2.1 Development of the UK Parliament

Question 1

Briefly summarise the historical background of the UK Parliament

Answer 1

1. historically medieval -> King Henry III did not want to share his power
2. the greed of Henry prompted a reaction from nobility member Simon de Montfort who made sure Henry was captured & then proceeded to summon representatives of nobility, as well as newly including knights & churchmen to meet at Westminster Hall in 1265
3. by permitting membership beyond the nobility the ‘Montfort’ Parliament is often considered the first English Parliament in history
4. unusually, during the Civil War from 1642-1649 King Charles entered Parliament & tried to arrest 5 MPs which was outrageous for Parliament
5. in 1689 following the ‘Glorious Revolution’ William II accepted the Bill of Rights which established the principle of parliamentary supremacy; as the the UK has no codified constitution, the British parliament is the nation’s supreme law & has supremacy over the HoL (although the HoL can delay HoC laws for a maximum of 2 years); even the judiciary can not strike down an Act of Parliament because of the principle of parliamentary sovereignty

Question 2

Explain chronologically the key events in the development of the UK Parliament

Answer 2

1. The de Montfort Parliament 1265: the decision of the nobleman Simon de Montfort to summon commoners as well as nobles & churchmen to Westminster Hall in 1265 to discuss reforms is generally seen as the first recognisable parliament
2. The Bill of Rights 1689: the agreement of King William III (1689-1702) to Parliament’s Bill of Rights established the principle of parliamentary sovereignty
3. Extension of the franchise - 1832, 1867, 1884, 1918, 1928 & 1969: these parliamentary reform acts gradually extended the franchise until in 1928 the principle of universal franchise was established when the vote was given to everyone over the age of 21; in 1969 the voting age was reduced to 18
4. Parliament Acts 1911 & 1949: the 1911 Act established the principle that the House of Lords, as an unelected body, could only delay, not veto, legislation that the House of Commons had passed; in 1949, the Lords’ delaying power was reduced to 1 year
5. HoL Act 1999: all but 92 hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords; as a result, most members of the Lords are life peers, which has made the House of Lords more assertive in its dealings with the HoC

Question 3

Explain the term ‘parliament’

Answer 3

• the UK Parliament comprises of the HoC & the HoL & possesses supreme legislative authority
• it scrutinises the work of government & represents the diverse interests of the UK
• Parliament also provides the membership of the government

Question 4

1. Context of the events in the development of the UK Parliament

Answer 4

during the 17th century, both Houses of Parliament increasingly asserted their authority against the Crown & in 1689, following the Glorious Revolution, William III accepted the Bill of Rights, which established the principle of parliamentary supremacy

Question 5

2. Context of the events in the development of the UK

Answer 5

1) as the franchise was extended during the nineteenth century, the legitimacy of the elected HoC grew at the expense of the unelected HoL
2) the supremacy of the Commons over the Lords was not achieved until the early twentieth century, however, when the attempt by the House of Lords to veto the ‘People’s Budget’ led to the Parliament Act 1911, it abolished the Lord’s right of veto over legislation that had passed the Commons
3) in future the Lords would only be able to delay legislation for 2 years
4) in 1949, another Parliament Act reduced this to just 1 year

Question 6

3. Context of the events in the development of the UK

Answer 6

1) although British democracy has evolved over many centuries, this has occurred without the codification (arranging laws according to a particular system) of the British constitution & so there is no authority greater than that of the the British Parliament
2) Parliament is the nation’s supreme law-making body & the judiciary cannot strike down as an Act of the Parliament because of the principle of parliamentary sovereignty

Question 7

Define the term ‘Glorious Revolution’

Answer 7

• it refers to the series of events in 1688-89 which culminated in the exile of King James II & the accession to the throne of William & Mary
• it has also been seen as a watershed (turning point) in the development of the constitution & especially of the role of Parliament