Uk Government: 2.1.2.1 Constitutional change between 2010-2015 Flashcards
Who was in GOV between 2010-2015
Colation GOV between conservatives and lib dems under Camron
What overlapped in constitutional reform was there in both manifestos
-implementing the Wright committee’s proposal
-Allow constituents to recall their MP
-Establish a committee to agree proposals for an elected Lords ( CON want mainly elected LIB want partially elected)
What was the House of Commons reform commute also known as?
Wright committee
When was the Wright Committee established
2009
What was the objective of the Wright Committee? Where any implemented if so when?
Identify ways to improve Parliamentary procedures Many recommendations were implemented after the 2010 General election
What did the Wright Committee suggest on select committees?
-Elect committee chairs be elected MP across commons and paid an additional salary, to encourage more independent-minded PMs
-All other select committees be chosen by PMs from their party, rather than party leaders
-On 4th March 2010 Commons voted to change its standing orders to require the election of committee chairs
=> All of this was to allow more free-minded PMs to be on committees that would citizens GOV
What did the Wright Committee suggest on the Backbench Business Committee?
-Allocated 35 days each session (27 in chamber and rest in Westminster Hall to schedule debate on issues raised by backbench MPs
-MP pich ideas for debate and committee then chooses between them, factoring in the timelines of the issue,support from the other MPs etc
-Establishe on 15th of June 2010 via change to standing orders
What did the Wright Committee suggest on E-petitions?
-Allow Public to more directly influence Commons debate
How many petitions are needed to receive an official GOV response?
10,000
How many petiotions are needed to have a debate in Parliment scheduled by the Backbeck Business committee
100,000+
When was the GOV e-petitions website created?
2011
What change happened to who was handling the e-petitions website? and when?
2015 Parliament should run petitions process
What was the Petitions Committee and when was it established?
-Can ask GOV for more from petitioners, GOV or other people/organisations
-Can write to the GOV to press for action and ask PArlimentay committees to look into petition issues
-Established in 2015
What is a recall petition?
Allows constituents to remove their MP before the ned of their term and elect a replacement
Under the Recall of MPs Act what were the 3 conditions which could cause an MP to be recalled?
1) Convicted of a crime and given a sentence of 12 months or less ( above that they are automatically removed under-representation of the people act 1981)
2) Following an investigation & report from the standards committee MPs vote to suspend them for at least 20 sitting day
30 Convicted under the Parliamentary Standards Act (2009) for making false or misleading expense claims
When was the Recall of MPs Act passed?
2015
What is the process of removing an MP
Recall of MPs Act :
1) Meet one of the conditions for recall
2) 10% of constituents sign removal petition within a week, they lose their seat and a by-election is held
When was the Lord’s reform Bill put to parliment?
2012
What was the Lord’s reform
Planned to phases in elections and new appointed members over 10 years
What happened to the Lord reform Bil and why?
Abandoned in Sept 2012 after 92 Conservative MPs rebelled
When was the House of Lords act passed?
2014
What was the House of Lords act 2014?
-Private members bill thet allowed members for the first time to retire
-Allows pers to be expelled if they don’t attens at all ina session or if scentanced to +1year in prison
House of Lords (expulsion and suspension act 2015
Private member’s bill that provided for the House of lords to make a standing order that would allow the expulsion of peers who break the Lord’s code of conduct
What is a private members bill?
Public bills introduced by MPs and Lords who are not government ministers.
When was the House of Lords (expulsion and suspension act passed?
2015
Royal prerogative
- ## LIB want a ‘five-year fixed term parliament’
How did the PM having the power certain prerogative powers benefit the PM? What did the LIBs think about this?
-PM could time lection for when it least sited the opposition
-Restain rebellious PMs by declaring crucial cotes to be matters of no confidence where defeat would lead to election
=>LIBs didn’t want an early election and walk away from collation at a politically convenient time
When was the Fixed Term Parliament Act passed?
2011
What was the Fixed Term Parliament Act?
Set date for the next general election as 7th of May 2015 and established that all subsequent elections would be held every 5 years on the first Thursday in May
2 ways for election to be earlier:
1) Via motion of ‘no confidence’ in common with majority of PMs voting in loss of confidence
2) If 2/3 of MPs (434 out of 650) voted in favour of holding an early election
What was the success to the Crow Act
-Makes succession to crown gender neutral- crowns will now be passed on to heirs in order of birth only
-Marriage to Cath dosn’t prevent succession ( being catholic still bars you)
-Only the first 6 persons in line to thought must obtain royal approval to marriage rather than all potential heirs
When was the succession to the Crown Act passed?
2013
What were the differences in LIB and Conservatives on electoral reform and what was the compromise?
LIB: introfuction of Single tranferable vote
Conservatives: keep FPTP but make constituents more equal in pop size
=> Redraw boundaries and hold a referendum on the majoritarian Alternative Vote system
When was the Alternative vote referendum
5th May 2011
What was the Alternative vote referendum outcome?
No-67.95%
Yes-32.3%
What happened to the Parliamentary Voting system and Constituency Act?
After Conservatives Blocked Lords reform plans LIBs retaliate by refusing new boundary changes
When was the Parliamentary Voting system and Constituency Act proposed
2011
What did the Parliamentary Voting system and Constituency Act propose?
to reduce the number of constituencies from 650 to 600 nad for them to have much more equal pop sizes but
When was the government of Wales ast passed
2006
What was the GOV of Wales act ?
Allowed wales to make legislation on specifica matter that fell within 20 broad policy fields.
However still needed case by case approval from Westminster for each matter it wanted to legislate on
What was the outcome of the Welsh devolution referendum?
referendum on ving welsh assbly powers to ake laws on all 20 developed power
YES- 63.49%
NO-36.51%
When was the Wales act passed
2014
When was the Welsh devolution referendum?
2011
What did the Wales act 2014 do?
DEvolve stamp duty business rates and landfill tax
What was the Calman Commission? What conclusion did they come to?
Review the terma of 1998 SCot act and recommend changes
Conclusion: devolution is a success but that SCot should have greater financial powers + responsibilities
When was the Calmen Commission established?
2008
When was the Scotland Act
2012
What was the Scotland act
-Gave scot parliament power to raise/lower income tax by 10p in the pound
-Devolved control of stamp duty, land tax and landfill tax ab ability to boroww to 2.2 B per year
