Parliament Flashcards
Backbencher
An MP of member of the House of Lords who does not hold a ministerial or shadow ministerial position.
Frontbencher
An MP or member of the Lords who holds a ministerial or shadow ministerial position.
Parliamentary privilege
Legal immunity enjoyed by members of parliament, particularly their right to free speech in parliament.
Division
A vote in parliament.
Whip
A. A party official responsible for ensuring that MPs turn up to parliamentary votes and follow party instructions on how to vote.
B. An instruction to vote that is issued to MPs by political parties.
Hereditary peer
A member of the House of Lords who, since 1999 has been selected from those who inherited their title.
Life peer
A member of the House of Lords who has been appointed to the chamber for their lifetime.
Peer
A member of the House of Lords
Confidence and supply
The requirement that the government must be able to command a majority in the House of Commons on votes of confidence and of supply, e.g. the budget. Also used to refer to an agreement between the governing party and a smaller party in which the latter agrees to support the government on key votes in return for policy concessions.
Confidence motion
A motion of confidence in the government. It may be initiated by the government as a threat of dissolution, or used to approve the formation of a new government under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, 2011.
Motion of no confidence
A parliamentary censure motion initiated by the opposition which, if passed, requires the resignation of the government.
Salisbury doctrine
The convention that the House of Lords does not block or try to wreck legislation that was promised in the manifesto of the governing party.
Bill
A proposal for a new law, or change to a current law, that has yet to complete the parliamentary legislative process.
Green paper
A government document setting out various options for legislation and inviting comment.
Public bill
A bill concerning general issue of public policy, introduced by a government minister.
White paper
A government document setting out a detailed proposal for legislation.
Committee of the Whole House
A meeting held in the chamber in which the whole House of Commons considers the committee stage of a public bill.
Public bill committee
A committee responsible for the detailed consideration of a bill.
Private members’ bill
A bill sponsored by a backbench MP.
Secondary legislation
A law made by ministers, who have been granted this authority by an Act of Parliament, rather than made by parliament.
Accountability
Principle that an office holder or institution must account for their actions. In a system of parliamentary government, ministers are accountable to parliament and to the electorate. They have a duty to explain their policies and actions to parliament. Ministers may also be held responsible for policy failures. MPs face the electorate at a general election, where their constituents may take into account their record in office when deciding whether to vote for them.
Parliamentary scrutiny
The role of parliament in examining the policies and work off the executive, and holding it to account.
Questiontime
Parliamentary time, including Prime Minister’s question time in which backbencher and opposition frontbenchers ask oral questions to government ministers.
The opposition
The largest party in the House of Commons that is not in government.
Opposition
Parties, MPs and peers who are not members of the governing party or parties.
Select committee
A committee responsible for scrutinising the work of a government, notably of a particular government department.
Delegate
An individual authorised to act on behalf of others but who is bound by clear instructions.
Representation
Process by which an individual or individuals act on behalf of a larger group.
Representative
A-an individual who acts on behalf of a larger group but is free to exercise their own judgement.
B-exhibiting a likeness or being typical
Trustee
An individual who has formal responsibility for the interests of another.
Constituency
A geographical territory for which one or more respresentatives are chosen in an election.
Parliamentary rebellion
A division in which MPs vote against their party whip.
