Essay Plans

Question 1

Back bench MP’s cannot influence policy.

Answer 1

Fear of whips- party loyalty, carrot and stick
Eg- spicer
Elective dictatorship- presidential style- Blair and thatcher, John major quote
Overworked- committees and constituency work

Question 2

Back bench mp’s can influence policy.

Answer 2

Rebellions- Blair on 90 days, Cameron on Syria 2013
Labour Mp’s fought through fox hunting ban
Private members bills- abortion legalisation and Sarah champion amendment on pre legislative committee
Speech from back benches

Question 3

Example of backbenchers causing trouble at legislation?

Answer 3

Can vote against policy at 2nd or 3rd reading

Major and the bastards caused trouble on Maastricht

Question 4

Methods of scrutiny of the executive?

Answer 4

PMQ's
Select committees
Back benchers 
Opposition 
House of Lords

Question 5

PMQ’s are effective?

Answer 5

High public interest- over 1 million for Jeremy corbins first
Poor performances can damage pm reputation- party leader image
Mistakes may haunt a PM- Gordan Brown Save the world 2008

Question 6

PMQ’s are not effective?

Answer 6

Adversarial, yah boo
Questions avoided
Planted questions
Reduced by Blair. Clegg spoke of scrapping

Question 7

The government has became presidential?

Answer 7

Opportunities to manipulate media, policy and over