Composition of the Commons and Lords

Question 1

How many MP’s are there in the HOC?

Answer 1

650

Question 2

Why was there 4 less seats in the 2005 general election?

Answer 2

as there was a change resulting from the work of the Boundary Commissions

Question 3

Who was the youngest MP elected in the 2015 general election at 20?

Answer 3

Mhairi Black, SNP

Question 4

What was the % of women as MP’s in 2015 general election?

Answer 4

29%

Question 5

What % of women were elected as MP’s in 2010 general election?

Answer 5

22%

Question 6

What % of women were elected as MP’s in 2005 general election?

Answer 6

19%

Question 7

From 2005-2015, what was the % difference between the amount of women MP’s?

Answer 7

19-29%

10 % increase

Question 8

What % of ethnic minority MP’s were elected in 2015 general election?

Answer 8

6%

Question 9

What % of ethnic minority MP’s were elected in 2010 general election?

Answer 9

4%

Question 10

What % of ethnic minority MP’s were elected in 2005 general election?

Answer 10

2%

Question 11

What does the resemblance theory of representation hold the view of?

Answer 11

that the legislature should be typical of the communities that they serve

Question 12

What would a more representative Commons lead to? (2)

Answer 12

• a better understanding of issues facing some communities

- ethnic minorities having more faith in the legislature

Question 13

Why is resemblance not always important ?

Answer 13

as a good MP will represent all constituents of the best of their ability irrespective of ethnicity, religion or gender

Question 14

How did the Conservatives have an inbuilt Tory majority before the HOL Act 1999?

Answer 14

as they had 471 peers to Labours 179

Question 15

How many peers in the HOL did Conservatives and Labour have immediately before the HOL Act 1999?

Answer 15

Con-471

Lab-179

Question 16

What were hereditary peers known as due to the fact they only showed up to block radical legislation?

Answer 16

“backwoodsmen”

Question 17

Why was the term “backwoodsmen”given to hereditary peers?

Answer 17

as they only ever attended when they were needed to block radical ideas. e.g they only ‘came out of the woods’ every so often to cause problems.

Question 18

Why can party ties to Lords be seen as weak?

Answer 18

as the Lords have security of tenure and therefore cannot be rid of by not toeing the party line

Question 19

Currently, how many peers are there eligible to take part in the HOL?

Answer 19

800

Question 20

How many peers were there in 2011 eligible to take part and sit in the HOL?

Answer 20

763

Question 21

Under what Act does the process by which life peers are appointed date back to?

Answer 21

Life Peerages Act 1958

Question 22

Although the monarch technically confers life peerages, who really has the free rein?

Answer 22

the PM

Question 23

What is the PM bound by when appointing peers to the HOL?

Answer 23

bound by convention

Question 24

How is the PM bound by convention when appointing peers to the HOL?

Answer 24

as the PM must invite nominations from opposition parties who are then scrutinised by the HOL Appointments Commission

Question 25

What is a problem with the fact that when appointing peers the PM is only bound by the convention to invite nominations from opposition parties who are then scrutinised by the HOL Appointments Commission?

Answer 25

neither check presents an insurmountable obstacle

Question 26

What % of the HOL is female?

Answer 26

24%

Question 27

What is the average age of the HOL?

Answer 27

69

Question 28

What did the rapid increase in the number of Labour peers after 1997 lead to accusations of?

Answer 28

cronyism (“Tony’s cronies”)

Question 29

What was the introduction of “peoples peers” supposed to address?

Answer 29

the problem of cronyism

Question 30

What reignited the debate of cronyism in 2005?

Answer 30

Tony Blair’s elevation of special adviser Andrew Adonis to the Lords and straight into government as education minister

Question 31

What 3 ways can the power to appoint life peers be used for?

Answer 31

1) bringing people into the cabinet
2) getting ride of potentially troublesome Common backbenchers
3) reward for political service

Question 32

How can the power to appoint life peers be used to bring people into the cabinet?

Answer 32

as the PM wouldn’t have to wait for a Commons by-election

Question 33

Give an example of when the PM used the power to appoint life peers to bring someone into the cabinet?

Answer 33

Under Blair:

• Gus MacDonald
• Andrew Adonis

Question 34

What is an example of when the power to appoint life peers was used to rid of potentially troublesome Common backbenchers?

Answer 34

In the case of former leader Margaret Thatcher she used to give out peerages to remove people from her cabinet she wanted to get rid of. It was a way of ‘retiring’ people.