EXTRA-Changes since 1997 Flashcards
Why was the devolution constitutional change able to be legitimised for Labour?
As they held a referendum thereby allowing the public to settle the substantive issue and parliament to fill in the details
Unlike the public who had little interest for constitutional change, who did?
- Charter 88
- academics
- Politics students!
Why are government ministers more timid than shadow ministers over constitutional reform?
As constitutional changes can create difficulties for themselves by placing restrictions on what they can do.
What is party discipline?
This is the system of maintaining order within the parliamentary parties. MPs are expected to ‘toe the party line’ by voting in favour of their parties proposals in the HOC
What has party discipline undermined?
any attempts made to improve parliaments ability to act as a watchdog over the Executive
Why have there been calls or a fresh start on the Constitution?
to provide a more clear cut statement of our constitutional arrangements
What would a written document as a constitution remove?
it would remove the uncertainty of such things as the role of the Monarch in the event of a hung parliament after an election
What is an elective dictatorship?
this is the term coined by Lord Hailsham to describer the constitutional imbalance which executive power has increased and parliamentary power diminished. His argument was that a government armed with a strong majority in the HOC assist by strong party disciples could drives its programme through the chamber
What was Tony Blair able to remove without any consultation with other parties due to his elective dictatorship?
he was able to remove one session of PM’s Question Time in the HOC
What would a new constitution provide ‘up-to-date’ statements on?
-our rights which is more relevant than the ECHR which is more than 50 years old
What is Question Time?
This is the daily opportunity for back benchers in parliament to ask questions of government ministers which they are obliged to answer. Question Time originated in the Westminster system of the uK, but it also occurs in several other countries as well. It takes place every Wednesday 12-12.30pm
What does it mean if the constitution was written and its key decisions entrenched?
they would be firmly established and difficult to amend
What would be an advantage of a new constitution in terms of the judiciary ?
They would be abel to interpret what is lawful behaviour and uphold the Constitution
What would a new constitution encourage for politicians?
To make decisions that were careful not to exceed the bounds of constitutional behaviour
How is it clear that the Constitution has seemed to work relatively well?
it had survived over several hundred years and provided the country with liberty and stability
