 to 16
Easily passed hoc
How many written questions do hol submit
Approx 600 annually
Example of joint committee
Human rights
Reports of free speech in uni
Wrongful detention and deportation of members of the windrush generation
Example of experienced life peers
Labour lrd winston- scientist and fertility expert
Former chief rabbi- jonathan sacks- sits as crossbencher
Recall of mp
2015 act
If mp serious misdemenour
Can do a petition in constituency
Example of recall of mp
Peter bone 2024
An investigation by Parliament’s behaviour watchdog, the Independent Expert Panel, found Mr Bone broke sexual misconduct rules by indecently exposing himself to a staff member during an overseas trip.
It also upheld five allegations of bullying, including verbally belittling, physically striking and throwing things at the staff member.
Example of representation over party
2018 -8 conservative mps disobeyed 3-line whip to vot against expanision of heathrow airport- constituencies which would be affected `
Example of where parliament doesnt reflectpublic
Hoc 10% ethnic minority background -compared to 13% pop
Hol 7.3% ethnic minority background
Hoc just over third mps womenq
Examples of hol defiance
2015 universal credit bill propsed by camerone and usbourne- rejected by hol and they refused to push though
how many life peers
654/800
Why no incentive to be select committee chair
Payed less than most junior misiterial role- parliament-under-secretary
Does gov listen to select committees
Less likely 66% dont follow
Select committee sucess
Committe of privileges
Partygate =boris
Made public more aware
pmq sucess
Lying of boris johnson in 2021 over parties first highlighted when kier starmer questioned repetedlyq
Budget in house of commons
Since parliament act 2011
Hoc to approve
Debated in commons over 4 days
Scrutinise the gov resulting fincance bill in a committee of the whole house and a public bill committee
Example when prerogative power not used
Cameron in syria 2014
Believed military action should be used against bashar al-asaad to be justified after an alleged chemical attack by his gov
When debated-gov defeated 285 to 272
When prerogative powers used
Sunak/cameron 2024 strikes on houthi tarkets in yemen without parliamentary approval
Sunak supported but humza yousef doesnt and neither does former shadow chancellor mc donell
Example of poor legislation due to party whips
Crime and disorder act 1998
Introduction fo anti-scoial behaboir orders
Criteria ‘to cause alarm, harassment or distress; meant could be used for loud singing or rudeness to neighbours
Singnificant gov defeats in hoc
EU withdwal agreement 2018
In 2019 may gov defeatd by 432 votes to 202 for brexit deal
Worse ever in gov
Public accounts committee
Ensure gov expendaiture is effective as possible and holds ‘the government and its civil service to acount for the dlivery of public services’
Liason committee
Represents chairs of all the select committeesa and regularly q the pm
-less confrontational than pmq- so allows for greater discussion
-reputation of its membership means highly influential in holding pm to account for policy
Mps and contituncies good thing
Tony benn- mp 50 years
Called constituency work hardest but most satisfying part of his job
‘In my constituency everuone i met was my employer’
Example of serial rebellors
Corbyn voted against new labour 428 times
3 line whip
-mps must attend for vote and vote in line w/ demand of leader
-if refuse may loose party whip-lose membership of party
-
Speaker of the house of commons
-ensure parliament functions as effectively as possible
-impartial-not involved in parliamentary debate
Experieced and claim respect from both sides of house
-ensures proper process is followed and presides over debates
-can suspend mps if directly abusive or disobedient
How many members in house of lords
800
Life peers
Most common
Appointed title for life
Not hereditary
Appointed by reccomendations of pm or house of lords appointments commission
Hereditary peers
92(as of 1997)
-inherited titles when die or disclaim peerage
-many others have title but dont sit in hol- after herediatry peer dies, by-election held amongst. Peers to determine who will assume seat
Bishops in hol
Cofe
26 senior bishops
No other religions auomatically gain seat- but can get life peerage for example
Seating in hol
-sit on two sides-two diff parties
-middle seats-crossbenchers
No party affiliation
Lord speaker
