the structure and role of parliament Flashcards
House of Lords selection
Give an example of the prime minister appointing someone to the house of lords
Gordon brown appointed Lord Sugar to HOL in 2009
Functions of the HOC
What are the 6 functions of the HOC
- legislation
- representation
- debate
- providing ministers to government
- scrutiny
- legitimisation
Functions of the HOC
Define representation in the HOC
MPs must protect the needs and interests of people in their constituency in Parliament
Functions of HOC
Define debate in the HOC
MPs discuss major issues of importance to voters and the country.
functions of the HOC
Define law-making in the HOC
House of Commons makes legislation that is binding to all UK citizens.
Functions of the HOC
Define providing minsters in the HOC
The House of Commons provides ministers to form the government
Functions of the HOC
Define Legitimation in the HOC
The House of Commons must approve all bills which become laws and support the government in the actions it takes.
Functions of the HOC
Give an example of an MP representing their constituency
MP Ken Clarke voted to give Parliament a vote on any Brexit deal reached, as his constituents voted to remain, going against Conservative policy.
Functions of the HOC
Give an example of the HOC law-making
The data protection act 2018 - government law on regulations of personal data
Functions of the HOC
What is a private member bill
a proposed piece of legislation by an MP
Functions of the HOC
Give an example of a private member bill
The City of London corperation act 2018 enforced greater management of open spaces in the city of London
Functions of the HOC
GIve an example of legitimation in the HOC
2013 the HOC voted against military intervention in syria which was proposed by the government
Functions of the HOC
Give an example of the HOC preforming scrutiny
PMQ’s every wednesday - prime minister is questioned by the leader of the opposition and other MP’s
Functions of the HOC
Give an example of how departmental select commitees scrutinise the government
2018 - Home office minister Nick Hurd was questioned by the housing, communities and local government committee on the support provided for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire
Functions of the HOC
Give an example of how the convention of individual ministerial responsibility scrutinises government
2019 Amber Rudd resigned from role as home secretary after misleading the house of commons over her departments target for removing illegal immigrants in the UK
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of how the HOC is not represenatative in terms of age
2017 - 52% of MP are over 50 and 2% are aged under 30
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of how the HOC is not represenataive in terms of ethnicity
2017 - 8% of MP’s were from a minority ethnic backround compared to 14% of the UK
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of how the HOC is not representative in terms of gender
2017 - 32% of MP’s were female (208 of them)
highest number yet but still not representative
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of how the HOC is not representaive with education
2017 23% of MP’s went to Oxford or Cambridge
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of how law-making in the HOC can be ineffective
The assualts on emergency act 2018 took over a year to pass through parliament and become law
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of how private member bills show ineffective law-making
only 2 private members bills have been passed since 2017 election
Effectiveness of functions
how do party-whips make law making ineffective
Tell MP’s to follow party lines
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of a party-whip making law making ineffective
a three-line whip was used by labour party to order labour MP’s to vote and trigger article 50 to begin the process of leaving the eu
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of how the HOC havwe legitimated government actions that are against the public interest
The war in Iraq was legitimated by HOC dispite over 750000 people in london along protested against it for on a single day of february 2003
Effectiveness of functions
How can select commitees be ineffective at scrutinising government
ministers can be unhelpful in providing evidence when questioned
Effectiveness of functions
Give an example of select commitees not scrutinising the government effectively
2016 the foreign secretary Boris Johnson was accused of ‘waffling’ by the chair of the foreign affairs select commitee when questioned
Theories of representation
What is the delegate theory?
the elected representative acts as a mouthpiece to those who elected them
Theories of representation
Give an example of the delegate model in parliament
Former MEP’s of Brexit party only had one policy of leaving the EU so made it easy for them to say they are carrying out the will of the people who elected them
Theories of representation
Give a disadvantage of the delegate model in parliament
large minority of voters do not vote for the winning candidate and are not represented in parliament
Theories of representation
Give an example of how local and national interest can conflict with the delegate model
As mayor of London, Boris Johnson opposed his party’s policy of supporting a third runway at Heathrow
Theories of representation
Who formed the Trustee model in 1774?
