Parliament Flashcards
Examples of successful House of Lords scrutiny
Lord Griffith on free school meals 2021
Hunting act 2004 delayed for a year caused public unrest
Rejected sunaks ruwanda bill 2024
5 times HOL
Examples of failure of lords to effectively scrutinise legislation examples
Hunting act 2004 evebtuallt passed after speaker of the house envoked parliament acts ( what part ) pushed it thru.
Gov bills often take priority and reflect legislative agenda standing order 14 they have precedence
Examples of expert life peers appointments
2016 shami chakrabati 2”16
Lord bird of the bug issue 2015
Shaun Bailey 2022
Example is corrupt nominations
Cash for honours up to 2007/8 eg. 2004 Drayton paid 500000 in sox weeks after 6 weeks of being appointed to lords by Blair and further 500k in December of that year also his company recieved valuable Gov contract.
Cash for peerage . Johnson offering peerage to donors who donate 3milion.
Example of independence in the lords
Life peers act 1958 made life peers
House of Lords peers are appointed by an independent body ( House of Lords appointment commission) scrutinising nominations
Peers can act independently
Examples of peers not being independent
Electoral reform society found Of the 252 Conservative Peers who voted at least once, 78% never voted against the government last year. Only three of those Peers voted for the government under 90% of the time
Life peers appointed by pms often 2 main parties
Example of parliamentary scrutiny
PMQs
Example of Lord scrutiny
Piblic bill committees and other select committee
FIND EXAMPEMS OLS
Lords rejected ruwanda bill 5 times
Parliament poorly scrutinises
Only cons and dup voted ruwanda bill passed to the lords
Syria intervention by may
Hunting act 2004 passed after parliaments act envoked
Examples of parliamentary legislation being effective
10min rule bills where MPs propose bills to raise awareness even if rarely adopted directly eg in the 1990s Gov shutdown many bills regarding rights of disabled ppl eg civil rights disabled persons bill proposed by backbenchers but oressure lef to descrimination act 1995
Examples of pm ignoring backbenchers dominating leg
Private mmeber bills introduced by backbencher MPs are nit properly considered.
1950-60: 126 became law
2010-17: 46 did
Significant ones include the murder abolition act 1965 and the abortion act 1967 but inky 1 priv member bill committee easy to filibuster only pass w endorsement eg. Upskriting bill passed after mays endorsements
Still ignore a lot of backbencher criticism from
2000-10 : 88 not gov ammnednets adopted out of 17000 sigested includingnconservative MP criticism of the special care bill despite her expertise as she was a former doctor.
Example of how parliament was representative
Different types eg. burkean rep delegate rep and descriptive rep and party model
2017 EU notification of withdrawal act government gave power to begin leaivng the EU 52 labour peers voted against it defying a 3 line party whip as 1/3rd of laboyr mps represented a ‘remain’ constituency. Argued they were acting as delegate representatives.
In 2010 MPs claimed 59% of their work was in their constituency.
Examples against palrikanet representative
Fail to descriptively represent the people as 8% of house of commons is BME 14% if society is and house of lords even less representative 6.4% BME. 1.1% lords bame.
65 BAME MPS 10% 14% bame but improving since first black mp in 1987 for Labour Tottenham Grant.
8% MPs lgbtq over repped only 2.2 society
Svergae age of HOC is midde ages but in lords its 60+. In the lords in 2017 there were more lords over 90 than under 40.
Assisted dying bill 2015 polls supported ut 82% but MPs defeated it by large majirty. 330-118
But increased lot since first black mo 1987 for Tottenham Labour grant,
Example of palirmant ideologically representating
mays government ‘ cabinet of rivals ‘ baring ideological representation
Johnson and gove V steward and hammond leave and remainers
Due to FPTP smaller parties stifled
2015 cons 36.9% votes 50% seats where’s ukip 3rd most vote share 12% a seat whereas SNP4.7% vote red most seats
176 crossbencgpeers wide range of professions rep wide ideas
Labour MPs voting against 2017 withdrawl denied 3 line whip 52 acting as delegate
122 MPs voted against all together
Doesn’t ideologically rep examples
76% of votes share and majority of seats are the w main parties and due to strong whips and Cmr very little ideological range , no significant red parties. Strong gov.
2022 javid resigned as he could not agree w Johnson showing whips and Cmr to disincentivise ideological range however gov had majority in these committees and often uses position to strengthen own ammnendemnts rather than listening to opposition.
Parliament geographically reps for and against
Also unlike the us many national parties sit in commons
SNP 43/59 parliament seats
Dup 8 seats
4 Lib Dem
Scotland voted remain 62% to 38% Parliament still triggered article 50 leaving the eu and passed 2017 withdrawl of the eu act.
N Ireland voted remain 56 to 44.
Both not repped 2021 Scottish elections snp pledge second referendum and won 64 of the 129 seats in Scottish parliament. Showing strong incentive to leave for Scotland inproperly repped in Westminster.
How did ppera imorove democracy
Prior to the act
Donations from foreign sources a were
legal
Secretive donations – parties did not have to declare who gave them what money and when.Unlimited national campaign spending at major elections.
Now capped Donations worth over £7,500 to national parties must be declared, as must be donations worth £1,500 or more to local associations
Established the electoral commission in 2000 ranges from the regulation of political donations and expenditure by political and third parties through to promoting greater participation in the electoral process.
Example in 2017 cons fined 70k for irregular spending in constituencies.
