Evaluate The View That Changes In Recent Decades Have Limited The Executive’s Dominance Over Parliament Flashcards
yes- increased power of backbenchers
Wright Reforms (2010) – Strengthening Backbench Influence
Backbench Business Committee (BBBC):
Gives backbenchers control over 35 debate days per parliamentary session, limiting the executive’s control over the agenda.
Example (Dec 2024):
Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative MP) led a BBBC debate on detained British nationals abroad, focusing on the lack of support and potential human rights abuses.
Smith’s motion called for the Foreign Office to report on detained citizens’ cases, raising public awareness and media attention to put pressure on the government.
Select Committee Chairs Elected by MPs:
Previously chosen by party whips, now backbench MPs elect committee chairs, improving scrutiny and independence.
Example:
Emily Thornberry (Labour MP) became the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and used the position to criticize government policies on China and Russia.
Thornberry advocated for stronger human rights action against China (especially regarding the Uyghur Muslims) and urged more robust Russian sanctions, criticizing loopholes allowing oligarchs to protect assets in the UK.
2. Increased Use of Urgent Questions
Urgent Questions allow backbenchers and opposition to question ministers immediately on pressing matters, increasing parliamentary accountability.
Significantly increased under Speakers Bercow and Hoyle.
Example (Mar 2023):
An Urgent Question was raised regarding the Junior Doctors’ strikes, forcing the government to respond on how they were addressing the ongoing disputes over pay and working conditions.
This led to immediate government scrutiny and pressured ministers to address the issue, showing how Urgent Questions can force action and prompt a government response
against- increased power of backbenchers
Backbench Business Committee
While the BBBC gives backbenchers more control over debates, the executive still dominates the parliamentary timetable due to its majority in Parliament.
Impact: The government’s majority ensures that the legislative process remains under executive control, limiting backbench influence.
2. Urgent Questions & Debates
Urgent Questions and debates can raise an issue’s profile, but they rarely lead to significant action or influence government policy.
Impact: While they bring attention to issues, they often fail to lead to policy changes, showing limited impact on government decision-making.
3. Select Committees
Select Committee chairs are no longer chosen by party whips, but committees remain dominated by governing party MPs due to large majorities.
Example: In the current Parliament, 18 out of 27 Select Committee chairs are from the Labour Party, with Labour members in the majority on each committee.
Impact: Despite the reforms, the governing party’s dominance in committees limits their ability to effectively hold the government to account.
yes- the reformed HOL
House of Lords Reform
Impact: New Labour’s reforms removed hereditary peers, reducing the Conservative majority and introducing more crossbenchers for better scrutiny. This limited executive dominance, as the Lords can vote down bills and amend legislation more effectively than the House of Commons.
Increased Professionalism
Impact: The introduction of life peers with political experience or expertise led to more professional scrutiny.
Example: Lord Andrew Adonis, a Labour peer and former Secretary of State for Transport, provides leadership and scrutiny in the Lords.
Example: Lord Mair, a geotechnical engineer, brings expertise to the Science and Technology Committee.
Limited Party Pressure
Impact: Life peers are less pressured by party whips and thus can vote independently, leading to more defeats for the government.
Example: Tony Blair was defeated 353 times in the House of Lords, compared to just 4 times in the Commons.
Example: In 2001, 10 defeats in the Lords led to the government removing incitement to religious hatred from anti-terrorism legislation
no- HOL reforms
Limited Legislative Powers
Impact: Despite reforms, the House of Lords remains limited by the Parliament Acts (1911 and 1949), which prevent it from voting down financial bills and restrict its ability to delay legislation to one year.
Example: Blair’s government used this power to push through the Hunting Act 2004, banning hunting with dogs.
Salisbury Convention
Impact: The Salisbury Convention prevents the Lords from blocking legislation that fulfills a commitment in the government’s election manifesto.
