6.4 - How Parliament interacts with the executive Flashcards
PARLIAMENT INTERACTION WITH EXECUTIVE: ROLE OF BACKBENCHERS
PARLIAMENT INTERACTION WITH EXECUTIVE: ROLE OF BACKBENCHERS
What are backbenchers in Parliament protected by?
Parliamentary privilege
What does having parliamentary privilege mean for MPs and Peers?
They can raise any issue they wish in Westminster without fear of being prosecuted in the courts for libel or defamation of character
What are 3 main roles of backbench MPs?
- Represent constituents
- Scrutinise the work of govt
- Legitimise decisions of the government
When was the Backbench Business Committee established?
2010
How many days a year can backbench MPs control parliamentary business as a result of the Backbench Business Committee?
35 days a year
What committee was created in 2015?
A Petitions Committee
What did Michelle Thomson MP speak publicly about during a debate on the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 2016, to raise awareness?
She spoke about being raped to help break the taboo about sharing that kind of information
What did Luciana Berger speak out in the Commons against?
Anti-semitism in the Labour party
How many Labour MPs voted against the Iraq War in 2003?
139 Labour MPs
By how many votes was the EU Withdrawal Agreement 2018 defeated by in January 2019?
230 votes
What are 3 arguments that backbenchers play an important role in the House of Commons?
- MPs can raise awareness of issues
- MPs can dismiss the executive with a vote of no confidence
- MPs can defeat government legislation
What are 3 arguments that backbenchers do not play an important role in the House of Commons?
- MPs are expected to obey the party whip
- Public Bill Committees are whipped
- Government can ignore the advice of select committees
