Parliament as a check on the government

Question 1

Factors affecting Parliament’s ability to scrutinise the executive

Answer 1

The government’s majority in Parliament (Gov. can use whips esp. if has large majority)
Party unity
Polarisation between the two parties

Question 2

What methods of scrutiny do backbench MPs provide?

Answer 2

Urgent questions
PMQs
Rebellions

Question 3

What are UQs?

Answer 3

Urgent questions
Where backbenchers submit a question to the Speaker which will be answered by a government minister at the end of each day.

Question 4

Effectiveness of UQs and examples

Answer 4

More opportunity for MPs to scrutinise the government and get direct answers
>David Lammy to Amber Rudd on Windrush 2018
>Emily Thornberry on Israel-Palestine 2017
>John Bercow has allowed 73 UQs 2016-17 (as opposed to 9 UQs 2006-7)

Question 5

Ineffectiveness of UQs

Answer 5

Can be evaded or answered vaguely offering no actual insight
Depend on Speaker
> Betty Boothroyd, John Bercow chose good questions
> Michael Martin allowed too many partisan questions

Question 6

What are PMQs?

Answer 6

Prime Minister’s Questions

A weekly opportunity to ask the PM questions on policy

Question 7

Effectiveness of PMQs and examples

Answer 7

Force the government to commit to a position or embarrass them for not doing so
>Corbyn on EU withdrawal bill made Theresa look weak 2017
>Corbyn vs. Thatcher showed how backbenchers can scrutinise PM 1990

Question 8

Ineffectiveness of PMQs and examples

Answer 8

Can be raucous, ill-disciplined and partisan - often no substantive answer from government
>Blair often played the media by preparing pre-fabricated soundbites (Blair vs. Major 1995)
>Cameron - ‘Calm down dear’ 2011
>May is often defensive and evasive over EU - no answers

Question 9

What are rebellions?

Answer 9

Where MPs vote against the party whip

Question 10

Effectiveness of rebellions and examples

Answer 10

Increase scrutiny on government by questioning decisions
>Military action in Syria 2013 defeated
>27 Tory MPs rebelled on extension of Sunday trading laws 2016
>2010-15, 35% coalition MPs rebelled
>139 MPs against Iraq invasion vote 2003 (unsuccessful)

Question 11

Ineffectiveness of rebellions

Answer 11

Whips incentivise compliance with the party position - often enough to override feelings of duty to constituent or personal moral conviction

Question 12

What methods of scrutiny do Select Committees provide?

Answer 12

Liaison Committee
Departmental Committees
Backbench Business Committee
Select Committee inquiries

Question 13

What were the Wright Reforms of 2010

Answer 13

Key points:
>Election of members and chairs of Select Committees by secret ballot
>Established the Backbench Business Committee
>Set up e-petitions system so the public can get an issue debated in the House with 100,000 signatures

Question 14

What is the Liaison Committee?

Answer 14

Where the chairs of various committees come together and decide questions to ask the PM

Question 15

Who is in a committee?

Answer 15

1 chair
8-14 backbenchers/crossbenchers

e.g. David Davis - chair of committee for exiting European Union
Theresa May - head of liaison committee

Question 16

Effectiveness of the Liaison Committee

Answer 16

> less partisan, more evidence based
get transparent answers (Cameron on Syria)
act as a deterrent for the government as dislike committee scrutiny
limited media scrutiny - no ‘soundbites’

Question 17

Ineffectiveness of the Liaision Committee

Answer 17

> May managed to be evasive on questions from Hilary Benn on Parliament vote on EU withdrawal bill
limited media scrutiny - don’t have to give answers

Question 18

What are Departmental Committees?

Answer 18

Committees that scrutinise a certain government department

Question 19

Effectiveness of Departmental Committee

Answer 19

Home Affairs Select Committee 2018
Yvette Cooper exposed Amber Rudd on not knowing deportation targets leading to her resignation
>smaller group of people can go deeper in a narrower area
>more efficient

Question 20

Ineffectiveness of Departmental Committee

Answer 20

Not watched by the public so ministers do not feel pressured to answer
>David Davis joking responses to Jacob Rees-Mogg in Brexit Committee hearing
>No policy proposal power - government can ignore proposals

Question 21

What is the Backbench Business Committee?

Answer 21

A group of backbenchers that schedule debates, once a week, for all backbenchers, on request

Question 22

Effectiveness of Backbench Business Committee

Answer 22

Debate sensitive topics for the government
>Afghanistan - led to a vote
>Immigration
>EU referendum - Tory revolt led to Tories favouring referendum 2011

Question 23

Ineffectiveness of Backbench Business Committee

Answer 23

A majority in the Commons ensures a majority in all committees - could undermine scrutinising function

Question 24

What did Mearns say about the shift in power in government?

Answer 24

“There’s been a shift in terms of the power of backbenchers to hold ministers to account”

Question 25

What did Meg Russel say about power of the backbenchers?

Answer 25

“Trend towards increasing independence of backbenchers”

Question 26

What are the Select Committee inquiries?

Answer 26

They are set up for inquiries into specific cases or areas of policy

Question 27

Effectiveness of Select Committee inquiries

Answer 27

Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry 2016

Held David Cameron responsible for ill-conceived actions in Libya in 2011

Question 28

Ineffectiveness of Select Committee inquiries

Answer 28

Complex process of compulsion to a hearing
>Mark Zuckerberg refused to attend investigation on fake news twice
>Energy company CEOs reluctant to attend Energy and Climate Change Committee

Question 29

What method of scrutiny do the Lords provide?

Answer 29

No party majority in chamber

Block legislation

Question 30

Effectiveness of no party majority in the Lords

Answer 30

Effective revising chamber
>14 amendments to EU withdrawal bill 2018 (e.g.Parliamentary consent on any deal and EEA membership)
>2010-15, coalition government 99 defeats by HoL
>2016 Con. government defeated on 60 votes

Question 31

Ineffectiveness of no party majority in the Lords

Answer 31

> Potentially illegitimate/undemocratic decisions as unelected - often feel reluctant to oppose bills

Question 32

Effectiveness of blocking legislation in the Lords

Answer 32

> Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000
Hunting Act 2004
ID cards under Labour 2005-6
Tax credit cuts 2015

Question 33

Ineffectiveness of blocking legislation in the Lords

Answer 33

> Cannot veto legislation, only delay by 1 year

>Limited by various conventions: ‘reasonable time’ convention, ‘Salisbury convention’

Question 34

How has the May government proven weak?

Answer 34

Try to avoid opposition day motions as fear of small majority
Tories always under a three-line-whip
May avoids answering PMQs in order to prevent promises that can’t be delivered or are controversial within the party
(Corbyn on Brexit)