Structure and role of Parliament Flashcards
Bicameralism
Political system which there are two chambers
amount of members in commons
650
what did cons promise to do to no. of MPs by 2020
cut the number of MPs to 600
parliamentary privelage
legal immunity in parliament especially in terms of free speech
exclusive cognisance
right for the house to regulate its own internal affairs
example to show MPs are not above the law
expenses scandal
whips
party official responsible for ensuring MPs turn up to vote
also an instruction on how to vote
MPs salary
almost £75,000 in 2016
who is in charge of MPs salaries
independent parliamentary salaries authority
what do whips do
ensure they attend votes
instruct on how to vote
enforce discipline within the party
3 line whip
strict instructions on how to vote
don’t follow they face disciplinary action
the speaker
selects MPs to speak
maintains order
suspend MPs who break rules
does the speaker stand down
yes, post general election
usually re-elected
who does the speaker support
no one
they are non partisan
give up party affiliation
they don’t vote unless a tie
example of a controversial speaker
Michael martin
badly handled expenses scandal
resigned 2009
John Bercows support
had limited supported amongst cons
why has Bercow been described as a reforming speaker
he sough to enhance scrutiny of executive
granted more ‘urgent questions’
amount of urgent questions in 2015-16
77
hereditary peer
selected from whose inherited their title
life peer
member who has been appointed for their lifetime
peer
member of the lords
who is the lord speaker
Lord fowler
con cabinet minister elected in 2016
how many hereditary peers did the lords have before 1999 act
over 750
Peerages Act 1963
hereditary peers could renounce their title
allowed women hereditary peers to sit
who took advantage of the peerages act
alec douglas home
won by election+became con PM 1963
Life peerages act 1958
PM had the right to appoint members to upper house for life
life peerages largest group in upper house
conservative hereditary peers 1999 to 2017 comparison
299 to 49
labour hereditary peers 1999 to 2017 comparison
19 to 4
what was the impact of introducing life peers to the lords
more diversity
more professionalism-figures from business,education
the impact of removal of hereditary peers to the conservative party
cons had majority in upper house, most took con whip
now no party has majority
how did the removal of hereditary peers impact women
increased proportion of women in the lords
2017 they made up 26% (9% before 99’)
what is the problem with the size of the HoL
worlds 2nd largest legislative chamber in the world
risks damaging ability to function thus reputation
free vote 2003
MPs 7 options on lords reform
non got majority
peers voted for wholly appointed house
white paper 2007
proposed 50% appointed 50% elected
failed to get through lords
exclusive power that the commons has
right to insist on legislation
financial privelage
power to dismiss executive
right to insist on legislation
lords should ultimately give way to commons
financial privelage
lords cannot amend/delay money bills
power to dismiss executive
if vote of no confidence successful
must resign
what gives commons its primacy
conventions (Salisbury doctrine,reasonable time and secondary legislation)
parliament acts 1911/49
reasonable time
lords consider gov business in reasonable time
secondary legislation
lords usually don’t object to secondary legislation
what kind of chamber could the lords be described as
revising as opposed to a veto one
what can the lords do to commons legislation
propose amendments (don’t have to be accepted)
how long can the lords block a bill for
a year (used to be indefinitely)
what happens if the lords block a bill for a year
can still be passed in following session without consent of lords
examples of legislation which have been blocked for a year and then passed in the next session
war crimes act 1991 sexual offences (amendment) act 2000
what are money bills
concerned soley with national taxation,loans or public money
what does the 1911 parliament act say about money bills
declared as money bills by the speaker, if they don’t pass through lords unamended within 1 month it can get royal assent without lords permission
when can the commons claim financial privelage
lords pass an amendment to legislation that has financial implication (creating new spending)
when did the con-lib dem gov claim financial privelage
final stages welfare reform bill 2012
lords backed down
confidence and supply
requirement, gov must be able to command majority on vote of confidence and supply
what does supply refer to
authorization of gov spending by the commons
how can a government be defeated by the commons
motion of no confidence
how many votes of no confidence have there been
23 since 1945
who lost a vote of no confidence by one vote
james Callaghan labour 1979
what is the reasoning for the salisbury doctrine
GE victory gives governments authority to implement programme presented to electorate
how many times were the blair and brown governments defeated in the lords compared to commons
400+ in lords
7 in commons
how many defeats did the coalition face in the lords
99
how many defeats were accepted in blair and browns governments
4/10
example of defeats coalition government accepted
key provisions for public body bills 2010-12
incl plans for a priv forestry commission
what are the results of an increase in checks and reform from the lords on parliament
party balance (no majority in lords)
increase legitimacy in lords
support from MPs
gov mandate
government mandate (as a result of lords reform)
peers question coalition mandates/party has less than third of electorates support
