2.4-relationship between parliament and the executive Flashcards
how can backbenches exert influence?
- rebellions
- opposition day motions
- urgent questions
- debates
- public bill committees
- legislative proposals
- vote of no confidence
how many days in the parliamentary session does the BBBC get to set the topic for debate?
35 days
how many times was tony blair defeated in office?
4 times, all in his 3rd term
how many times times was theresa may defeated?
33 times
what vote is considered the worst defeat in modern political history?
- theresa mays brexit deal was defeated 432-202 in 2019
give an example of a recent succesfull oposition day motion.
- 2021
- labour motion calling for the government to cancel the £20/week cut to universal credit passed 253-0
- the goverment told its mps to abstain
what are opposition day motions?
- used to bring up issues the opposition would like to adress
- used to put pressure on the government
- has no legislative power
how many urgent questions were asked between 2017-2019 (the brexit process)?
- over 300
give an example of an urgent question that lead to a resignation.
- amber rudd was asked an urgent question by dianne abbot in 2018 about deportation targets and her handling of windrush
- in this answer she gave parliament innacurate information
what are the limits to the influence of backbenchers?
- power of patronage (mps want to prove loyalty)
- government majority (rebellions are less significant)- DUE TO FPTP
- limited influence of debates and urgent questions
- governments have a majority in public bill committees
- govt controls most of the timetable (increasingly rushed legislation through)
- govt can use secondary legislation
what was tony blair majority?
179 seat majority
what is the role of backbench debate and urgent questions in practice?
provide a mechanism to raise an issue and get it on the poltical agenda
what are the arguments that select committees are influencial?
- hearings are televised
- government has to respond to reports, and the finding of reports can influence policy
- long serving committee chairs can develop greater knowledge in the area than ministers who often remain in a role for a short period
- liason committee directly questions the PM twice a year
what are the arguments that select committees are NOT influencial?
- majority of commitee members are from the governing party
- there is a tradition that chairs of the main commitees are from the governing party
- the power to summon witnesses is limited
- government is not very responsive to reccomendations
give an example of an important recent televised committee hearing.
in 2023 the priviledges select committee scrutinsed former PM boris johnson over the partygate scandal
which select commitee originally proposed the OBR?
the treasury select committee
give an example of when a commitee attempt to summon a witness was blocked.
in 2013 Theresa May (as home secretary) blocked the home affairs select committee from summoning the head of the MI5
how did Boris Johnson undermine the liason select committee?
twice cancelled appointments
what are the arguments that the opposition provides effective scrutiny?
- shadows government departments and proposed alternative policies
- the leader of the opposition can question the PM in PMQ’s
- can attack the govt in the media
- opposition days (20 days)
- recieves short money (6 mill)
what are the arguments that the opposition is ineffective?
- limited when the government has a large majority
- govt controls the majority of the timetable
- govt has access to huge departments and thoasands of civil servants
in what ways can PMQ’s be argued to be effective?
- is ministers mislead the commons in PMQ’s this may result in resignation, ensures the competence of ministers
- gives the opposition an oppertunity to expose govt failure
- PMQ’s is televised and the most watched aspect of politics
how many questions can the opposition party ask in PMQ’s
- leader of the opposition has 6
- 3rd largest party has 2
how might it be argued that PMQ’s is ineffective?
- focused more on partisan, political point scoring
- many backbencher questions are drafted by the whips, aimed at flattering the govt
- presents a very negative view of politics to the public leading to distrust
- should be replaced with something like the liason committee which provides more in debth and meaningful scrutiny
give an example of a convention that limits the govts power.
- convention developed under tony blair: military action should recieve parliamnetary consent
- reinforced by cameron who was defeated on action in syria
- broken by may who didnt hold a vote on action in syria
