Parliament Flashcards
Is parliament effect at scrutinising the executive?
- Yes, select committees are an effective way of scrutinising the executive as reports are often hard hitting and influential.
E.g. in 2018 the Health Select Committee recommended a number of measures to reduce child obesity, and within a month the government announced measures such as stopping the sale of sweets at supermarket checkout.
No, governments can and do ignore the findings in select committee reports. They only have to respond to and not enact recommendations.
E.g. Only 40% of legislation committee recommendations are accepted.
- Yes, PMQs allows MPs to scrutinize the actions of the PM, by asking unwelcome questions.
E.g. when Gordon Brown accidentally said ‘we not only saved the world’ when he meant ‘saved the banks’ during a PMQ exchange.
No, PMQs are more theatrical than a means of effective scrutiny.
E.g. in 2014 Speaker John Bercow wrote to party leaders asking them to help moderate behaviour at PMQs, making reference to the ‘yobbery and public school twittishness’.
- Yes, vote of no confidence
E.g. Parliament can remove the government through a vote of no confidence, which happened in 1979 to James Callaghan’s government, led by Thatcher
No, this is very rare
E.g. it has only happened once since WW2, it requires a Parliamentary majority which is difficult as the government usually have a majority
- National audit office, responsible for auditing government departments.
E.g. in 2018 they highlighted a £2.9 billion shortfall in the new programme to renew the Trident nuclear submarine fleet.
How does the legislative process work?
- Second reading, significant as it is the main chance for debate and suggesting
amendments. Government backed bills nearly always go through on a party vote although this does not apply when it is a free vote on controversial issues
E.g. abortion and assisted dying. - Committee stage is important as bills get scrutinised line by line.
E.g. MPs on the relevant public bill committees can suggest improvements which are then voted on by
the whole committee. Government majority usually ensures few radical changes are made. - Lords stage, bills can go back and forth between the two chambers in a process informally called ‘parliamentary ping pong’. Despite this, the Lords are more of a ‘think again’ chamber as they cannot reject a bill outright.
E.g. the Brexit bill was rejected by the Lords by Boris Johnson passed it anyway.
What are the theories of representation in parliament?
- The trustee model
E.g. an MP is trusted by their voters to do what they consider is in their constituent’s best interests, listening to their views but not being bound to them. - Delegate model is the opposite of the trustee model, MPs are viewed as mouthpieces for their constituents and entirely bound by their wishes.
E.g. Zac Goldsmith stood down as Conservative MP in 2016 to fulfil a promise made to his voters about opposing a third runway for Heathrow. He stood as an independent in the next election but was defeated, suggesting that voters may not always respect adherence by MP’s to the delegate model. - Mandate theory, MPs are elected primarily to carry out the manifesto promises of the party.
E.g. the Liberal Democrats won 57 seats in 2010 largely due to their manifesto promise not to raise tuition fees, but won only 8 in 2015 due to their failure to follow through.
What are some roles of MPs in parliament?
- Sitting on parliamentary committees
E.g. the public bills committee is comprised of MPs, the majority of which are backbenchers
(allows them to scrutinise legislation) - MP’s have a key role in the selection of a party leader.
E.g. both Labour and the Conservatives require leadership candidates to secure a set number of nominations from their sitting MPs before a vote of the wider party membership. - MP’s can vote on legislation
E.g. Jacob Rees-Mogg voted against May’s Brexit bill in 2019
E.g. many backbench MPs rebelled over air strikes in Syria in 2013 and the Brexit bill.
What are the types of committees?
- Public bill committees, which go through bills clause by clause, debating and suggesting amendments. A new public bill committee is made for each bill
E.g. the Brexit bill.
(major changes are unlikely as the governing party has a majority on the committee) - Commons select committees
E.g. provide a general oversight of the workings of the government, comprised of entirely backbench MP’s - Lords select committees investigate specialist subjects, taking advantage of the Lords’ expertise. They often contain genuine specialists in their field
E.g. Lord Norton of Louth is a member of the Constitution Committee and is a leading academic in constitutional and political affairs.
(governing party does not have a majority so it is easier to scrutinise government legislation) - The Public Accounts Committee scrutinises value for money in public spending and how efficiently the government delivers public services.
E.g. recent reports have ranged from unauthorised redundancy payments associated with High Speed 2 to the NHS clinical negligence. - The Backbench Business Committee is commons only, and selects topics for debate in parliament on days not given to government business.
E.g. topics have included the conflicts in Yemen and the Jobcentre Plus office closures.
What is the role of the opposition?
- Scrutiny and criticism of government policies
E.g. during PMQs this year Keir Starmer has criticised Boris Johnson healthcare policy, Boris pledged to build 30 new hospitals by 2030, but Starmer noted that refurbishments may be counted in this - Argue for alternatives
E.g. what they would do if they were in power - Nominate the topics certain days in each parliamentary session
E.g. the opposition nominates topic of debate for 20 days in each parliamentary session, 17 go to the official opposition party, 3 to the second largest opposition party
What is the influence of parliament on government decisions?
- Big influence, backbench rebellions in the Commons.
E.g. certainly influential when the government has a small or no majority, such as May’s government from 2017 which led to her failing to pass a Brexit bill
Small influence, backbench rebellions are rare as party whips ensure party discipline and parties usually have a majority
E.g. since Boris Johnson majority government formed in 2019, there has only been 4 Tory rebellions.
- Big influence, the committee system produce reports which are often hard hitting and influential.
E.g. in 2018 the Health Select Committee recommended a number of measures to reduce child obesity, and within a month the government announced measures such as stopping the sale of sweets at supermarket checkout.
Small influence, select committees work on a purely advisory basis, with no legal authority.
E.g. only 40% of select committee suggestions are accepted.
- Big influence, the Lords can amend legislation.
E.g. 5 amendments were made by the Lords to Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill
Small influence, the government can use it’s Commons majority to override the Lords’ amendments.
E.g. the Commons overran the 5 amendments that the Lords made to Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill, including improving the rights of refugee children from EU nations.
How effective is party discipline in the Commons?
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How does parliament interact with other branches of government?
- Parliament passes laws which are are interpreted by the judiciary.
E.g. the Judiciary can declare the actions of the government unconstitutional by interpreting the HRA 1998. - Any laws must be compatible with international agreements.
E.g. the ECHR. - Parliament is the forum where government is primarily called to account and is scrutinised.
E.g. PMQs - Parliament provides the personnel for the government
E.g. the PM and other government ministers
Rational theory for presidential power
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