Chairs the debates and calls votes
Hol main representative
Most debates in hol are self governing
Main functions of hoc
Representation
Legislation
Scrutiny
Debate
Representation- does hold gov to account/effective
-1mp/constituency
Voters can ask q, petitions
Hold to account- not voted again
Private members bill
Surgeries
-become more representative
-can see how mp vote online- can be questioned
Representation- not effective/(accountable)
-diff demographic in public an parliament
-parties take priority
Whips
Esp if career politican
-private mmber bills rarely sucessful and dont dominate timetable
Legislation- effective/hold gov to account
-parliament increasingly rebellious- allowing opposition
-public bill comittees strengths
Allow for scrutiny of gov and bills
-hol more defiant
Not career politicians
Most life peers-experience
Crossbenchers
Call for ammendments on bills
Legislation- not effective/accountable
-fusion of powers make more diff to oppose
Gov harder to hold to account as less likely to break away
Pm in gov determines power
-select committees more effective tham pbc
-hol powers limited
Sailsbury convention and ammendmets- can pause but not veto bils
-rebels not put on pbc
-if majority gov- diff to oppose
Scrutiny-effective in holding to account
-select committees allow departments to be held to account an dinvestigate- eg partygaet
-pmq
-pm rare to declare military action w/out parliament
Scrutiny- not effective in holding to account
-less effective select committes
More experiences mps want to be ministers-paid more, even most junior paid more than select comitee chair
-pmq political theatre rather than proper survey
-prerogative powers- dont need gov to approve
Eg. Military action, conduct diplomacy, treaties
Functions of hol
-revise legislatno’
-scrutiny
-provide expertise
-debate
‘Constitutional safegaurd’
Hol-revise legislation
-cant veto laws
-revising chamber
-tidying and deliberate on bills
-give advice- less biased
-may cause gov to reconsider- ammendments or push back
Scrutiny- hol
-hold question time sessions
For ministers in lords
-respond to statements
-write to ministers
-have committee stages
-have joit committeesw/ hoc
-sevondary legislatio
Secondary legislation
Highlight areas of concern to be raised in debate in chair of hol
‘Constitutional safegaurd’
Extend life of a parliament
Last used in ww2
Powers of hol
Delay
Veto
Ammend
Delay-hol
Delay legislature for one parliamentary session- usually a year
Parliament acts 1911 ad 1949
veto-hol
-can be used
Extend life of parliament
Secondary legislation
Amend- hol
-once ammended returnd to commons
‘’’’’’’’’’ask mps to think once again’
Issues raised by PMB even though not passed
2018
Peter Kyle representation of the people bill
Proposedd reducing voing age to 16- not given enough time to proceed
High profile issue
Sucessful PMB
House of lords reform act 2014
Allow lords to resign/retire
Allow lords to be expeled for criminal activity pr non-attendance
Example of bill undergone pre-legislative scrutiny
Jointcommittee on. The domestic violence and abuse bill
Met in 2019
Example bill which failed second reading vote
Shops bill 1986
What would happen if monarch did not give royal assent
Walter bagehot wrote that this woul amount to the equivalent of the queen signing her own death warrent
who was the last monarch to refuse to give royal assent
Queen anne 1707
Example of ‘ping pong’ between houses
Prevention of terrorism act 2005
Bill went through ping pong 9 times
Before being agreed by both houses
Example of bill in committee of whole house eing used
European withdrawal act no.6 2019
Bingds pm to asking EU for an article 50 extention if commons doesnt a gree on a deal/no deal
More evidence in PBC
2006
Allow written and oral evidence
How many committee stage amm=endments are gov backed
99%
Example of high profile select committee research
Culture, media and sport
2011phone hacking scandal
Telebised committee scrutiny of news international chairman- murdoch
Experience stat for committee chairs
Approx 80%
Example for committee having direct influence on gov policy
Home affair select committee produced damning report over passport office
So home office took direct control of it
Stat for evidence in select committees
DSC average 44 written eviene, 12 oral evidence
-ameber rudd’s evidence over windrush scandal to home affairs committee led to her resignition
Example of minister turned sc chair
