Uk Government Flashcards
1
Q
Confidence and supply
A
Rights to remove government or grant / withhold funding.
Coalition agreement - minority partner provides in exchange for policy consessions
2
Q
Bicameral legislature
A
Two chambers (lords - unelected , commons - elected)
3
Q
Role of MPs
A
Represent constituents
Debate legislation and issues
Scrutinise government
Legitimise legislation through scrutiny and voting (popular consent)
Participate in select committees , public bills
4
Q
Role of official opposition
A
Government in waiting
Hold government to account - examine policy and question ministers
Defend interests of groups in society
17 opposition days
5
Q
Example of effective opposition day
A
2020- motion to extend free -school meals through half term was rejected but kept on agenda and later u turned.
6
Q
Significance of official opposition
A
Healthy, representative democracy
Strong impact in minority gov (2017)
Accused of point scoring without real counters
Morale can suffer with weak opposition ( corbyn )
7
Q
SNP opposition day 2024
A
Speaker allowed 3 main parties decision on Gaza- seen to favour labour as it concealed party divisions over the subject
8
Q
Questions
A
Lords questions - towards whole government
PMQs - leader of opposition asks pm 6 questions , opposition MPs also ask questions to differing offices
9
Q
General definition of party whips
A
Enforcers of party line
10
Q
What do whips manage
A
Attendance on votes, pairing system
11
Q
Pairing system is
A
Where one mp cannot vote ,an mp from another party forfeits their vote to make it equal
12
Q
Consequences before whip is removed
A
Fewer chances of promotion and assignment to unpopular parliamentary duties
13
Q
What happens when the whip is removed
A
Mp sits as an independent until restored , frontbenchers expected to resign from their position
14
Q
Thee - line whip
A
Attendance and voting in party line is essential and serious , usually for second readings
15
Q
Free vote
A
Usually for moral issues , MPs can vote how they wish
16
Q
When is the whip harder to enforce
A
In minority governments or coalition, it only takes a handful of backbenchers to rebel to loose a vote
17
Q
In 2019 how many conservatives lost the whip
A
21 for backing a motion to prevent no deal Brexit includes Phillip Hammond
18
Q
Did the whips display power with Lee Anderson
A
No , he joined reform and did not apologise for comments about islamists controlling London
19
Q
Did labour demonstrate power of whips with Kate osamor
A
Yes , she apologised for her comments that Gaza should be remembered as a genocide on holocaust Memorial Day and got the whip back
20
Q
Main roles of speaker
A
Non -partisan figure to organise business , maintain order and discipline and announce vote results, they may have to cast a deciding vote
21
Q
Current speaker
A
Sir Lindsay. Hoyle - labour
22
Q
Bercow Brexit proceedings
A
Refused a meaningful Brexit vote on the basis it would be repetitive due to anti-brexit views
23
Q
How many lords
A
805 (jan2025) can be any amount
24
Q
Life peerages
A
Nominated by PM,687 (jan2025)
25
House of Lords reform act
Reduced number to 92 , as they can put themselves for election. On the basis of nepotism
26
Lords spiritual
26 Anglican bishops , appointed by PM based on church of England recommendations
27
chief whip scandal
chris pincher for sexual misconduct
28
women in commons and lords
41% women(C), 28%(L)
compared to 51% population
29
Role of monarch
Appoint Pm, open in may and dismiss Parliament , king’s speech written by pms office and give royal assent to bills
30
Why is the monarch not impactful
Although head of state, the job is ceremonial and symbolic as they follow conventions
31
private members bills positive
1967 abortion act , 2024 assisted dying bill(kim leadbeater)
32
how many mps went oxbridge
20%
33
What powers outside of legislative does commons have
Represent people and being held to account by electorate, remove gov through no confidence,departmental select committees scrutinise gov work
34
Powers outside of legislative does the lords have
More time to debate, some members become gov ministers , greater independence for scrutiny due to life peerage
35
Example of a lord who became gov ministers
Lord frost as minister of state
36
Which powers of the lords must have consent from commons
Delaying a generals election, sacking senior judges and introducing secondary or delegated legislation
37
Trustee/burkean model
Lords and mps have increased education-46%of lords and 20% commons Oxbridge , better equipped to decide what's best.
