Parliament

Question 1

What is the structure of Parliament?

Answer 1

Consists of the Commons, Lords and Monarch

Question 2

What is the Monarch’s role in Parliament?

Answer 2

Signing Bills to become Acts
Makes speeches once a year to announce session’s legislation (written by gov’t)

Question 3

Is Parliament bicameral or unicameral?

Answer 3

Bicameral
Commons and Lords

Question 4

What is the structure of the Commons?

Answer 4

650 MPs are elected, 1 for each constituency
Independant MPs exist but are rare
MPs are divided into members of the governing party (right of the speaker) and opposition parties
MPs are also divided into frontbench and backbench
Party whips for each party keep order

Question 5

How do MPs elect a Speaker?

Answer 5

After elections, MPs elect a speaker
- continues to represent constituency but stops acting in a ‘party political’ way
- Currently Sir Lindsay Hoyle (formerly Labour)

Question 6

2024 Election: what are the number of MPs per party in the Commons?

Answer 6

412 Lab
121 Con
72 Lib Dem
9 SNP
29 Other

Question 7

How does someone become an MP?

Answer 7

They join a party, get selected as prospective parliamentary candidate for constituency by party local activists, beat rival PPC’s in election (ensure not to annoy local party activists with campaign so much they deselect you)

Question 8

What is the structure of the Lords?

Answer 8

2024: 805 members
1999:

Question 9

What is the history of the Lords?

Answer 9

1911- lowered delaying period to 2 years
1949- lowered delaying period to 1 years
1958- Life Peerages Act, introduced appointment of life peers
1999- Blair removed all but 91 hereditary peers
2024- Starmer removed all remaining hereditary peers