Example: The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill would remove the 92 hereditary peers, and despite its significant change, the Lords cannot block it as it was part of Labour’s 2024 manifesto.
Limited Amendments
Impact: The House of Lords can propose technical amendments, but cannot introduce wrecking amendments that alter the government’s manifesto intention
yes- increasingly weak and unpopular govt
Increased Parliamentary Power
Since 2010, weaker, more divided governments have emboldened Parliament, increasing its power and decreasing the executive’s dominance.
Example: Governments since 2010 have suffered frequent defeats in the House of Commons, forcing them to compromise on key policies.
Frequent Defeats
Compared to Tony Blair’s government (4 defeats in 10 years) and Gordon Brown’s (3 defeats in 3 years), more recent governments have been frequently defeated.
Example: Theresa May was defeated 33 times as a minority government, including a historic defeat on 15 January 2019 over the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (432-202).
Example: Boris Johnson faced 12 defeats in 6 months with a minority government, and 4 defeats in 3 years with a majority.
Opposition Success
In some cases, opposition parties have gained significant victories, such as when the Labour Party motion to cancel the Universal Credit cut on 15 September 2021 passed 253-0, with government MPs abstaining.
no- increasingly weak and unpopular govt
Theresa and Boris r exceptions
since 2010 little struggle
Majority Governments’ Success
Despite unpopularity, Rishi Sunak has faced few issues passing legislation due to the Conservative Party’s significant majority in the 2019 election.
Example: Sunak’s government passed 43 out of 56 bills in the 2022/23 session (76%), including the Illegal Migration Act and Online Safety Act.
Labour’s Strong Majority
Keir Starmer’s 174-seat majority in the 2024 election has allowed him to pass legislation easily, with no significant opposition.
Impact: This shows that even with reduced electoral support, executive control over the legislative process remains strong due to the FPTP system and majority rule.
Minority and Coalition Governments
David Cameron’s coalition government (2010-2015) was rarely defeated, passing significant policies despite being in a minority.
Example: Cameron passed key austerity measures and saw a government bill passed every six sitting days.
Conclusion
Even minority or unpopular governments still maintain dominance in Parliament, largely due to the FPTP system and executive control of the legislative process.
key examples:
what does the bbbc do
what did Emily thorn berry do
In the current Parliament,? out of ?Select Committee chairs are from the Labour Party
name 2 lords and what they do
how many times was tb defeated in the HOL and example from 2001
which acts did blair use to push through the hunting acts in 2004
how many defeats did BJ and May have and over which issue
sunak passed how many out of 56 bills
1.Gives backbenchers control over 35 debate days per parliamentary session, limiting the executive’s control over the agenda.
2.criticize government policies on China and Russia.
Thornberry advocated for stronger human rights action against China (especially regarding the Uyghur Muslims) and urged more robust Russian sanctions, criticizing loopholes allowing oligarchs to protect assets in the UK
3. 18/27
4.Lord Andrew Adonis, a Labour peer and former Secretary of State for Transport, provides leadership and scrutiny in the Lords.Lord Mair, a geotechnical engineer, brings expertise to the Science and Technology Committee.
Limited Party Pressure
353 times
10 defeats in the Lords led to the government removing incitement to religious hatred from anti-terrorism legislation
1911 and 1949 act which prevent it from voting down financial bills and restrict its ability to delay legislation to one year.
Theresa May was defeated 33 times as a minority government, including a historic defeat on 15 January 2019 over the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (432-202).
Example: Boris Johnson faced 12 defeats in 6 months with a minority government, and 4 defeats in 3 years with a majority.
43/56
sections
1.increase in power of backbenchers
2.refofmed HOL
3. increasingly Weak and unpopular govt
LOA
Overall, there were certainly a number of weak and unpopular governments since 2010 and for
these governments, the executive’s dominance over Parliament was significantly limited.
However, they were still able to pass legislation and the two most recent elections demonstrate
how FPTP still produces majority governments that can dominate Parliament most of the time.