Yvette cooper was shadow cabinet, now chair of home affairs select committee
Gender balance in select committee chairs
32% so same as hoc
2017 10/49 candidates for committe chair elections
Example to show that committees dont have an unlimited power of calling witnesses
2013 may blocked home affairs committee from questioning head of mI5
Ministerial chaired committees
Forign affairs, treasury, defence, education committees
Turnover rate of committee membership
2010-2015 avaerage 80%
Stat for irregular attendance SC
72%
E-petition debates organised by petitions committee
Mar 2024
E petitioons both for and against removing lgbt content from the relationships education curriculum
Example of personal/important issue raised by mp
2016 during a debate on UN international day for the elimination of violence agains women
Michelle thomson publically spoke about being raped- break taboo sharing this info
Debates aranged by backbench business committee
Mar 2024 large scale solar farms
Example when large scale rebellion didnt matter
2003 139 mps voted against iraq war but blair still won the parliamentery vote
2024- rwanda 11 mps rebelled
Executive dismissed after vote of no confidence
1979 james callaghan
Example when gov dropped bill as didnt have enough support from party
2005 lost commons vote when 49 labr mps disobeyed 3line whip- blair abandoned poropsals to allow terrorist supsects to be held 90 days without charge
Example when gov wet against advice of select committee
Foreign affairs sc advised against military intervention in syria
Effective leader of the opposition
Led mostly united labour
Helped them to gain power 1997 esp agianst disjointed party under major
Ineffective leader of the opposition example
William Hague
Divided party on europe
Popularity coulnt catch up from blair and new labour
Economy booming
Failed to make impact and ended up adopting some new labour policies as part f policy programme
Example when gov defeated through opposition day debate
2009
Gordon brown defeated ober Ghurkha veterans resdencu rights
On lib dem opposition ay
Sucess from tv debate
Nick clegg poll boost from first debate
Fixed-term parliaments act
Parties can plan their platform more to a set date rather whim of pm calling an election
Exmple for lack of media consitancy
On one of 2017 debates neither may nor corbyn present
Why should ministers be transparent
Ministerial code of conduct
‘Ministers should be as open as possible’ ‘refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest’
Roles of backbenchers
-representation
Ask q on behalf of constituents
-backbench business comittee
Can rause q for debate
-petitions committee
Scedule on e-petitions if over 100,000 signaitures
-mps raise issues they feel are important
-can introduce private member bills
-when gov majority- v small-more power
Whips more likely to make concessions
-extent of power depends on majority in constituency and gov
Yes- backbenchers play important role
-committee work
- Select c- scrutiny
- liason c -hold pm to account on policy developments and implementation
-backbench business c- chose topics for debate
-pbc- ammendments on legislation, can introduce pmb
-representation
‘Redress of grievence’
Public concerns on issues can be voiced
-power
-dismiss executive w vote of no confidence
-can oppose whips
-mps can gain concessions from executive when small majority
-if not enough mps support gov may drop legislation
No-backbenders play important role in hoc
-committees and legislature
-ignore advice sc
-pbc- whpped, opposition unlikely
-pmb fail- not enough time
-backbench bc- gov dominates parliamentary agenda
-increasingly gov dont have to act or suport propositions for debates from e-petitions
-power
-expect support whil=ps
-vote no confidence only in execptional circumstances
-royal prerogative allows pm to commit gb armed forces to military action without parliament vote
-;arge majority gov can survive even large backbench rebelllions
How can mps introduce pmb
-ballot
-10 min rule
-presentation
Pmb through ballot
-held at beginingo f each parliament in which mps put forward propositions for pmb
-20 bills in ballot
-top 7 usuallly debated
-most pmb introduced through this method
Pmb through 10 min rule
-mps can put forward proposals for bill in 10 min speech
Presentation pmb
Mps can formally present pmb in hoc
How pmb introduced in hol
Only through ballot
Greater chance of pmb being passed if
