Parliament Flashcards
What does it mean for parliament to have Bi-camera rooms ?
greater scrutiny, however parliament ping pong
What is parliament Ping Pong ?
Where parliament law / statue law is struggling to find a middle ground where both houses agree
Why does FPTP lead to single party majorities ?
Winners bonus , two party system , tactical system , spoiler effect
What is the spoiler effect?
A split of voters
When has there been no single party majorities ?
2010-15 liberal democrats + conservative coalition and 2017 Theresa (conservative) + DUP
What is the structure of the House Of Lords?
785 members made up of hereditary peers, life peers , lord spiritual and crossbenchers .
What are cross benchers ?
A lord with no party affiliation
What are the 6 roles of parliament ?
To represent , to legislate , to debate , to scrutinise , to hold accountable and minster recruitment
What is the roles of parliamentary whips ?
Ensuring Mps vote with their constituents
Why are the whips ineffective in the House Of Lords ?
The HOL have an ability to stand as independent and cant be removed if they don’t follow their party
What are the elements of parliamentary privilege ?
Freedom of speech , exclusive cognisance
What does parliamentary privilege not mean ?
Mps are not above the law and can be suspended or imprisoned
Where has parliamentary privilege been abused ?
2009 expense scandal showed Mps could use privilege to avoid prosecution
What is the role of the speaker ?
presides over debate in the chamber , selecting mps to speak and maintains order
What did speaker John Bercow increase ?
Increased the amount of urged questions , 670+ centred around Brexit.
Who is the current speaker ?
Lindsey Hole
How does parliament pass legislation ?
Both houses can originate bills , then into a green paper , then white , goes through the cabinet to either be agreed or disagreed on , debate by HOL + HOC and then approved by monarch.
What is a green paper ?
Presents government ideas for structure polices
What is a white paper ?
Outins a fimer plan for government policy
What is a public bill ?
A bill covering issue of public policy.
What are private member bills ?
A bill sponsored by a backbench Mps
WHat is an example of a private member bill ?
1965 abolish of death penalty or 2019 abortion act .
What did the Parliament act do ?
HOl doe snot have a veto over legislation approved by HOC.
How long can the HOL delay legislation ?
They can delay up to a year prior to 1949 act
