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Politics > The Legislature (Parliament) > Flashcards

The Legislature (Parliament) Flashcards

1
Q

What is the average age in the House of Commons/House of Lords?

A

HoC:50 years old
HoL:70 years old

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2
Q

What is the percentage of women in the HofC and HofL?

A

HoC: 21%
HoL:24%
Compared to more than 50% of UK

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3
Q

What is the percentage of privately educated members in the HofC and HofL?

A

HoC:33%
HoL:50%
Compared to less than 10% of UK

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4
Q

What is the percentage of ethnic minorities in HofC and HofL?

A

HoC:4%
HoL:5%(unofficial statistic)

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5
Q

What is the percentage of Oxbridge graduates in HofC and HofL?

A

HoC:24%
HoL:38%

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6
Q

How is our Parliament structured?

A

Bicameral legislature: divided into 2 chambers

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7
Q

What are two methods used by Party Whips?

A

Carrot and Stick= Persuasion or Threat

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8
Q

What happened as a result of the House of Lords Act of 1999?

A

Hereditary peers reduced from 777 to 92

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9
Q

What was the outcome of the House of Lords Commission Act 2000?

A

Was created to scrutinise the PM’s selections and also to select cross-bench candidates.

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10
Q

What are the 5 different fields of House of Lords committees?

A
  1. Europe
  2. Science
  3. Economics
  4. Communication
  5. The Constitution
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11
Q

What were some of Blair’s attempts to reform Parliament?

A

House of Lords Act 1999, created Liaison Committee (Blair first PM to give evidence for 65 years), changed PMQS to 3pm for better coverage, time limited speeches. Aim of ‘Accessible politics’.

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12
Q

What have been some of The Coalitions attempts to reform Parliament?

A

Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011, Constituency boundaries (no change), Backbench Committees established, failed AV Referendum 2011.

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13
Q

What is the difference between a Green Paper and a White Paper?

A

Green-sets out various legislative proposals, suggestions
White-concrete intentions and plans for Bill
Both government documents, open for scrutiny.

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14
Q

What are Private Member Bills?

A

Ballot bills, ten minute rule bills (after PMQs) or Presentation bills (only titles). Opportunity for backbenchers to address any of their (further) constituents’ issues and concerns that are not being addressed by the government.

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15
Q

Examples of successful PMBs

A

The Autism Act 2009 brought about by Cheryl Gillan Tory MP for Chesham and Amersham to advance the care given to adults with autism.

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16
Q

Draw backs of PMBs?

A

-only 13 fridays allocated
-MPs return to their constituencies on fridays; low turn-out
-HofC quorum of 40 members
-use closure motion- requires support of 100 MPs
-filibusters!
EX Labour’s Sarah Champion took her name off amendment to Child Exploitation Bill (PMB) so that Coalition could be credited for it instead

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17
Q

Ways in which Parliament can scrutinise the executive:

A
  1. Opposition Days
  2. PMQs
  3. Select Committees
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18
Q

Successful Opposition Days?

A

29th April 2009, gvt defeated for the first time since 1978- Labour lost over the rights of Gurkhas to settle in the UK.

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19
Q

When did Select Committee chairs begin to be elected by MPs?

A

2010

20
Q

According to 2013 survey, how many recommendations made by Select Committees are actually enacted?

A

44%

21
Q

Differences between Public Bill Committees and Departmental Committees:

A

PB: temporary- lack dynamic, relationships?/ scrutinise government bills
D: permanent, scrutinise government departments.
Both use experts from outside of Parliament and have members from across political parties to reflect the proportion of MPs from each party in the house.

22
Q

What is the Delegate Theory of Representation?

A

MPs simply act as a mouthpiece for their constituents.

23
Q

What was proposed in the House of Lords Reform Bill 2012?

IT WAS ABANDONED

A

Coalition pledge, that by 2025 election the HofL would have 350 elected members and only 90 appointed members.

24
Q

Example of Delegate theory of representation in practice?

A

Oct 2012, 53 Tory MPs voted against party whip urging PM to out EU budget. Many claimed in the media that they were acting as delegates: representing their constituents.

25
Q

What is the Burkean/Trustee Theory of Representation?

A

MPs have the autonomy to vote using their conscience, even if it conflicts with the views of their constituents. Contrasts Delegate’s theory, believes Parliament must consider all sides of an argument, with the whole nation’s interests in mind.

