Parliament & Executive Interactions Flashcards
Backbenchers as Representatives
Represent UK citizens by impact on laws and scrutinising government. Also the interests of their constituency
Backbenchers: Government policy and Legislation
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
Backbenchers: Government Scrutiny
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
Backbenchers: Party Delegates
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
Backbenchers: Parliamentary Privilege
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
Backbenchers Significant role: Rebellions
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
Backbenchers Significant role: constituency
Voices of their constituency which they can spend more time in as they are not ministers, rebelling bb often prioritise their constituency
Backbenchers Significant role: Other
Can change public policy by a private members bill
In committees they can hold government ministers to account and research policies
Backbenchers not significant role
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
Select Commitees: Composition
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
Select Commitees: Scrutiny of the government
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
Select Commitees: Scrutiny of Government 2
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
Select Commitees: Scrutiny of public institutions
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
Select Commitees: Investigating Policy
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
Advantages of Select Committees
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
Disadvantages of select committees
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
The Opposition: Executive Scrutiny
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
The Opposition: Alternative Government
Try to present itself as the best alternative to gov so they can attract voters and support, provide a clear choise
The Opposition: Shadow Cabinet
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’
The Opposition: Debate
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
Significance of the Opposition: size of the majority
Size impacts how strong it can fulfil its role
- often fails to defeat legislation if the gov has a large majority
Significance of the Opposition: examples of different majorities
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
Significance of the Opposition: Unity
Unity impacts their significance, if gov are divided then the opposition have more of a chance of successfully voting down legislation
Significance of the Opposition: Alternative?
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
Minister’s Questions
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
Nature of PMQ’s
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
Prime Ministers Questions
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