Cross party support
Gov look favourably upon it
Significance of pmb
-very few become law
-limited time to debate on friday
As on friday many mps left to visit constituencies
Therefore not always sufficient no. Present for a division/vote which is needed for bill to progress
Some opposition may filibuster
-pmb may raise profile of bill rather than change law
Pre-legislative scruitiny
Optional stage
-detailed examination of a draft bill
-joint committe mps and peers
-may make reccomendations to gov
Process of bill bng passed
(Pre-legislative scrutiny)
First reading
Second reading
Committtee stage
Report stage
Third stage
Hol-repeat same
Consolidation of ammendments (parliamentary ping pong)
Royal assent
First reading
Formall presented to parliament
No discussion
Second reading
Main principles debated
Few weeks after 1st debate
Vote of mps held and if passed moves on
Report stage
-consider any further amendments
-all mps may participate in debate
-may suggest new ammendments to bill
Voted on- all mps unless on pbc
-speaker selected which ammendemnts are to be put to vote
Third reading
Final stage for debate
Shorter than 2nd and report stage
Whole house vote on final bill
Consideration of amendments - parliamentary ping pong
Both houses must agree on same wording in bill
Eg. Amendments made by lords must be agreed in commons’
If commons disafree may push back- ping pong
Normally after 3 pingpongs lords give up
Royal assent
King signs bills and officially becomes law
King can refuse
Committee stage
-bill is scrutinsed by pbc
-atleast 11mps
-ministers and shadow minister from department in bills can attend
-first meet 1-2 times after second reading
How pbc selected
-members select committee- body of mps that oversee. Selection and composition of all parliamentary committees
-party composition- proportional of hoc
-members whippd- gov agree
How pbc scrutinise
Written and oral evidence
Written evidence
From organisations or individuals
Members of public as well
Oral evidence
Beginning of proceedngs attending gov minister and anyother individual called by committee
committee of whole house
-for financial bills and important/urgent bills, constitutional and matters of ethical concern
-in commons
Deputy speaker chairs
In hol most in whole house
Select committees
-exist to scrutinise work of gov or gov department
-min 11 mps- representing composition of parties
-select what to investigaate
-call witnesses
-chair- elected by all mps
Select committees in commons
Departmental select committees
Non-departmental sc
departmental select committees
Mirror diff gov departments and their work
Look into issues relatingt o policy action
Non-departmental select committee
-both public interest and parliamentary importance
-eg. Backbench business committee
House of lords- select committees
-dont mirror gov departments
Investigate specific issues
-12 months/commiittee
6 main commitees
Adhoc committes
Example of main select committee hol
Communications c
Eg. Future of channel 4
Ad hoc committees- hol
Specific issue or piece of passed legislation
Joint select committees
Made up of both mps and peers
-4 permenant ones
-also convened for rewriting tax laws put forward
-temporary
4 permenant joint committees
Consolodation of bills
Huan rights
National security
Statutory instruments
temporary joint committees
Consider draft legislation
Pre-legislation scrutiny
Submit report on bill and cease to exist after
Oppositno
All parties not majority party make up this
Role of opposition
-ensure gov justiy legislative programme and executive
-create public debate- resonable arguments made
-shadow cabinet -ministerial failures of policy implentation
-pmqs- present leader of opp as syronh
-present themselves as better than pm
Short money
-financial support for opp
-carry out parliamentary business, expenses eg, travel
-given proportional
For any party with atleast 1-2 seast and 150,000 votes
How opposition achieve goals
-20 days for opposition topics
17 hm opposition
3 for smaller party
-scrutiny in pbc and other committees
-shadow ministers-expose failures of gov departments in power
-pmq- leader of opposition get 6q
-3rd party leader- 2q
-queens speech debate
Vote of confidence in gov poilcu
How important is opposition
-balance on tv shows eg. Question time
Leader of opposition shown more, importance, is om in waiting
-hung parliament means more oppositino
-increase in support for 3rd party
