GOVP2 - Legislature Flashcards
Benefits of bicameralism
Check on first chamber, more scrutiny, more representation/expertise with Lords
Issues with bicameralism
Delaying legislation, full role can be done by Commons, causes conflict and too conservative
Example of Select Committee power
2018 Amber Rudd forced to change policy on immigration targets due to Home Affairs Select Committee questioning - Windrush Scandal
When were life peerages brought about?
1958 Life Peerages Act
Use of 1949 Parliament Act
Blair passing Hunting Act 2004 when blocked in Lords
1997 Labour Manifesto on Lords
End ‘the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords’
When was the Lords changed by New Labour?
1999 House of Lords Act
4 roles of Lords
Consideration/revision of bills, initiation of non-controversial legislation, power of delay, general debating
Who are non-controversial bills begun in the Lords?
25% of laws are to even out the workload on either House, and also where peers want to air their opinions on social reform
Example of key Lords committee
Select Committee on EU, with around 70 peers working to scrutinise EU legislation
Benefit of Lords to revise bills
Have time and expertise to clarify bills which have come straight out of the Commons
Why does the type of peers in the Lords make it in need of reform?
Hereditary peers do not turn up to debate, and are not democratic, and life peers are political tools with no independence (Blair’s use against Tory cronies)
Why does the make-up of the Lords make it in need of reform?
26 Bishops of Church of England, no other religions, and also 26% women and few minorities particularly with hereditary peers
How has the House of Lords become more active in recent years?
Diversity with a large number of specialists who can debate government on issues, and New Labour revision reaction turned to Brexit fight
Unitary reason for not reforming Lords
No need to have an outlet for federal regions rights
Political reasoning for not reforming Lords
Many from all parties dislike the idea, too controversial for too few votes
Which areas to Private Members Bills focus on?
Moral issues outside party interests such as abortion
Difference between green and white papers
Green made for Commons discussion, white for ministers to outline bill before publishing
Number of departmental select committees
19
2005-06 number of Private Members Bills passed in each chamber
3 in Commons, 13 in Lords
2 examples of important scrutiny
Westland Affair of 1986 (where Trade and Industry Secretary Brittan resigns after lack of candour with Parliament in debate) and high level of debate without party guidelines on Iraq
Role of Parliament for executive
Future government, recruiting
Work MP’s most proud for in 2001 (Guardian using 200 MPs)
43 - Introducing own legislation, 27 - Constituency investment, 25 - Select Committee Service
MP’s 4 obligations
Party, constituency, nation, conscience/special interests
Main role of MP’s to constituents
Solving welfare problems
Example of MP divide on opinion and constituency
Pro-EU MP’s in areas voting Leave
Percentage of minority MP’s and across country
8% and 14%
2015 average age of MPs
51
2015 percentage of university educated MP’s who went to Oxbridge
31%
How does the electoral system affect women?
Party lists could have led to more women as discrimination can be blamed on one source, not many constituencies
Example of international restraint on Parliament
IMF, when borrowing there need be high levels of economic austerity
Basis of 1989 Factortame case
Merchant Shipping Act of 1988 contradicting EC Law
Conservative peer Lord Hailsham on executive power
Elective dictatorship
How does the government have power over the Commons in terms of it’s timetable?
It controls the business of the Commons, which bills are entered and which private members bills are passed, controlling legislative agenda, make sure most time is spent on government policies
How does the government have power in the Commons in terms of the outcome of legislation?
Ministers usually only add or allow amendments from pressure groups, not the opposition, and have more information from cabinet committees and Whitehall in order to put forward view stronger, and also statutory instruments can be used
Number of statutory instruments in 1990 and 2006
2700 and over 4000
Example of back bench power over executive
Major and policy on EU
Type of non-debate scrutiny
Early Day Motions, MPs can sign up to them to raise government’s awareness of an issue
Type of debate scrutiny
20 opposition days in Commons
Example of power of PMQs
Failures of IDS led to overthrow
How are Question Times sometimes better than votes for scrutiny?
MPs on both sides of the House ask critical questions, often pertaining to constituency, not party
When were committees introduced?
1980
Weaknesses of committees
Whips keep effective or critical MPs away, too small budget, paper ignored, government in majority, information often withheld from them
Classic examples of more committee powers
Now chairperson on equal salary to minister, and 2006 Select Committees can hold hearings and collect evidence
How do Public Bills Committees and Select Committees differ?
Public one are larger, non-specialist, scrutinise bills not government and not investigatory
3 roles of Opposition
Oppose, support (such as on NI) and be an alternate government
Issues for opposition in terms of ability to oppose
Lack of knowledge like ministers do, ministers can take best opposition policies
Issues for opposition in terms of membership
Need for clear difference for party members to support, morale can be low ie post-1997, lack of likelihood of re-election as a government causes disinterest
4 constraints on MP effectiveness
Poor facilities, complexity of government difficult to penetrate, high level of constituency work, service on public bill committees
2005-2006 rebels
95 of the, including 114 MPs, 4 losses
What is a pairing?
When 1 majority and minority MP decides to agree not to vote, registered with whips
Issues of a lack of party unity
Inability to legislate, often exploited by media, difficulty to understand party line (such as Labour on Brexit)
How can MPs have power inside party?
Backbench committees such as 1922 and PLP (used in 2003-4 to achieve concessions from ministers on tuition fees)
Example of loss of the whip
8 Euro-sceptics under Major, lose privilege to attend meetings
Power of backbench on fox hunting
In 2004 able to force full ban when Blair preferred licenses
Largest rebellion
137 MPs on Iraq
4 types of MPs
Useful party members, good constituency members, individualists and part-timers
4 desires of changes to Commons
Faster passage of legislation, better scrutiny, better working hours, removal of outdated practices
Supporter of current system due to checks in system
Norton
Changes in terms of scrutiny since 1997
One PMQs session, since 2003 Liaison Committee used by chairpersons to question PM, more pre-legislative scrutiny with white papers, debates in Westminster hall
Changes not about scrutiny since 1997
Since 2002, earlier working hours, more office space with Portcullis House
Push and pull on full time MPs
Some say can’t do 2 jobs, others say up to date experience avoids monasterial Parliament
Example of change to ease resources
Plans to reduce MP numbers to 600, Michael Howard had called for 450
Time when MPs have most power as individuals
Free votes, this is often when debates are strongest