support from MPs (result of lords reform)
force govs to amend proposals when MPs support the amendments
input legitimacy
composition of institution and its responsiveness to citizens concerns
output legitimacy
quality and effectiveness of institutions performs
why does the commons have input legitimacy
bc its directly elected+accountable
why does the lords have output legitimacy
bc of what it delivers e/g scrutiny of commons and its revision to improve legislation
what is the argument for an appointed lords rather than an elected one
has different role to commons
revising chamber/members has expertise
don’t have to worry about elections
what would be the problem with an elected upper house
competing legitimacy claims
legislative gridlock
problems with party control
functions of parliament
legislate debate scrutiny and accountability recruitment of minister representation
bill
proposal of new law
green paper
gov document setting out options for legislation inviting comment
white paper
gov document setting out detailed proposal for legislation
public bill
concerning general issue of public policy (most significant)
how many bills does the public introduce per session
25-35
role of committees
can lead to redrafting
can be ignored
3 processes legislation goes through
debate
scrutiny
amendment
first reading
presentation of title of bill by minister of department
second reading
main debate on bill
if contested vote taken
committee stage
scrutiny
clarify/improve bill
2015-16 session how many public bill committees were there
22
where do PBC get their evidence
outside experts
report stage
amendments made in committee are considered
accept/rejct/alter
MPs can table amendments
example of lost report stage vote
Major on maastricht treaty 1993
made issue matter of confidence won by 40
third reading
debate on ammended bill
house of lords stage
can amend
bill goes back n forth lords+commons
private members bill three routes
ballot
ten minute rule bill
presentation
ballot (private members bill)
names in a hat of members with bills, 20 drawn
allocated times on 13 fridays
ten minute rule bill
10 mins to make a speech to introduce a bill
more to draw attention to issues
presentation
MPs present bill on house floor introduce the name
no debate yet
landmark laws which originated as private members bills
abolition of the death penalty 1965
abortion act 1967
House of Lords reform 2014
secondary legislation
law made by ministers, granted authority by an act of parliament rather than made by parliament
three fold classification of legislatures
policy making legislature
policy influencing legislature
legislature with little or no policy influence
policy making legislature
amend/reject proposals made by gov
put forward alternatives
policy influencing legislature
modify/reject proposals made by gov
can’t make own propsals
legislatures with little or no policy influence
can’t modify/veto proposals
what legislature is uk parliament
policy influencing
4 ways executive is dominant
government bills (most bills originate from gov)
parliamentary timetable
payroll vote
party discipline
pay roll vote
ministers+parliamentary private secretaries required to support gov or resign
party discipline
whip system ensures proposals aren’t usually defeated
how can government be scrutinised
PMQs
opposition party
select committees
question time
back benchers and opposition question PMs actions
topical issues
written compared to oral questions in commons 2015-16
written 35,000
oral 3,600
2 tasks of the opposition
oppose many of govs legislation
appear as ‘government-in-waiting’ (develop own policies)
2015-16 labours short money
£6.8 million
what are opposition parties permitted to do
choose a topic for debate- get 20 days in the year for it
gives opportunity to expose gov failures
how can the effectiveness of the opposition be limited
can’t claim mandate if just lost an election
internal party divides
example of internal divisions which damaged the effectiveness of the opposition
jeremy corbyn allowed free votes on air strikes in syria
select committee
committee responsible for scrutinising the work of government
main function of a select committee
hold government to account
example of roles the liason committee set out for other departmental committees
examine policy
scrutinize draft bills
produce reports for debates
help commons make work accessible to public
when were departmental select committees created
1979
how many members are there in a select committee
most 11
Largest select committee
committee on exiting the European union 21 members
what does the membership of a committees reflect
party balance in commons
how are committee members select
secret ballot within party groups
powers select committees have
summon witnesses
examine restricted documents
example of a confrontation in a select committee meeting
Rupert Murdoch
Philip Green
highly influential investigations involving select committees
culture, media and sport committee inquiry into phone hacking 2015-16
health select committee inquiry 2011
identified problems with coalition gov’s proposal for NHS reform
Business, energy and industrial strategy committee inquiry 2016
inquiry into ‘disturbing’ working practices in sports direct
mike Ashley held responsible
does the government have to respond to select committee reports
yes but don’t have to accept their reccomendations
what % of recommendations do govs accept from select committees
40%
can select committees introduce their own legislation
no
pre-legislative scrutiny
select committees are effective in scrutinising the government (YES)
scrutinize policy+actions
question ministers,civil servant
election of members enhanced its independence
