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Politics > UK GOVERNMENT - Parliament > Flashcards

UK GOVERNMENT - Parliament Flashcards

1
Q

What is a parliament with two houses called?

A

Bicameral

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2
Q

How many constituencies are there in each part of the country?

A

All: 650
England: 533
Scotland:59
Wales: 40
Northern Ireland: 18
Greater London: 73

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3
Q

Define a frontbencher and give, roughly, how many there are.

A

A more senior member of the main party (as part of the government) or the opposition (the shadow government). There is usually 140-150.

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4
Q

What are the pros and cons of being a backbencher compared to a front bencher?

A

+ More independence: backbenchers are not curtailed by collective responsibility so can speak freely against their party.
+ Greater scrutiny of government: backbenchers can take part in committees to scrutinise the actions of the government.
- Less power: as they do not control a part of the government, their ability to affect change is largely curtailed.

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5
Q

Define a party whip and give the LabCon chief whips.

A

Party officials whose role is to maintain party discipline and loyalty through reporting the backbench consesus to the front bench and sanctions and rewards to those who do.
- Lab: Alan Campbell
- Con: Stuart Andrew

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6
Q

Who is the current Lord Speaker and what controversy was he caught up in 2024?

A

Sir Lindsay Hoyle (previously of 2019, Labour) allowed a Labour amendment to an SNP ceasefie bill to take precedence on an SNP opposition day.

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7
Q

Define each type of Lord and give the number of them as of August 2024.

A

Total = 806
- Life Peer (693): prominent members of society appointed by the Prime Minister
- Hereditary Peer (88): people who have inherited a title that allows them to sit in the House of Lords
- Lords Spiritual (25): Archbishops and bishops of the Church of England.

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8
Q

What act limited the number of hereditary peers?

A

The Hereditary Peers Act 1999

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9
Q

How is the political makeup of the House of Lords different to the house of Commons and its effect on scrutiny?

A

No party has an overall majority in the HOL (404), the Conservatives have a plurality (277) but 183 are crossbenchers and 41 are unaffiliated, making it near impossible. This makes them more effective at scrutiny as they are not curtailed by the majority’s political allegiances.

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10
Q

Why is little discussion of reform of the HOL centred on changing its level of power?

A

More: this may lead to an American-style legislation system that is long-winded and often too difficult
Less: The more power we take away from it, the more we have to ask why we need it.

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11
Q

What are the three main issues with the HOL?

A
  • Democracy: An unelected legislature is undemocratic, further, an unelected house thwarting the will of an elected house lacks democratic leitimacy
  • Accountability: members are unelected so are unaccountable
  • ‘Cronyism’: Life Peers are elected by the PM so are often given as a reward for loyal MPs, an accusation levelled at BoJo
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12
Q

What are the three reform proposals for the HOL as well as one strength of each?

A

All-appointed: people with special experience and expertise could act as better scrutiny for the government
All-elected: if through PR, this could work to ofset the government majority and provide the HOL legitimacy
Part-elected, part-appointed: the best of both worlds

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13
Q

What are the three roles of Parliament?

A
  • Legislatin’
  • Representatin’
  • Scutinatin’
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14
Q

How does the House of Commons provide legitimacy to government legislature?

A

By representing their constituencies, MPs indirectly provide the ‘will of the people’ and scrutinise it so that it can be more in line with such.

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15
Q

What is one type of legislation that the HOL can’t touch and why?

A

Any legislation that concerns public finance cannot be delayed by the HOL, as set out in the Parliament Act 1911 after the conservative-led HOL vetoed the Liberal government’s ‘People’s Budget’.

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16
Q

When does the HOC approve the government tax expenditure?

A

Every Spring and Summer, after the Chancellor of the Exchequer announce the annula budget.

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17
Q

What are non-government bills proposed by MPs called? Name one successful one.

A

Private Members’ Bills
Although the Voyeurism (Offences) Act, 2019 was not passed as a Private Members’ Bill, it’s reintroduction as a government bill shows how PMBs can pass even when they are denied.

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18
Q

Why don’t Private Members’ Bills often pass?

A

It doesn’t look good for a government to pass bills proposed by members of other parties, they appear to need help/can’t come up with legislation.

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19
Q

What are the Lords’ role in legislation?

A

The Lords do not provide consent, but rather scrutinise the legislation and reccomend changes.