However the larger scandals were in ealy days of the commission less now and 2021 was accusation from oppostion party not confirmed.
Arguments ppera failed
Failed to work successfully in 2006-7 with cash for honours where labour mps donated and 2021 labour accused cons of cash for peerage as in the past two decades, all 16 of the party’s main treasurers – apart from the most recent, who stood down two months ago having donated £3.8m – have been offered a seat in the Lords. Displaying irregular financing patterns.
2009 duckhouse
Hol reform good?
made hol more effective w expert life peers
The Life Peers Act 1958, permitted creation of life peers; people with a range of different professions. Before then people appointed had significant political ties to the parties.
House of Lords peers are appointed by an independent, non-partisan body. House of Lords Appointment Commission, 2000.
Scrutinises PM nominations to the HoL and ensures that peers are suitable for their role as a peer.
Allows peers to act independently of the government and act own their own ideas and experience to make decisions.
Removed all but 92 hereditaries and 26 bishops so life peers make overwhelming majority
Coalition gov Lib Dem’s wanted 2012 hol reform bill by 2025 elected HOL but backbencher rebellion at 2nd reading 92 revelled
Hol reform bad?
92 still remain and resignation honours can’t be rejected by independent commission.
Still religious figures
Arguable if lords have much influence at all and perhaps reform to commons should have been made as they r the chamber with a representative perpose they r mandate is based of this.
Devolution good?
devolution
Stopped the Violence
Has been good for N.Ireland as main purpose for devolution was to end violence
19772-1998 3,500 UK citizens killed
Devolution did end troubles after good friday agreement
Has been good create stable ground for N.Ireland to govern
2007-2017 it did sit
Stopped calls for indep 55% Scot voted remain
Devolution bad
Scotland and wales added powers
Gained powers since initial devolution in 1998
Under Scottish Acts of 1998,2012,2016
2012- getting borrowing powers up to 5bn
2016- greater income tax control
Wales- education and housing
Wales Act 2017- defined assembly to be permanent part of constitution
Greater control over their region
2021 45 seats and 2019 48 of Scotlands 59 seats in Westminster significant majority. 2021 Camaign for wnd referendum .
Are backbencher committees helpful in spreading awareness ? For
backbencher business committee 2010 created to debate in west hall
3rd ever debate hosted by BC was on the afghan war and was the first time the issue was debated ( as palrianent voted on iraq in 2003 but afganisatan was part of broader nato coalition response to 9/11 didnt vote on that)
2011 Brexit debate increased pressure by conservative backbencher mps to have a referendum. Spread awareness about it.
Backbench committee bad at spreading awareness
no real impact very little significant media coverage mos don’t come in on backbencher Fridays often go to their constituencies at this time .
Other pressure from ukip prominence and growing eu suspicion greater impact on referendum.
No difference
Backbenchers scribe gov effectively
public billl committee
Give mos the opportunity to propose amendments to legislation SND each clause of the bill is scrutinised
Urgent qs
A device which subject to speaker approval allowed ,p to raise an important matter requiring an immediate answerr from a gov minister.
Speaker bercow allowed over 3.5k urgent questions during coalition 2009-13.
Whereas Michael Martin 2000-2009 longer time as speaker only allowed 1234.
Backbenchers cannot properly scrutinise gov
however gov had majority in these committees and often uses position to strengthen own ammnendemnts rather than listening to opposition.
Still ignore a lot of backbencher criticism from
2000-10 : 88 not gov ammnednets adopted out of 17000 sigested includingnconservative MP criticism of the special care bill despite her expertise as she was a former doctor.m
Parliament maintains sovereignty over trading bloc
2016 britain left and uk never joined the euro. British bill of rights proposed in camerons 2nd term.
2017 notif to withdraw left power in palriament.
Eu threadtened parliament sov example,
EEC 1973 later the EU meant european law adopted into the uk pverridng contradicting laws in the UK.
Eg. Factortame cse 1990 where spanish fishermen illegally fished in UK waters and won the case under european law. FIND OUT MORE.
Adoption oft he ECHR 1998 and scotuk discates case based on this often.
Parliament also split on brexit. Evem governing party split by factions and whips had t be withdrawn during referendum.
Devolution threatened Parliament sovereignty
Leads to further power and policy divergence
Eg. after 1998 scotland act granting arlaiment and reserved powers they ahve since been extended 2012 2016 and refendum
cotland + Wales additional powers
Gained powers since initial devolution in 1998
Under Scottish Acts of 1998,2012,2016
2012- getting borrowing powers up to 5bn
2016- greater income tax control
Wales- education and housing
Wales Act 2017- defined assembly to be permanent part of constitution
Greater control over their region
Devolution didn’t threaten parliamentary sovereignty
lost 2014 referendum and denied a 2021 one despite it being in snp manifesto.
Sc threatens parliamentary sovereignty
al rawi v security forces 2010. Zeveral men had been held at guantaemo bay claimed compensation for their alleged deternion and mistreatment.
Government used ‘ closed material procedure’ SOTUL ised common lsw to rule this unconstitutional in ordinary civil trials parliament responded with justice and security act 2013, allowed civil courts to use CMP when such evidence would undermine national security
Supreme Court rules Ruwanda unsafe to send asylum seekers and then palirmant passed illegal immigration’s act 2023 law saying Ruwanda safe.
Sc didn’t threaten parliamentary sovereignty
Miller cases 2019 and 17
