Parliament & Executive Interactions

Question 1

Backbenchers as Representatives

Answer 1

Represent UK citizens by impact on laws and scrutinising government. Also the interests of their constituency

Question 2

Backbenchers: Government policy and Legislation

Answer 2

Vote on Legislation to meet their constituents interests and HoL backbenchers improve legislation.

Can all speak in Parliaentary debates over legislation and can participate in voting in favour or against legislation

They are members of standing committees which review bills and can put forward Private Members bills

Question 3

Backbenchers: Government Scrutiny

Answer 3

Can questions ministers during Question Time and the PM at PMQ’s to hold them accountable.

Can make up and chair select comittees to scrutinise gov departments

Can write questions to ministers about issues which impact constituents and they must get a response

Question 4

Backbenchers: Party Delegates

Answer 4

Are expected not to overly criticise the governnet and to follow the party line when voting

Backbenchers of the oppositon parties have a role to oppose the gov through criticism in ministers questions and vote against policy

Question 5

Backbenchers: Parliamentary Privilege

Answer 5

Privilege enables them to carry out their roles through free speech to represent their electorate

Ensures MPs and members of HoL can freely debate without interference

Gives backbenchers legal immunity over what they say in parliament
- Used by MPs during Ryan Giggs affair to name the footballer who had taken out an injunction

Question 6

Backbenchers Significant role: Rebellions

Answer 6

Often make up the majority of a party in parliament, and are important to pass legislation.

Can use their vote to support or dicontent with the government
- Backbench rebellions can change direction of policy
- 2021, 91 conservatives voted against coalition governmmet plans for HoL reform

Question 7

Backbenchers Significant role: constituency

Answer 7

Voices of their constituency which they can spend more time in as they are not ministers, rebelling bb often prioritise their constituency

Question 8

Backbenchers Significant role: Other

Answer 8

Can change public policy by a private members bill

In committees they can hold government ministers to account and research policies

Question 9

Backbenchers not significant role

Answer 9

Party whips have power over bb, which reduces rebellion
- if a ‘three-line whip’ happens, bb are at risk of being removed from their party

Private members bills are rarely successful, especially if the government doesnt back them

Select Comittees are often ignored by the government

Question 10

Select Commitees: Composition

Answer 10

Made up of members from across paties to represent a balance in the House
- Home affairs select commitee is made up of 6 conservatives, 4 labour and 1 SNP reflecting that the conservatives have more seats in the HoC

Question 11

Select Commitees: Scrutiny of the government

Answer 11

Select comittee scrutinising each government department including the Defence select commitee which scrutinises the Ministry of Defence

Some commitees investigate issues that scrutinise multiple departments such as the Public Account Comittee which investigates how all government departments use taxpayers money

Question 12

Select Commitees: Scrutiny of Government 2

Answer 12

They can call on ministers to be questioned and give evidence.
- Philip Hammond, 2016-19 Chancellor of the Exchequer, sat before the Treasury select committee to answer about the UK’s financial agreement with the EU as part of brexit deal

Question 13

Select Commitees: Scrutiny of public institutions

Answer 13

Can question them if it is in the public’s interest.
- The Business, Innovation and Skills committee questioned Mike Ashley (Sports direct owner) over the working condition in his shops

Question 14

Select Commitees: Investigating Policy

Answer 14

HoL select committees investigate proposed laws and public policy and may produce reports publishing their findings, they include experts in certain field who can analyse and investigate

Main committees include Economic Affairs, European Union and Constitution

Question 15

Advantages of Select Committees

Answer 15

Their work can highlight gov weaknesses and put pressure on the gov to act on certain issues
- 2018 The Housing, Communities and Local Government report encouraged the gov’s Build to Rent Programme, increasing the number of homes available to rent

They can ask gov ministers and public officials lengthy questions
- Nick Buckles, chief executive of G4S, described the company’s security at the 2021 olympics as a “humiliating shambles” after lengthy questioning by the Home Affairs select Committee

Question 16

Disadvantages of select committees

Answer 16

Do not have power over legislation and not able to make changes

Can not force ministers to appear before them weakening how well they can scrutinise

There questions arent always effective in examining an issue

Majority of MPs on a select committee are members of a party in government which can limit their criticism

Question 17

The Opposition: Executive Scrutiny

Answer 17

Uses question time, debates and PMQs to challenge the executive
- Jeremy Corbyn has used PMQs to ask the PM questions submitted by the public

Opposition often opposes government legislation and tries to stop it passing
-If they get support from other small parties they can stop bills from passing

Question 18

The Opposition: Alternative Government

Answer 18

Try to present itself as the best alternative to gov so they can attract voters and support, provide a clear choise

Question 19

The Opposition: Shadow Cabinet

Answer 19

Made up of MP’s who represent areas such as healthcare, jobs but not in an official gov capacity

Means that different policies can be researched and can be debated with governmnet cabinet ministers

Shadow cabinet tries to demonstarte that it is a ‘government in waiting’

Question 20

The Opposition: Debate

Answer 20

Debate with gov on legislation in the committe stage and second reading of process
- they make up part of all committees

They can scrutinise governet policies and oppose them in parliament

Question 21

Significance of the Opposition: size of the majority

Answer 21

Size impacts how strong it can fulfil its role
- often fails to defeat legislation if the gov has a large majority

Question 22

Significance of the Opposition: examples of different majorities

Answer 22

Mays gov relied on a ‘confidence and supply’ deal with the DUP so was vulnerable to the Labour opposition. If they encoraged other parties to vote against, legislation may not have passed.

Tony Blairs 1997 gov had a 179 seat majority so the tories were weak

Question 23

Significance of the Opposition: Unity

Answer 23

Unity impacts their significance, if gov are divided then the opposition have more of a chance of successfully voting down legislation

Question 24

Significance of the Opposition: Alternative?

Answer 24

Are significant in offering an alternative to voters as their policies will diffe- if the oppositions party policies are not radically different from main party, then it can either go two ways dependant on how much the public likes the government party

Question 25

Minister’s Questions

Answer 25

Take place an hour every day

Ministers must attend and anser questions about their department put forwad by other MPs

Ensures that ministers are fully aware of their work and acting in the interest of UK citizens

Question 26

Nature of PMQ’s

Answer 26

Often unruly and is arguably more about political point scoring than effective scrutiny, has been named ‘Punch and Judy’ as it becomes a shouting match between politicians in front of the media

MPs can ask planted questions to make PM look stronger in front of voters
- David Cameron sent emails round to conservatives suggesting questions for them to asc including the benefits of the governments economic policy

Question 27

Prime Ministers Questions

Answer 27

Every wednesday for 30 minutes

MPS question + PM must answer, opposition leader will ask 6 and other MPs can ask follow up Q’s

Imprtant way of scrutinising the government and receiving direct answers

PM does not know questions in advance and so must be briefed in detail on major issues in the public interest