38
Delegate model
Messenger for constituents ' free votes '
39
question time examples
blair increased time to 30 mins
humble adress -starmer forced brexit files (2018)
urgent questions increased in 2019-2021 by hoyle
40
negative impact question time
sunak missed 19% of pmqs by july 2023
prepared - cameron aides found to have been planting suggestions to backbenchers
41
positive impact question time
make or break political careers
cameron performed very well but brown had to slam dispatch box to gain control
42
public bill committees example
scrutinise all bills to improve , minister and shadow minister add expertise
43
public bill negative impact
weak , success rate for non gov amendments is 1 , follow party lines
44
rebellion negative
party whips keep in check
only 1 labour mp rebelled for winter fuel cuts
mps can just abstain
45
Examples of delegate model
Lisa Nandy (Wigan) voted to trigger A50 , backbench business comitee ,Twitter pressure 2020 con to reverse planning targets
46
Mandate representation
Parties fulfi) representarán as they represent set of interests , voted on by electorate - Unity and whips
47
Example of question time debates and comities ensure ministers learn role (legitimisation )
Priti Patel was a member of foreign affairs committee then became hone sec 2019
48
Example of no prerequisites fur becoming MP or minister (lack of legitimacy)
Sunak as chancellor only being an MP for 4 years,‘westminster bubble’ lack experience
49
Voted no confidence adding to legitimacy
1979 callaghan's gov lost, had to call an election
50
No confidence undermining legitimacy with backbenchers wanting to avoid re election
May had largest defeat (230) on Brexit bill but survived vote of no confidence the day after (no rebels on either side)
51
MPs lacking experience or training to run gov departments (lack of legitimacy )
PritiPatel - bullying allegations , Braveman -mismanagement allegations as HomeSec
52
Example of gov needing to listen to backbenchers in return for support on bills (legitimacy )
40 con threatens to rebel , home sec reversed plans to criminalise homelessness
53
Threat of or backbench rebellion effective evidence (legislation)
Jan 2023 Tories threatened rebellion over amendments to online safety bill , gov now considering similar proposals
Refusal to support Blair’s extension of terrorise detention to 90 days
54
Threat or backbench rebellion ineffective (legislation)
Strong whips and supermajorities from fptp -Blair didn’t loose a vote from 1997-2005
55
Coalition /minority gov effective (legislation)
May defeated 28 times , lost Brexit vote majority of 230
56
Coalition/minority gov not effective (legislation)
2010 only defeated 7 times in 5 years , mays minority defeated due to contentious issue
57
Lords defeating gov effective (legislation
2020 internal market bill lords forced amendments , 40% scrutiny time , mays gov defeated 69 times -unelected chamber balances partisan commons
58
Lords defeating gov ineffective (legislation )
Heavily restricted by 1911 and 1949 parliament acts and Salisbury convention ,Rwanda Bill became an act of parliament despite large opposition and parliamentary ping pong
59
Lords effective legislative powers
Police , crime and sentencing bill defeated 25 times -only 92 hereditary peers , 25 % are crossbenchers -more independence and weaker party discipline
60
Lords not effective legislation powers
1911, 1949 parliament acts and Salisbury convention limit power of lords - nationality and borders bill became law
61
Lords effective representation powers
More ability to represent underrepresented groups , wider range of expertise - Baroness Bakewell was a broadcaster , being appointed means they are able to change to represent social groups
62
Lords lack effective representation
Lords has no mandate from people and hereditary peers reserve first born son , first female bishop 2014, would increase amount if women by 10% if hereditary and over 80 removed
63
Lords ineffective scrutiny powers
No question time , lack of departmental select comities , lord evans said its great to be a lab peer as his mates are in senior jobs ,Ian mcnicol wrote to treasure on behalf of company he was paid to advise
64
Lords effective scrutiny
Commons have majority gov that are harder to scrutinise , crossbenchers and life peerages mean impartial , 40% time scrutiny , select comities (specialist to critique) - constitution comitee
65
how many covid related SIs were laid before parliament as law
65 such as wearing masks in public
66
s98 of coronavirus act said
powers need to be periodically removed
67
analysis of covid emergency powers
any trade off between this protecting public health and national economy should be debate and scrutinise the proposals to help rules be clear , publicly defendable and error free
68
confusion with covid emergency policy
public administration and constitutional affairs committee noted how a woman who wasn’t infected was fined £660
