Parliament - Comparison of Powers of Commons + Lords

Question 1

Proposed Legislation

Answer 1

Commons can veto any proposed legislation.

Lords can only delay legislation for a year

Question 2

Manifesto Pledges

Answer 2

Lords obeys the Salisbury Convention - which means it cannot vote against manifesto pledges of the government.

Commons can reject any legislation, even manifesto pledges

Question 3

Amending legislation

Answer 3

Lords can amend legislation but require the approval of the Commons.

Commons can ultimately make any amendments to legislation that it wishes

Question 4

Challenging budget

Answer 4

Commons is the only house that can approve or challenge the government’s budget

Lords has no power to approve or challenge financial bills, such as the government’s budget

Question 5

Providing government

Answer 5

Lords can provide a small number of government ministers, allowing another way of bringing talent and ability into the government.

Commons provides the large majority of government ministers including the prime minister

Question 6

Legitimising the government

Answer 6

Lords represent a wide range of specialist interests and has less commitment to party lines, with many cross benchers.

The Commons have more responsibility for legitimising the government and its laws because it is accountable to the public in elections

Question 7

Vote of no confidence

Answer 7

Lords cannot dismiss the government with a vote of no confidence

Commons can dismiss the government with a vote of no confidence.

Question 8

Parliamentary privilege

Answer 8

Grants all MPs and Peers freedom of speech which means they cannot be prosecuted for libel/slander for anything said in the Commons.

Transgressions and Wrongdoings are dealt with internally.

2011 - Footballer Ryan Giggs was named in the Commons as the Premier League footballer who had been engaged in an extra-marital affair that had been reported in the media - his identity prior to this had been hidden by a super-injunction so he couldn’t be named in the press. A super-injunction that prevents the publication of an issue and the coverage of the super-injunction itself.