-hung parliament ot common- but if is the case- oppositno more opportunity
-balance in media desnt mean consistency- doesnet influecne committee/parliamentary proceedings
Ministerial q in hoc
Mon-thur
1hr for oral q to be put to miinisters
Ministerial q in hol
1/2hr on smae day
But to gov rather than specific department
How long for ministers to respond to q
1w commons
2w hol
Pmqs
Wednesday 12-12.30
Resppond to hoc
Leader of opp 6q
3rd party- 2q
Fixed term parliament act 2011
If gov defeated on motion- ‘that this house has no confidence in HM gov’
And no other gov wins another confidence motion w/in 14 days- parliament dissolved and early general election called
Why did dup confidence and supply
2017
In return for increased spending ni
Constitutional reform and goverance act 2010
Limits on prerogative power to negotiate treaties
Tonny bllair asked commons war in iraq
412-149 yes
2003
Cameron asked commons to approve military intervention in syria
2013
Defeated 285-272
Decided not to- as an event on war-q legitimacy of decision
Example of secondary legislation
Statutory tax credit regulations
Cut tax credit bill by 4.4bn
How did hol reform under blair distort proportion of peers
232/665 were conservative, before 506/1320 were
Trusted (burhea) representatin
Experienced education and informed mps should consider constituency views but exercise own judged in parliament
Party/madate model of rep
Vote in line with party
3 line whip to ensure
Eg.noot when 52 llaboru mps vote agiaanst eu withdrawal act
Delegate model-0- 1/3 consituents mp with remain
Trustee rep— labour mp - couldnt ‘in all good conscience’ as believe would ‘ultimately harm the city’
Free votes
No pressure for pary otes
Often on ethical issues
Mps redress of greivenace
Tackle constituency issues
Write to relevant gov minister
Raise awareness with early day motion
Ask pkmq
Functional rep
Reps advocate not for particular terrtory but sector of society
Eg class
All party groups
Informal gorups with no official status w/in parliament
Bring diff points to discuss and promote matter of common interest
Eg/ all parliamentary group on christianuty
Administered by a staff member from the bible society
Descriptive representation
Extent to which reps share same belief in gender, ethnicity, occupation, education ect as electorate
Important parliameent legislation
More informal decision making
Equality of opportunity
Lgbt mps
2017 45
2015 32
Oxbridge mps compared to society
24% compared to 1%
How to stop filibuster
Closure motion, need 100 mps diff as on firday
Example of pmb eventially issue
Disability and presentation bill as pmb
Gain greater attention
But sustained pressure led gov to introduce its own bill- disability discriminatioin act later on despite can gov initiaally blocking it
Public bill comm
Temporary- little incentive to work towards
Selected by whips
More partisan
Select comm
Permenant- ndevelop good working relstions
More independant\often produce unanimus decision
How many pb ammendments passed
2000-10
88 non gov ammendments made pbc
Despite oppositoin mps propose over 17,000 ammendments
Programme motions
Voted on after bill 2nd reading to set deadlines for remaining stages
Recommended by 1997 modernsiation
Hoping mps more influcential
But not realy- whipped
Private schools and diversity
2017 29% mp private school despite 7%
How many pms went to eton
19
Family backgrounds of mps
‘Even if their social backgrounds were ostensibly comfortable’
39 grew up without fathers in 2015 intake
Michael gove adopted at 4 months
Incumbancy facyor
Tend to be better recognised and trusted than those sitting against them, making it more challenging
Public opinion of politicians
2014 pol by uni of southampton
48% politicians were out merely for themselves
30% concerned primarily with their party
Only 10% doing best for their country
19720 38% out for themselves, 1944 at 35% with 36% best for their country
When did constituency boom
1960s when the elections in that decade ‘brought in many new labour mps drawn from professional backgrounds’
And 1970s- growth of local radio and free-sheet newspapers further encouraged those new members to be more involved
Lack of scrutiny
2015 tory mp james gray
‘Legislatioon has in fact vastly increased in numbers in recent years and vastly decreased in quality. Why? Because we dont have enough time to do so. Surely we should be seeking to extend parliamentary hours and scrutiny rather than shortening them?’
