Evaluate The View That Parliament Is Representative Of The Electorate

Question 1

P1: Parliament is Representative Of the Electorate

Answer 1

1. Representative as it is democratically elected, with each MP representing a relatively small number of voters. This means that voters are able to hold them to account and remove them if they judge them to have not represented them effectively.
2. After CMP Scott Benton was suspended from the Commons for breaching lobbying rules, after being exposed by the Times for offering to leak documents and ask
   questions for a fake gambling company, he was replaced by a Labour candidate in the Blackpool South By-Election on May 2, 2024.
3. In 2024, 5 Pro-Gaza MPs from areas with high Muslim populations were
   elected on a Pro-Palestinian platform. 4 of these MPs unseated Labour MPs as a way for voters to protest the Labour Party’s support for Israel (Jeremy Corbyn, won
   with a majority of 7,247.)

Question 2

P1: HoL unelected and HoC unrepresentative

Answer 2

1. The House of Lords is unelected, yet still holds significant powers to influence policy, scrutinise
   the government and delay legislation.
2. 92 hereditary peers and 26 ‘Lords Spiritual’.
3. Party leaders are selected by their parties, 2 recent PMs not being party leaders in an election.
4. In 2024, the Labour Party won a landslide with 411 seats and a 174 seat majority, despite
   receiving just 33.7% of the vote

Question 3

P2: Parliament Represents the Interests of the Constituency Well.

Answer 3

1. Relative small size of most constituencies, effective representation of local interests.
2. October 2022, 33 Conservative MPs rebelled against Liz Truss’
   government and abstained in a vote on banning fracking, despite the government ordering them to oppose it, including many MP Mark Fletcher of Bolsover which had a
   strong local movement against fracking in the area.
3. , Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, voted in favour of the landmark Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill 2024 after hosting a mini-referendum in
   his constituency. 75% of 1181 constituents voted in favour.

Question 4

P2: Parliament represent the public well.

Answer 4

1. This could be seen in 2013, when Parliament listened to the public and voted against military action in Syria.
2. It can also be seen following the Partygate scandal, with the opposition in Parliament scrutinising Johnson’s government in PMQs, debates and select committees, reflecting the
   public’s outrage.

Question 5

P2: Parliament Isn’t Representative Of the Electorate.

Answer 5

1. Don’t vote according to their constituents’ wishes. 2019-2024 Parliament, the vast majority of MPs rebelled against the party line less
   than 2% of the time, with just 8 MPs rebelling more than 5% of the time.
2. 2019-2024 Parliament over 90 MPs, the vast majority of whom were Conservative MPs, had second jobs.
3. Chancellor Sajid Javid, who took on a £300,000 a year role as an adviser to the Jersey-based investment firm Centricus Partners and Boris Johnson,
   who made £4.8M from speaking opportunities and consulting among other things.
4. According to the Byline Times, 13% of peers rarely or never attend the House of Lords. Lord Sugar has only cast votes in 1.96% of divisions since joining the House of Lords.

Question 6

P3: It is directly representative of the electorate.

Answer 6

1. 62 MPs in the 2019 Parliament (nearly 10%) are LGBT+, compared to an estimated 3.1% of the
   UK population.
2. Representation of women increased from 34% to 37% and representation of ethnic minorities increased from 10% to 13%.
3. Parties have used a range of methods to try and improve direct representation, including
   using all-women shortlists and headhunting/mentoring promising candidates from minority
   backgrounds. Lead to some improvement in 1997 only 18% of MPs were women and 9 from ethnic backgrounds.
4. The House of Lords Appointment Commission also seeks to appoint Peers with a range of
   backgrounds. Of the 63 appointments made between 2000 and 2014, 13 were from a minority ethnic
   background. (isn’t required to be a microcosm of society).

Question 7

P3: Parliament is not representative Stats

Answer 7

1. After the 2024 election, just 37% of the HoC and 29% of the HoL are women, compared to over half of the population.
2. After the 2024 election, just 13% of the HoC and 7.3% of the HoL
   are from minority ethnic backgrounds, compared to over 18% of the general population.
3. After the 2024 election, 23% of the HoC and 57% of the HoC went to private schools, compared to just 7% of the general population.
4. Of Rishi Sunak’s first cabinet, 61% went to private schools and 45% went to Oxbridge.
5. Starmer’s first cabinet is the most diverse in terms of education
   background ever recorded, though, with just 8% of the Cabinet having attended private school, likely contributing to the decision to remove their VAT-exempt status.