Composition of the Commons and Lords Flashcards
How many MP’s are there in the HOC?
650
Why was there 4 less seats in the 2005 general election?
as there was a change resulting from the work of the Boundary Commissions
Who was the youngest MP elected in the 2010 general election at age 25 ?
Pamela Nash , Labour
Who was the youngest MP elected in the 2015 general election at 20?
Mhairi Black, SNP
What party was Pamela Nash age 25 , elected an MP in the 2010 general election ?
Labour
What party was Mhairi Black age 20 , elected an MP in the 2010 general election ?
SNP
What was the % of women as MP’s in 2015 general election?
29%
What % of women were elected as MP’s in 2010 general election?
22%
What % of women were elected as MP’s in 2005 general election?
19%
From 2005-2015, what was the % difference between the amount of women MP’s?
19-29%
10 % increase
What % of ethnic minority MP’s were elected in 2015 general election?
6%
What % of ethnic minority MP’s were elected in 2010 general election?
4%
What % of ethnic minority MP’s were elected in 2005 general election?
2%
What does the resemblance theory of representation hold the view of?
that the legislature should be typical of the communities that they serve
What would a more representative Commons lead to? (2)
- a better understanding of issues facing some communities
- ethnic minorities having more faith in the legislature
Why is resemblance not always important ?
as a good MP will represent all constituents of the best of their ability irrespective of ethnicity, religion or gender
How did the Conservatives have an inbuilt Tory majority before the HOL Act 199?
as they had 471 peers to Labours 179
How many peers in the HOL did Conservatives and Labour have immediately before the HOL Act 1999?
Con-471
Lab-179
What were hereditary peers known as due to the fact they only showed up to block radical legislation?
“backwoodsmen”
Why was the term “backwoodsmen”given to hereditary peers?
as they only ever attended when they were needed to block radical ideas
Why can party ties to Lords be seen as weak?
as the Lords have security of tenure and therefore cannot be rid of by not toeing the party line
Currently, how many peers are there eligible to take part in the HOL?
800
How many peers were there in 2011 eligible to take part and sit in the HOL?
763
Under what Act does the process by which life peers are appointed date back to?
Life Peerages Act 1958
Although the monarch technically confers life peerages, who really has the free rein?
the PM
What is the PM bound by when appointing peers to the HOL?
bound by convention
How is the PM bound by convention when appointing peers to the HOL?
as the PM must invite nominations from opposition parties who are then scrutinised by the HOL Appointments Commission
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?
neither check presents an insurmountable obstacle
What % of the HOL is female?
24%
What is the average age of the HOL?
69
What did the rapid increase in the number of Labour peers after 1997 lead to accusations of?
cronyism (“Tony’s cronies”)
What was the introduction of “peoples peers” supposed to address?
the problem of cronyism
What reignited the debate of cronyism in 2005?
Tony Blair’s elevation of special adviser Andrew Adonis to the Lords and straight into government as education minister
What 3 ways can the power to appoint life peers be used for?
1) bringing people into the cabinet
2) getting ride of potentially troublesome Common backbenchers
3) reward for political service
How can the power to appoint life peers be used to bring people into the cabinet?
as the PM wouldn’t have to wait for a Commons by-election
Give an example of when the PM used the power to appoint life peers to bring someone into the cabinet?
- Gus MacDonald
- Andrew Adonis
What is an example of when the power to appoint life peers was used to rid of potentially troublesome Common backbenchers?
in the case of former leader Margret Thatcher
Who is an example of when the power to appoint life peers was used to reward for political service?
Blairs private pollster Philip Gould in 2004
Who was Philip Gould who Blair appointed a life peer?
Blairs private pollster
When did Blair appoint his private pollster Philip Gould a life peer for political service ?
2004