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20
Q

Give two occassions where the House of Lords has delayed legislation for a year and been bypassed.

A
  • Sexual offences Amendment Act (2000): lowered the age of consent for gay men to 16
  • Hunting Act (2006): banned fox hunting with packs of dogs.
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21
Q

Explain how the Lords scrutinise secondary legislation.

A

The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Comittee combs through legislation that does not pass through the Houses and presents any causes for concernt to the HOC.

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22
Q

What was the importance of the House of Lords and Secondary Legislation in 2018?

A

Theresa May attemoted to pass more than 600 Henry VIII clauses concerning Brexit, giving them the power to unstoppably decide Brexit, the return of powers, and the rights of people - even threating to remove the HOLSLSC so the HOL had no say.

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23
Q

When can MPs criticise the government?

A

Mainly during Ministers’ Question Time and Prime Minister Question Time, when they can directly ask the government questions to scrutinise their actions.

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24
Q

Is PMQT and MQT effective scrutiny?

A

No, the government can wave away questions that they do not like with half-answers and the asker has no ability to make further comments.

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25
Q

What is the most common way for MPs to scrutinise the government?

A

Through committees (such as the Public Accounts Committee or select comittees), MPs can investigate the quality of governance and call them to account.

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26
Q

What PM has the largest losing margin the Commons, as well as the most total defeats.

A

Theresa May
- Brexit Vote (2019): 230 margin
- 33 defeats in 2 years

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27
Q

Why can the threat of voting in the Commons work as scrutiny? Give an example.

A

The government may not put a bill to vote if they feel they will lose as this may make them look weak and inneffective. This was the case in 2016, when Cameron withdrew a proposal to reduce entitlement to disability benefits.

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28
Q

What is the greates act of scrutiny MPs can enact? Give an example.

A

If 2/3 of MPs vote in favour of a motion of no confidence, the government of the day is removed. This last occured in 1979 with Callaghan’s government.

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29
Q

How is scrutiny of government difficult fro the House of Lords?

A

Almost all Government miisters sit in the House of Commons so there is no means of scrutiny, aside frim asking questions to junior ministers.

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30
Q

How is the HOL advantageuos in scrutiny of legislation?

A

Many peers are experts in their field so can provide detailed and nuanced critiques of acts, especially during the comittee stage.

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31
Q

What does an MP have to represent?

A
  • Constituency
  • Party
  • National interest
  • Causal groups
  • Personal interest
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32
Q

What 5 ways can MPs represent their constituency?

A
  • Lobbying a minister and their department
  • Raising a matter on the floor of the House
  • Redress of grievances
  • Joining local campaigns
  • Surgeries
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33
Q

Give 2 examples of times MPs have represented their constituency and gone against their government.

A
  • Cheryl Gillan and David Lidington lobbied against HS2 as it would negatively affect their Rural English constituents
  • Zac Goldsmith resigned his seat in 2016 to protest the expansion of Heathrow airport, due to concerns abour noise pollution and envirnomental impact.
34
Q

Explain MP Johnny Mercer’s representation of veterans in 2020.

A

Johnny Mercer was a consistent advocate for veteran’s rights, such as mental health supprt and fair treatment; resigned seat as Minister of Veteran’s affairs in 2020, the government’s failure to support veterans.

35
Q

Explain MP Caroline Nokes’ representation of women in 2015

A

Caroline Nokes has headed the Women and Equalities comittee since 2015, fighting against discrimination and domestic violence.

36
Q

Why is the HOL more well-suited to representation of groups than the HOC?

A
  • There is no overall party majority so a wider range of beliefs can be represented, John Bird, a homelessness campaigner, joined in 2015.
  • Lords do not have to worry about being relelected so can represent groups that span the country.
37
Q

How many MPs are from minority ethnic groups, as of 2024?

A

90 (13.85%)

38
Q

How many MPs are openly queer, as of 2024?

A

68 (10.46%)

39
Q

How many MPs are women, as of 2024?

A

263 (40.46%)

40
Q

What % of 2024 MPs are from state schools?

A

63%

41
Q

Give evidence that the House of Commons is getting younger.

A

Mharia Black, elected in 2015 for the SNP, was the youngest MP in history at only 20

42
Q

What is the average age of a member of the Hous of Lords?