69
Hoyle comment on Covid emergency powers
Government treated MPs with ‘cotempt’ as MPs unable to legitmise legislation
70
Bingham centre opinion on Covid emergency powers
Inaccessible and unfair as citizens do not have a reasonable chance to be aware
71
lord frost as minister of state problem
he was unable to answer questions from the commons and unelected but could appear in front of lords and select committees (accountability for constituents and to other mps)
72
how to resolve lords become ministers
procedural changes such as dedicating monthly question time as commons comities cannot summon lords
73
why is it bad the full commons had lost direct access to a minister
as it is optimistic to assume eu scrutiny comitee can adequately scrutinise powerful decision makers on their own
74
public bill comitee stages
evidence , debating , making amendments to send back to house
75
departmental select committees wright reform
cross party whips decide chairs in line with party representation
76
expansion of departmental select committees
work and pensions comitee investigated british home stores
77
liaison comitee strength
focused approach- may sessions dominated w brexit
johnson’s on covid and own person conduct
78
liaison comitee weakness
pm can cancel appearances - johnson first appearance may 2020
chair is jenkins who was insisted on by gov and criticise for neutrality in role
79
backbench buisness comitee success
2011 debate on hillsborough led to release of papers and new inquest
80
public accounts comitee success
2015 caused gov to launch review into cancer treatment and set up task force in 2020
81
petition comitee sucess
- representive function as it spreads awareness about new issues the electorate care abt
-150k sugar tax
82
dawn butler (labour backbencher) comitees and causes championed
- children , schools and families as well as education
-signed a question in BSL,equality assessment on policy
83
backbench lack of impact
75% unaware of mp 2015 hansard society
lack power in large government (2024 labour 412)
84
backbencher impact
willing to defy gov - mays 230 majority defeat in 2019
85
lord backbenchers success and lack of
gov departments have a lord representative
lack of select committees
86
baroness floella benjamin (lib dem peer)
called for greater inclusivity in programming
87
lord dannatt ( crossbencher peer)
vocal about welfare for veterans
88
pmqs not effective scrutiny
sound bites to grab attention -badenoch said starmer wasn’t answering on the supreme court ruling ( on a woman) because he doesn’t have the balls
89
comitee example positive scrutiny
nadine dorris’ lack of knowledge showed in plans to privatise channel 4
sugar tax recommended by health comitee in 2016
90
debates effective
e petitions over 100k signatures such as brexit and trumps visit to uk
2015 on air strikes against syria
91
debates lack effectiveness
trump still granted visa
may didn’t consult for further air strikes on syria in 2018
92
opposition days negative
snp(2024) - 30 mps expressed no confidence in hoyle after he allowed 3 main parties decisions on Gaza motion to conceal labour divisions
93
private members bill negative
only 5% time used
2010 only 1 bill came from a non-governing party backbencher
94
corrupt system of lords appointments
peter cruddas donated £500,000 to party
95
how many gov defeats in lords 2019-24
411
96
average age in lords and commons
48 (C) , 71(L)
97
BAME in commons and lords
14%(C), 6%(L)
compared to 18% population(2021)
98
parliamentary sex scandals
2025 mp dan norris arrested on suspicion of child sex offences
99
scandals parliamentry
party gate
cash for questions
2009 expenses scandal -2 peers imprisoned ,3 lab mps imprisoned
lords ‘cash for access’- roy kennedy
mcnicol wrote to treasury on behalf of firm he advised
100
what did lord evans say scandalously
great to be labouring peer now his mates have senior jobs
101
backbencher lack of importance
30 rebelled on rwanda bill, still became a bill in 2024
102
investigation of gov select comitees
amber rudd wind rush , media coverage exposing issues
103
official opposition(majority system) not as effective as select comitees
large majorities not combated (blair)or weak opposition/divided(corbyn)
104
since wright reform comitees importance
independently minded and salary attracting high profile ( jeremy hunt) reform have increased expertise , profile and independence to increase accountability
105
official opposition is more funded and provledged that comitees
blair 97 opposition days unified party and cameron shining light on browns lack of leadership
106
comitees have no enforcement powers
gov do not have to act on them meaning reports have limited impact
107
comitees bipartisan struggle , investigate issues after occurred
party politics still influence such as jenkins on liaison comitee being neutral as gov forced his appointment
108
example of peoples peer by holac
baron bird - campaigns to end homelessness