Edmund Burke - Bristol MP
Theories of representation
Explain the trustee model
Representatives take into account the interests of their constituencies but also their own conscience (on issues like abortion)
and national belief
Theories of representation
Give an example of the trustee model in parliament
Conservative MP Domanic Grieve went against party policy on brexit as he did not think it would benefit the country
he later ran as an independent MP in 2019 and lost his seat
Theories of representation
What is the politico model
Representatives combine delegate and trustee model to execute their political role
Functions of the House of Lords
What are the 4 main functions of the House of Lords?
- Law making
- scrutinising government
- representation
- investigate public policy
Functions of the House of Lords
Give an example to show the house of lords are effective in law-making
HOL contains experts such as Lords Krebs a zoologist was the former chair of the british science association due to his expertise in the field of science
Functions of the House of Lords
Give an example of the HOL effectively scrutinising the government
Between 2016-2017 over 7000 written questions were given to the HOC from Lords
Functions of the House of Lords
Give an example of how the HOL have effectively intervened with government legislation
European Union withdrawal bill was defeated in the HOL 17 times by October 2018
The HOL forced amendments to the bill such as ensuring environemntal law is still applied after the UK leaves the EU
Functions of the House of Lords
GIve an example of how the HOL effectively represent the UK
Baron Bird advocates for homeless people - a group typically overlooked by parliament
Functions of the House of Lords
Give an example of the HOL not effectively scrutinising the government
Large amounts of money were given to peers in 2016-2017 to 277 Lords who spoke less than 5 times
Functions of the House of Lords
Give an example of the HOL not effectively influencing law-making
In 2017 the House of Commons rejected two amendments made by the House of Lords to a bill which enabled the UK to start negotiations to leave the European Union
Functions of the House of Lords
GIve an example of how the HOL is not effectively representative (3 points)
- 92 hereditary peerage including the earl of sandwich
- over half the members are over 70
- 26 Bishops but no representation of other religions
Legislative process
What happens on the first reading of a bill
it can be viewed and scrutinsed by everyone
Legislative process
What happens in the second reading of a bill?
There is a debate in the HOC chamber - outlined by a government minister and responded to by the opposition leader and backbenchers
Legislative process
What happens in the committee stage
Committe will examine the bill and make changes if it needs it
Legislative process
Give an example of a standing committee that overlooks legislation
The standing committe that reviews bills is called the public bill comitee
Legislative process
What is the report stage
Report stage takes place in HOC and HOL where changes that have taken place during the committe stage are discussed and maybe further amendments take place
Legislative process
What is the first reading of a bill?
The bill is discussed in the HOC and the HOL
HOC cannot amend past this point and HOL can propose new amendments that have not already been discussed
Law-making in the two chambers
Explain the salisbury convention
The HOL cannot appose legislation that was outlined in the current governments manifesto
Law-making in the two chambers
Explain the convention that the HOL should not interfer with secondary legislation even if they can
Secondary legislation amends previous laws ensuring that they operate practically and better in modern society
Law-making in the two chambers
Give an example of Parliament amending secondary legislation
2015 Tax credit regulations act - HOL voted against tax credit cuttings
Law-making in the two chambers
What has the term ‘ping-pong’ in the legislative process
Exchanging of amendments between the two chambers afterr the third reading of a bill
Law-making in the two chambers
What did the 2015 Strathclyde review say?
That HOL should not have the ability to block secondary legislation and should only tell the HOC to ‘rethink thier decisions’ but secondary legislation should only be passed in the HOC
Law-making in the two chambers
Give an example of the HOL not being effective in the commitee stage of legislation
Took a long time to review the 2002 Animal health bill which gave it a 4-month delay
Comparative powers of the house
What is a vote of no confidence
when the house does not have confidence in the government there is a vote to remove them
Comparative powers of the house
Give an example of a vote of no confidence
1979 a vote of no confidence removed james callaghan’s government
Backbenchers
what is parliamentary privilege
any MP or member of the HOL can debate or speak freely on any issue
Backbenchers
Give an example of parliamentary privilege being used
ryan giggs affair - 2011 debate after he had taken out an injuction to prevent the sun from writing about his 8-year affair
Backbenchers
give an example of backbench rebellion
in 2012 - 91 conservative backbenchers voted against the coalition’s reform plans for the HOL
Select committees
What is a select committee
a group of MP’s or Lords that investigates and scrutinises government work and other organisations in public interest
Select committees
Give an example of a select committe
Home affairs select comittee - made up of 5 conservatives, 4 labours, 1 SNP and 1 independent
reflects conseravtive and labour majority in parliament
Select committees
Give an example of a cross-department select committee
The public accounts commitee scrutinises how all government departments uses tax-payers money
Select committees
Give an example of select committees questioning ministers
Phillip Hammond the chancellor of the exchequer from 2016-2017 was questions by the treasury select committee on the UK’s financial agreement with the EU as part of the brexit deal
Select committees
GIve an example of UK select committee questioning a public institution
The Business, Innovation and Skills select committee questioned Mike Ashley, the owner of Sports Direct, over the working conditions in Sports Direct’s shops
Select committees
Give an example of how a select commitee can highlight the governments weakness well
The Housing, Communities and Local Government select committee report in 2018 on the importance of the private rented sector encouraged the government’s Build to Rent programme, which increases the number of homes available for rent.
