2.4 how it interacts with the executive Flashcards
\the role and significance of backbenchers in both houses
How are backbenchers protected?
- by parliamentary privilege
- mentioned in the Bill of Rights 1689
- backbenchers are free to raise questions without being prosecuted
the role and significance of backbenchers in both houses
what are backbencher’s roles?
- represent their constituents
- scrutinise their government
- consider legislation
- legitimise government decisions. Eg. commit troops to military action
- raise issues they regard as significant
the role and significance of backbenchers in both houses
what determines a backbenchers influence?
Blair example Iraq + terrorist
- majority of the government
- Eg. Tony Blair meant he could survive large rebellions. In 2003, 84 labour MPs voted against involvement in the Iraq war but Blair still won the vote
- Eg. in 2005 when his vote dipped to 66.
- he failed to introduce a 90 day detention for terrorist suspects as 49 labour MPs rebelled.
the role and significance of backbenchers in both houses
When are backbenchers very influential?
- when the government has a small majority
- Eg. 2017 When May lost her majority, she had to ‘manage’ rather than ‘lead’ Brexit to create crossparty support for her strategy,
- It was only when Johnson won an 80 seat HoC majority in 2019 that he was able to enact the EU withdrawal agreement he wanted
Scrutiny - select committees
what are their jobs? examples?
- to monintor the departemtns of state
- buisiness, energy and industrial strategy
- digital culture, media, sport
- defence
- education
- environment, food, and rural affairs
- foreign affairs
- etc.
select committees
how can they cut across departmental lines? significant examples?
- Public Accounts Committees
- women and equalities committee
- committee on the future relationship with the European Union
select committees
How do their reports carry great weight? how are the members selected? how are chairs of select committees an attractive role?
- they are non-partisan
- each political party votes on the members
- the chairs are elected by MPs as a whole
- the chairs are an attractive role because they recieve a significant financial bonus, and they have cross-party support and strong mandate from the legislature.
select committees
Eg. 2020 Jeremy Hunt and the Health Select Committee: how was he effective? what did the significant 2021 report on covid 19 show? how was it also positive?
- as previous health secretary he could criticise them effectively
- 2021 health and social care comittee + science and technology committee reported that the government had a slow response to the covid pandemic, but also how the vaccination programme had been successful.
select committees
2020 Tobias Ellwood and the Defence Select Committee: how was he experienced? what was their significant report in 2021
- Tobias Ellwood was selected as the chair for the Defence Select Committee and was previously a soldier and defence minister
- 2021: their report on the most effective way fo dealing with russia was ‘it is imperative the UK govenrment work with Ukraine allies, and NATO to promote peaceful resolutions between Russia and Ukraine’
select committees
example of the Public Accounts Committee being significant during covid
2021 report
- it reported on how effectively the government has spent taxpayers money
- Eg. 2021 report on the £22b cost of ‘track and trace’ was critical of the government
select committees
advantages of select committees: how are they legitmised? what are their powers? how do they have a significant impact on government decision making?
- due to parliamentary privilege, MPs can ask difficult questions without fear of prosecution
- they can consult widely with ministers, civil servants, and experts, and can send for ‘persons, papers, and records’ to help investigate
- they are also non-partisan and can summon expert witnesses
select committees
2015 Health Select Committee example of impact
- they proposed a 20% tax on sugary drinks to cut obesity
- 2016 George Osborne introduced a sugar drink tax
select committees
disadvantages of select committees: are they really that effective? do they take away time from MPs priorities?
- MPs are not trained in forensic cross-examination
- due to the time demand on MPs, select committees significantly disadvantage their ability to scrutinise the government
Ministerial questions
how/wehn are ministerial questions asked in both houses
- monday-thursday an hour of HoC time is set aside for ministerial questions
- in the HoL this is half an hour and qustions are directed at the government generally rather than specific departments
Ministerial questions
when do ministers have to respond to questions? what does the ministerial code of conduct require? example?
- ministers have to respond to questions within a week in the commons, and within 2 weeks in the lords
- the ministerial code of conduct requires the qustions be made public
- Eg. during the early stages of Russia-Ukraine, the foreign office had several questions from MPs over the UKs response
Prime Ministers Questions
how/when are PMQs asked? how many can each group ask?
- wednesday 12-12:30
- the PM is expected to be in the chamber to answer questions
- the PM can be held accountable this way
- leader of the opposition can ask 6 questions
- leader of the next biggest party can ask 2 questions
- then the other MPs can ask questions
Prime Ministers Questions
governing party’s MPs?
