paragraph 3: PMQs Flashcards
1) finally, PMQs are…
30 minute sessions held every Wednesday in which the Commons poses questions to the prime minister
which can be essential in scrutinising the executive as they force the PM to speak about key issues and explain the actions of the executive
2) for instance…
in February 2018, Jeremy Corbyn held Theresa May and her Cabinet accountable by questioning their decision to cut the number of police officers as well as their budget in a time where the country has seen the amount of crime increase
3) they are dreaded by the prime minister…
Blair described them as “the most nerve racking experience” of his political life
this means that they can act as a deterrent as they make the executive consider their actions more deeply as they know that they’ll be asked about them
4) this shows that…
PMQs provide scrutiny of the executive
1) however, more significantly, they may not be effective scrutiny at all…
because questions asked are rarely enlightening as politicians are skilled in avoiding questions by answering a completely different one or simply giving a rehearsed speech
2) they are becoming…
increasingly staged and managed by the executive, who ask their MPs to put forward pre written questions allowing the PM to present their actions in a positive light
3) questioning is often…
chaotic and unprofessional, backbenchers often call out and heckling occurs almost all of the time both of which seen to be made worse by the TV cameras
in 2012, Cameron’s private secretary orchestrated the heckling of Miliband when he attempted the scrutinise the government
4) in fact…
in 2015 the longest-serving MP in the House of Commons, Labour’s Sir Gerald Kaufman, described prime minister’s questions as “an exchange of pointless and useless declamations”, condemning the weekly session as a “load of rubbish”
5) therefore…
PMQs may be ineffective scrutiny on the executive as it demonstrates that not all areas of scrutiny and methods of accountability achieve what they’re aiming to
