Evaluate the view that MPs have become stronger in their scrutiny of government

Question 1

LoA

Answer 1

scrutiny has become stronger

Question 2

Para 1 - theme

Answer 2

select committees and other committees

Question 3

para 2 - theme

Answer 3

questioning

Question 4

para 3 - theme

Answer 4

opposition

Question 5

para 1 - select committees

Answer 5

• Committees reflect the composition of the Commons, so a government with a majority will also have a majority in the committee. They have the power to send for ‘persons, papers and records’. Due to implementation of the Wright report, the executive no longer controls membership of the select committees. They can act independently and scrutinise departments effectively.
  They have an interrogative style of questioning and witnesses have no notice of questions
  Committee members tend to be independently minded, so feel freer to be critical
  Chairs of committees get paid well and so the position attracts career and independently minded politicians
  Successes include Margaret Hodge (PAC) in 2013 holding Amazon, Starbucks and Google to account for their tax
  Public bills committees were strengthened in 2007
  Backbench Business Committee 2010 makes backbenchers able to choose topics for debate 35 days a year. For example, one topic for debate that was held and has been acted upon was the childhood obesity strategy

Question 6

para 1 - however

Answer 6

• They often review problems after they have occurred and criticised the government for this
  
  • The government is not obliged to act upon the recommendations of select committees
  • Ministers have a huge amount of support, whereas MPs have very little research support
  • Legislative committees are far less independent than select committees as their membership is still dominated by party whips
  • Amendments that are contrary to a majority government’s wishes are rarely accepted
  • Gov can ignore select committee advice e.g. FASC on Syria
    MPs are expected to obey whips “carrot and stick”

Question 7

para 1 - rebuttal

Answer 7

• Given recent development (wright reforms 2010) scrutiny is on the rise
  Even if they are not accepted, select committee reports receive a lot of publicity, especially when they are critical.

Question 8

para 2 - questioning

Answer 8

Parliament requires that ministers, including the PM, answer questions by backbenchers in the commons
- PMQs forces the PM to be well informed about policy and the wider new agenda e.g. Boris has had to be well informed about COVID
- PMQs is still important opportunity for the Commons to challenge the PM. In 2017, Corbyn used PMQs to effectively overturn the premier-rate number used to call universal credit.
The speaker can raise ‘urgent questions’, which allows the Commons to demand the attendance of the relevant minister so they can answer questions and face criticism

Question 9

para 2 - however

Answer 9

• PMQs is political theatre rather than proper scrutiny. The Speaker often has to intervene to address the behaviour of MPs. For example, Dennis Skinner had to be removed from the Commons for calling David Cameron dodgy Dave.
  
  • Too many questions are from ‘friendly’ gov backbenchers
  • PMQs has become an exercise in point scoring. It is ‘punch and judy’ politics, with jeering and shouting in a highly childish manner
    Sir Kaufman labelled PMQs as “an exchange of pointless and useless declamations” (2015)

Question 10

para 2 - rebuttal

Answer 10

Even if it is political theatre, it is still useful. The Blair opposition of 1994-97 used PMQs to highlight inefficiencies in the Major Gov

Question 11

para 3 - opposition

Answer 11

• The opposition can force gov to justify their policy, Labour were very strong against May’s attempt at Brexit
  
  • The Cameron opposition (2005-2010) managed to undermine divisions in the final years of the Blair premiership, as well as throughout the Brown one.
    Opposition can use the opposition day to set their agenda and allow smaller parties to set agenda

Question 12

para 3 - however

Answer 12

• Only once successful opposition day since 1978 which was in 2009 when the Lib Dems motion condemned Browns refusal to guarantee UK residency rights to Gurkha veterans
  Depends on the size of gov and party unity (opposition incredibly inefficient 1997-2005 with leaders like William Hague, Ian Duncan Smith and Michael Howard)

Question 13

para 3 - rebuttal

Answer 13

- Social media has given opposition platform to oppose
Recent speakers (e.g. John Bercow) have the opposition more speaking time than the party in government