The opposition
Give an example of how the opposition holds the executive to account
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has used PMQs to ask the PM questions submitted by the publi
The opposition
What is the ‘shadow cabinet’?
The cabinet of ministers representing different areas of policy on the opposition party in parliament
debates government cabinet’s actions
The opposition
what are 3 roles of the opposition in parliament
- Scrutinises executive
- presenting itself as an alternative government
- putting forward a shadow cabinet
The opposition
Describe Prime minister May’s majority situation
May’s government did not have a majority and relied on ‘confidence and supply’ deal with democratic unionist party (DUP)
May’s government was vunerable to labour opposition
The opposition
Describe Tony Blair’s parliament majority situation
in 1997 - Blairs governmnet had a 179 seat majority sob the conservative opposition was weak
Ministerial questions
Give an example of how PMQ’s can be ineffective at scrutinising the government
When David Cameron was PM he sent emails to conservative MP’s suggesting questions to ask him including benefits of the governments economic policies
Define the trustee theory of representation
Burkean - representatives should take into account the views of their voters but also their own personal judgment and national interest
Define the delegate theory of representation
representative is solely a mouthpiece for their constituents
Define the Mandate theory of representation
Representatives are there to carry out party policy and manifesto - not about personality but rather about their party loyalty
What are 3 ways that the executive is scrutinised
- Parliamentray questions
- Parliamentary debates
- Select committees
Give an exampleof a debate that scrutinises the executive
2013 syrian air strike debate
Give 3 disadvantages of PMQ’s
- ‘punch and judy’ politics
- Hansard society did an opinion poll that stated that 12% of the UK feel proud of their government thorugh PMQ’s
- ‘patsy questions’ can be used to make the government look good
Give 3 advantages of PMQ’s
- forces prime minister to directly adress key issues
- Offers opportunity for the oppositin to show a ‘better’ debating preformance
- keep prime ministers on their toes and accountable - fearful of them
What is an example of PMQ’s allowing the opposition to show a ‘better’ debating preformance
June 2018 - Corbyn persistantly questioned May on NHS waiting times and funding
What are the 3 types of UK Committees
- public bill
- select
- lords
In 2016-2017 how many reports did select committes produce
267 - 56 of these dealt with Brexit-related topics
What are 3 advantages of select committees
- scrutenises the government
- reports from committes are often acted upon and so therefore they influence policy
- less party-political than n the commons - aim for conscensus rather than competition
What are 3 disadvantages of select committees
- governing party always has majority in committees
- government is under no obligation to accept policy suggestions
- party whips control memberships of publlic bill committees so loyalty is favoured over independly minded MP’s
Give an example of a Lords committee
Economic Affairs committee
What are 3 strengths of the opposition in parliament
- can position itself as an alternative government
- On occasion the opposition can check or even change government policy
- Backbench rebellions within governing parties can present serious problems
What are 3 weaknesses of the opposition
- strength of opposition relies on quality of shadow cabinet and this can often fall short
- opposition successes are rare
- backbench rebellions are rare
give an example of a governing party backbench rebellion
in 2012 conservative backbenchers sucessfully blcoked a bill that would have reformed the HOL
Give an example of how the quality of the shadow cabinet affects the opposition
2017 the shadow home secretary Diane Abbot was questioned on policing on LBC Radio and was criticised for her weak grasp of numbers and details