- can ask questions to allow the PM to take credit for government’s successes
Prime Ministers Questions
advantages?
- PMQs allow for parliament to interrogate the PM in a way that cannot happen in the USA where the executive is much less regularly accountable
- PMQs also allow the PM to expose the opposition
Prime Ministers Questions
disadvantages?
Gerlad Kaufman MP quote
- performative and disruptive, not debate
- questions are never truly answered, just countered by something else
- 2015 Sir Gerald Kaufman MP said PMQs have become an ‘exchange of pointless and useless declamations
Prime Ministers Questions
relavance and importance of PMQs example: 2022 Boris Johnson
- Keir starmer used PMQs to examine Boris’ culpability for illegal lockdown parties at DOwning Street, and the government’s response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
- the PM had to respond to enormous issues of public concern
Liason Committee
what is it? how does it perform?
- represents chairs of all select committees and twice yearly questiosn the PM
- less confrontational than PMQs
- ## extended discussion of issues
Liason Committee
2019 chair Sarah Wollastone rebuke on Johnson
‘our role as select committee chairs is to ask you detailed questions on behalf of the public and we planned to do so on Brexit, climate change, health and social care. It is unacceptable that you are refusing to be held to account’
Liason Committee
2020 government appointed who as the chair? instead of what?
- Sir Bernard Jenkin
- instead of allowing the select committees to choose the chair which had been done since 2010
Liason Committee
Eg. 2022 Jenkin and climate strategy
- he made it clear to the PM it was unacceptable to not be clear about his climate strategy
Liason Committee
how was Johnson criticised after several resignations in 2022?
- when Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resigned in 2022, the Liason committee criticised him brutally
- Jenkin made the PM accept he would not be justified in seeking a GE if he had lost the support of his party
Opposition days
what are they? what do they usually contain? what is rare?
- during each session 20 days are set aside to debate subjects chosen by the opposition
- they’re normally on issues that the opposition believe the government must justify
- it’s rare for oppoisiton day motions to pass
Opposition days
2009 Lib Dem motion passed. What was the subject/result?
- Brown’s failure to provide Gurkha veterans with UK residency rights
- passed by 267/246
Opposition days
labour opposition day motion urging what? what was the result?
- urging government to declare ‘an environment and climate emergency’
- supported by the HoC
- not endorsed by the government
representation
what should MPs Balance? what was Burke’s opinion on this?
- Constitutents, party, their own conscience
- Burke 1774 ‘your representative owes you, not his industry only but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion’
representation
how did Brexit raise questions about the Burkean model?
- some pro-EU MPs decided to switch to supporting Brexit given the strength and support of it among their constituents
- others tried to delay/stop Brexit despite the wishes of their constituents being the opposite.
representation
MPs and constituency work
Tony Benn example
- they are expected to thoroughly engage with local issues, individual and colective
- by spending time in their constituencies they are addressing local issues, contributing to the right of ‘redress of grievance’
- Eg. Tony Benn MP for 50 years, said constituency work the hardest but most satisfying part of his job.
representation
Sarah Champion MP for Rotheram: how and why did she change her stance?
- Rotheram voted 68% in favour of Brexit
- Champion previously had campaigned to remain in the EU and subsequently changed her position, voting in favour of Johnson’s withdrawal agreement in 2019
role and significance of the opposition
what should the opposition do?
encourage the government to? create what? what is especially true for His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition? what should shadow ministers do? what should the leader of the oppositon do?
- encourage the governemnt to justify its decisions
- create a public debate by providing arguments why they cannot support the government
- the largest oppositon should provide a government-in-waiting
- shadow ministers should criticise the department they are shadowing
- the leader of the opposition should use PMQs to present themselves as having the political statute to the PM in waiting
role and significance of the opposition
how can the opposition parties achieve these objectives?
oppostion days? committees? shadow ministers? when the government has a small majority?
- on the 20 opposition days, when the main opposition can choose the motion on 17 of these days
- opposition MPs scrutinise proposed legislation in public bill committees and offer amendments
- shadow ministers expose their government counterparts
- if the government has a small majority, opposition parties can work closely with HoL members to uncover failures
- opposition parties play an important role in debate in forcing the government to justify its policiesq
role and significance of the opposition
Eg. Diane Abbott pressure on Amber Rudd in 2022
- Corbyns shadow home secretary proved effective at keeping up the pressure on Amber Rudd during the Windrush Scandal
role and significance of the opposition
Eg. 2022 Angela Rayner and Boris Johnson
- she (queen) powerfully attacked Boris Johnson in the HoC over the allegations of parties