26
Q

What is a free vote?

Give an example

A

When members of Parliament vote according to their own beliefs as opposed to following their party policy.
Same Sex Marriage Bill 2013, passed showed Cameron was more of a paternalistic Tory, moving away from Thatcherism. 13 Tory MPS voted against. 40 abstained from voting.

27
Q

Examples of juvenile behaviour/adversial politics/ political point scoring

A

Cameron called Miliband a “complete mug”

Cameron told Angela Eagle to “calm down dear”

28
Q

Other functions of House of Commons:

A
  • Representation
  • Legitimacy
  • Recruitment EX. George Osborne recruited difficult MP Robert Halford into government as Personal Private Secretary to have him under control
29
Q

Lay out Ed Miliband’s PPE Fast Track

A

1.Studied PPE at Oxford, shoe horned into safe seat, became specialist advisor, worked alongside Gordon Brown as Secretary of State for Environment/Energy. In space of 5 years went from being backbencher to member of executive to party leader.

30
Q

How do you become a member of the House of Lords?

A
  • appointed as a working peer
  • be an archbishop or bishop
  • former party officials
  • party donors (Conservative offered £5.9 m by Micheal Farmer, alongside Karen Brady etc)
31
Q

What is the Salisbury Convention?

A

Convention ensures that major Government Bills can get through the Lords when the Government of the day has no majority in the Lords. In practice, it means that the Lords does not try to vote down at second or third reading, a Government Bill mentioned in an election manifesto.

32
Q

What was remarkable about Blair’s Parliamentary sessions between 1997 and 2005?
What do critics of this call it?

A

Due to landslide victories- strong mandates, no defeats in commons. Even if every single opposition MP opposed, overruled by governing party.
An Elective Dictatorship (Lord Hailsham)

33
Q

Significance of 2010-2012 Parliamentary session?

A

Most rebellious on record-featuring 239 rebellions. Not a single Lib Dem MP has not rebelled.

34
Q

Examples of defeats:

A

2013 motion of intervention into Syria

35
Q

When has the Salisbury Convention has been ignored?

A

Labour’s identity cards Act 2006- included in their 2005 manifesto

36
Q

Why has the Coalition government’s parliamentary session given them the label of a ‘zombie government’?

A

-Inability to pass legislation due to rebellions- ideology splits, factions within parties (one nation tories vs thatcherites) and between lib dems and tories. Scarcity of jobs in cabinet also caused friction.

37
Q

Recent example of Parliament defeating government

A

26th March 2015 (last day of Parliamentary session) Conservatives sneakily tried to oust speaker John Burcow via a bill to change the method of electing him. William Hague described it as a ‘parting gift’, especially as it was his birthday. Suspected opposition MPs would be returning to their constituencies- Government motion defeated 228 to 202.

38
Q

What is an ombudsman?

A

An official appointed to respond to public complaints and investigations against an organisation.

39
Q

What does Bagehot believe Parliament to do to the Executive?

A

Audit it

40
Q

How many spiritual peers in the House of Lords?

A

26

41
Q

How many peers?

A

over 780

42
Q

Second elected chamber could lead to…

A

Gridlock like US

43
Q

Select Committee expertise example:

A
  • Science and Technology Committee 6 members with PhDs in the field
  • Sarah Wollaston, chair of Health Select Committee worked as GP for 20 years
  • Rory Stewart, chair of Foreign Affairs Select Committee, worked for Foreign Office and conducted diplomacy in Iraq and Afghanistan
44
Q

Select Committee influence

A
  • Science and Technology Committee recent reports on nuclear research resulted in the government committing to developing a long-term strategy
  • Dominating media Margaret Hodge, Public Accounts Committee chair mentioned nearly 2000 times in the press between June 2013 and June 2014
45
Q

Filibuster example?

A

Jacob Rees-Mogg Daylight Saving Bill 2010-2012 and Sustainable Livestock Bill 2010-2012- recited poetry and mentioned the fictional pig, the Empress of Blandings

46
Q

Counteract to PPE fast track?

A
47
Q

Successful Select Committees:

A

Culture Select Committee grilled director-general of BBC over Jimmy Saville affair 2012

Politics (6 decks)

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