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 Act