The constitution chapter 2

Question 1

Changes under Labour 1997-2010

Answer 1

House of Lords reform
Electoral reform
Devolution
Human Rights Act
Creation of supreme court

Question 2

Reforms under coalition 2010-15 and conservative government since 2015

Answer 2

House of Lords reform and house of commons boundary reform
Rights
Electoral reform
Reform of House of Commons
Fixed term parliaments act (2011)
The recall of MPs Act (2015)

Question 3

House of Lords Reform (Labour)

Answer 3

Cut dedicatory peers to 92
1997
would support labour as majority of Hereditary peers support conservatives
Majority are now life peers
no political party has a dominance now

Question 4

Electoral Reform (Labour)

Answer 4

Proportional representation introduced for elections to:

• Scottish parliament
• Welsh assembly
• Northern Ireland assembly
• European parliament

Question 5

Devolution (Labour)

Answer 5

Following referendums in 1997-8 Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland gained devolved bodies
designed to reduce support for SNP and bring together unionists and nationalists
No answer to ‘West Lothian Question’
Barnett Formula= issues because Scotland, Ireland and wales get more spending per person than England

Question 6

Human Rights Act (Labour)

Answer 6

Incorporated ECHR into UK statute law
All future legislation had to be compatible with the ECHR
Exemption from Article 5- liberty in times of terrorism

Question 7

Creation of supreme court (Labour)

Answer 7

2005 constitutional reform Act
4 years later supreme court established
removal of law lords
highest court of appeal for civil and criminal cases
separation of powers (independent judiciary)

Question 8

House of lords reform and House of lords boundary reform (Conservatives)

Answer 8

Rebellion of 91 conservative MPs
-plans for mainly elected HOL dropped after
Reduced MPs from 650-600 after 20202 election

Question 9

Electoral Reform (conservatives)

Answer 9

2011 AV referendum
42% for
68% against
vote more against lib dems than against the reform over electoral system

Question 10

Rights (conservatives)

Answer 10

Conservatives: replace Human Rights Act with British Bill of Rights
Lib Dems: retain act
They couldnt find a way to move forward

Question 11

Devolution (conservatives)

Answer 11

Wales: direct law means power in all 20 policy making areas without consulting Westminster
Scotland: more powers in 2012 Scotland act including: borrowing, income tax, landfill tax and stamp duty
2014 Scottish independence referendum 2014 55% stay
England:
EVEL
-solution to the West Lothian Question
-measure concerns only England (and wales) before grand committee in HOC made up of English (and welsh) MPs
1st used 2016 housing Bill

Question 12

Fixed term parliament act 2011 (conservatives)

Answer 12

PM no longer chooses date of election
every 5 years unless 2/3rds agree to hold or pm loses vote of no confidence and doesn’t form a new government withing 14 days

Question 13

Rights (Conservatives)

Answer 13

conservatives: replace human rights act for British bill of rights
Lib Dems: retain act
there was no way to move forward so plans were scrapped

Question 14

Reform of HOC (conservatives)

Answer 14

Chairs of house of commons select committees were to be chosen by the MPs rather than party leaders
A backbench business committee created which chose topics for debate

Question 15

The recall of MPs act 2015

Answer 15

If MPs sentenced to a custodial sentence or is suspended from commons for more than 21 days a by-election is triggered
if at least 10% of constituents sign a recall petition