Wes streeting- labour mp.said- ‘patronage is so strong and the executive dominates’’we dont really have the time to look at legislation, we dont take ourselves seriously as legislators’
Dont get to choose on bill comm
. Sarah wollaston- gp from devon- wasnt allowed to go on health and social care bill comm to scrutinise
1922 comm
trade union for backbenchers- chooses the candidates to be party leader and pressures the top brass to change policies’
Bill comm worthwile?
pointless ritual’ conservative mp andrew tyrie as you have to vote with whip anyway
Anthony king and ivor crewe often argue that ;mps on public bill commmittees almoist always see themseves as partisan advocates, not as dispassioinate law-makers’
‘I think bill committees work well for opposition mps’- labour shadow minister
Louise thompson-academic studying bill comm found ‘rare for anyone in a non-governing party to make changes to the law in this forum’
Examplke of big rebeller
Corbyn rebelled agianst his own party more than 500 times
Role of lords honesly
revise- ‘all too often peers are not so much revising as doing the dirty owork of mps too anxioys to stick their heads above the parapet’
Legal aid, sentencing and punishemnt of offenders act- 11 defeat hol
Example pointless legislation
Cones hotline 1992- response to heavy traffic caused by loitering cones that appeared to have no purpose’
Failure foreign policy- lack of scrutiny
Foreign secretary hague described libyan revels plan for democracy after gaddafi as ‘embryonic’
Failure led to migration crisis
Foreign affairs sselect com 2016 found that-
We have seen no eviodence that hthe uk government carried out a proper analysis of the nature off the rebellion in libya’
Parliament
The british legislature made up of the hoc, hol and the monarch
Sailsbury convention
The convention wherby the hol does not delay or block legislation that was included in a gov manifesto
Legislative bills
Proposed laws passing through parliament
Parliamentary privilege
The right of mps or lords to make certain statements w/in parliament without being subject to outside influence, inc law
Hol defiance and power example
2015-16 Parliamentary Session, the Lords considered 78 bills, and made 1,254 amendments,
Lords bill introduced
Dubs Amendment to the Immigration Act (2016) to encourage the Government to accept more vulnerable unaccompanied refugee children to the UK
Hol restriction example
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (2012) but these were easily overturned because the Parliament Act (1911) gives the Commons ‘financial privilege’, and the Lords cannot block ‘money bills’ that authorise expenditure or taxation
Power select comm example
June 2014, the Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, a doctor who had previously been critical of the Government’s health policies, was elected as the new Chair of the Health Committee. University College London traced policy recommendations from seven select committees from 1997-2010 and found that the government acted upon 44% of their recommendations.
Example sucessful e petition
A petitopn to cancel gcse and a level exams 2021 in covid 19, started alex d’arcy aged 16
Reciving over 200,000 signiatures,exams that year replaced by teacher assessed grades
Breaking of civil service ecode
Sue Gray broke the Civil Service code by discussing a job with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, a Cabinet Office investigation has concluded. In a written ministerial statement, Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin said the “undeclared contact” between her and Sir Keir constituted a breach.”The rules and guidance that govern the conduct of civil servants are clear and transparent,” he added. “It is deeply unfortunate that events have transpired in this way.”But he insisted he remained “confident in the impartiality of our Civil Service”§§
Breaking hol convention
Rwanda bill defeated hol second reading by 43 votes, coventionally done and ammendment
Examples of hol scruitiny
Online safety bill- ammendments in july 2023 inc au generated content
Nat secuirty act new clause on foriegn inerference elections
Lords committee work
Communications and digital comm- people all ages and backgrounds left behind as services as personal lives move online - report digital exclusion
Chair lord baroness stowell- prevously been head of corporate affairs in bbc
Example of representation in hol
Lord winston
Chairman of house of lords select committee on scirnece and tech
Controversial hol example
Baroness owen
Con appt
Worked in no10 as special advisor- although controversial as may not worked as long as stated
Woman
Youngest papt 30 years old how much expeerice