select committees aren effective in scrutinising the government (NO)
gov with majority in commons have majority in committees
all evidence may not be provided
access to documents denied
some members don’t attend all the time
liason committee
chairs of all select committees
significant meetings twice yearly sessions where gov is questioned
public accounts committee
examines gov expenditure check value of money is being achieved
chaired by senior opposition
public administration and constitutional affairs committee
examines constitutional issues
half an hour adjournment debates
half an hour end of every day
how many emergency debates were held in 2015-16
4
Europe refugee crisis
UK steel industry
what has happened as a result of the creation of the grand committee room
no. and range of issues debated has increased
deal with non controversial issues
example of a debate that has received high quality contributions
2015 bombing of Syria
reflected the difference of opinions across the nation
backbench business committee
created 2010
decides debate topic for 1 day a week
example of a motion the government has ignored in debates
lowering voting to 16
how are members of the BBBC selected
elected in party groups rather than by whole house
harder for independent candidates to be involved
how many signatures does an e-petition need to be debated
100,000
32 debated 2011-15
e.g on fuel duty,EU referendum
has the back bench business committee been a success (YES)
backbench MPs have a greater say
enabled debates on things that otherwise might no have been (EU referendum)
influenced gov policy (beer duty)
how has the BBBC helped to engage the public with parliament
e petitions
has the back bench business committee been a success (NO)
gov doesn’t have to respond/accept motions
gov controls BBBC times
smaller parties aren’t represented
no. of members from each party which made up the BBBC
7 cons
7 labour
rest SNP
why has the effectiveness about the recruitment of minister come into questions
communication skills
experience
conformity
communication skills
larger emphasis for ministers to communicate well on TV rather than parliament
experience
1/5 MPs worked in politics (researchers/adivisors)
increase in career politicians
increasing gap between political class and ordinary voters
conformity
loyal MPs better chance of being ministers
delegation model (representation)
individual acts on behalf of people based on instructions
shouldn’t follow own judgement
MPs are not delegate
Trustee model
MPs represent interests of constituents
free to decide how to vote on judgement and merit
assumes MPs have greater understanding
who proposed the trustee model
Edmund burke
what are MPs supposed to do in their constituency
protect and advance the collective interests of constituency
how much time does constituency work take up for an mp
half
what did the Hansard Society’s Audit of political Engagement show about local MPs
35% of people were satisfied with how their local MP was doing their job
(compared to 29% overall)`
descriptive representation
legislature mirrors the society it represents
parliament should be a ‘microcosm’ of society
women makeup of parliament compared to population
32%-51%
why does labour usually have a higher number of female MPs
all women shortlists
all women shortlists
used in every lab election since 1997 (not 2001)
sex discrimination act 2002 permits this
critics of all women shortlists
not based on merit
priority lists
constituency associations draw up shortlists atleast half had to be women
didn’t guarantee they’d be elected
approach was dropped
what type of intiatives are priority lists and all women short lists
demand side
why do ‘supply side’ initiatives remain an obstacle for increasing the number of women in parliament
career choices
family
lack of money
lack of political connections
rise in number of ethnic minority MPs at 2017 general election
41 to 52
only 8% compared to 14% of population
education descriptive representation
29% of MPs 2017 fee paying school
7% of voters
number is in decline
what 2 factors are legislative-relationships affected by
govs parliamentary majority
extent of party unity
why could blair survive large rebellions
2001 167 majority
examples of rebellions in blairs government
Iraq
tuition fees
what was labs majority cut to in 2005
65
they then faced first commons defeat
minority government
party with largest number of seats
can form confidence and supply
example of minority government
conservative+DUP
lost majority in 2017
conservative-lib dem coalition majority
79
what has given backbencher more power
BBBC
increase in urgent questions
what suggests that backbenchers don’t have that much influence
large number of private member bills are defeated
parliamentary rebellion
voting against the whip
rebellions in major’s 1992-97 gov
Maastricht treaty
gun control
largest rebellion in modern politics
139 labour MPs 2003 vote on invasion on Iraq
most rebellious parliaments since 1945
con-lib dem
rebelled on 35% of votes 2010-15
didn’t experience many defeats bc MPs from each party rebelled different issues
how many conservatives rebelled on 2012 house of lords bill
91
what two things have increased scrutiny of the executive
house of lords
back benchers
is parliament an effective check on the power of the executive (YES)
power over timetable weakend by BBBC+UQ back benchers provide more checks on policy increase rebellions HoL effective as revision chamber select committees more influential
is parliament an effect check on the power of the executive (NO)
still lots of control over timetable
defeats are rare
select committees have little power (ignore them)
what % of people are satisfied with how parliament works
30%
according Hansard society’s 2017 report