A

71

43
Q

How many female peers are there as of 2023?

A

236 (29.28%)

44
Q

How many peers come from ethnic minority backgrounds, as of 2022?

A

55 (6.82%)

45
Q

Give evidence for educational unrepresentativeness in the House of Lords.

A

42% were educated at Oxbridge and 62% went to independent schools.

46
Q

What three acts/conventions limit the power of the Lords over the Commons?

A

The Parliament Act 1911: Removed The Lords ability to veto and only allowed them to delay bills for two years, also removed Lords power over any ‘money bills’
The Parliament Act 1949: reduced two years to one
The Salisbury Convention: Any policy that was in a government of the day’s manifest cannot be amended or delayed

47
Q

Why can’t the Commons have any say on taxation levels?

A

The Lords are not accountable to taxpayers, being unelected, so cannot have any say on the level of taxation.

48
Q

Explain ‘Confidence and Supply’

A

Confidence is given by the Government, it refers to the fain of the Commons in the government to operate effectively.
Supply is given by the Commons, it refers to the willingness of the Commons to allow the Government to operate.

49
Q

What does the Hous of Lords lack that remove their power to hold the government to account?

A

As the have no ‘Confidence and Supply’, they have no leverage over the government to scrutinise them effectively.

50
Q

How has the 1999 House of Lords Act given the HOL more power?

A

The removal of all but 92 hereditary peers removed any party majority giving them more ability to scrutinise government; further, the larger proportion of life peers increased their prestige.

51
Q

What powers does the Commons have that The Lords does not?

A
  • Examination and approval of financial measures
  • Vetoing legislation
  • Votes of no confidence
  • Select comittees
  • Final approvements of amendments
52
Q

What powers does the Lords have that the Commons does not?

A
  • Examining secondary legislation
  • Delaying bills
53
Q

What powers do both Houses of Parliament share?

A
  • Debating and voting on legislation
  • Proposing legislation and amendments
  • Calling governments and ministers to account
  • Debating key issues of the day
54
Q

Explain the three kinds of bills.

A

Private Bills: bills introduced by non-government groups or individuals
Private Members’ Bills: bills proposed by non-government MPs
Public Bills: bills introduced by the Government

55
Q

What are the five stages of the legislative process in each house?

A

First Reading: The bill is introduced to the house
Second Reading: Details of the bill are given and debated
Committee stage: Public Bill Committees debate and possibly amend each clause of the bill
Report stage: amendements are reported and new one’s proposed in the house and voted on
Third Reading: final version is presented, debated, and voted on.

56
Q

How many bills have been defeated at the second reading since 1945?

A

2

57
Q

Why has the Salisbury Convention become less important recently?

A

The long string of conservative governements with no electoral mandate meant the Salisbury Convention did not apply.

58
Q

What is Parliamentary Privelige?

A

The right of members of Parliament to make certain statements within Westminister and not be subject to the law.

59
Q

What is the importance of Parliamentary Privelige for scrutiny?

A

Members can feel secure in criticising the government and other state agencies and not be arrested

60
Q

Give an example of Parliamentary Privelige in action.

A

2022: MP Layla Moran names 35 Russian Oligarchs close to Putin to be sanctioned, an act that could have gotten her sued outside the chamber.

61
Q

What is the issue with Parliamentary Privelige? Give an example.

A

It can negate Rule of Law; when Lord Peter Hain broke an injunction in 2018 and nothing was done about it, the Lord Chief Justice called it ‘a straightforward attack on Rule of Law.’

62
Q

Give two arguments for the idea that MPs are insignificant, as well as counterarguments

A

MPs are lobby fodder who do as their Whips say under the threat of removal.
- Often depending on the size of the majority, MPs can be useful in blocking legislation
Parliament experiences long recessions where the government can go unchecked
- This time is often used to catch up on constituency work

63
Q

What three things is Mhairi Black, previous SNP MP, known for?

A
  • Youngest MP elected in history (20)
  • Quickly became a member of the Work and Pensions Comittee, specialising in welfare and inequality
  • Prominent LGBT+ rights spokesperson
64
Q

What three things was Yvette Cooper, Labour MP, known for?

A
  • Chose to return to the backbenches in 2015 having even been a cabinet minister before 2010
  • Became chair of the Home Affairs Select Comittee, responsible for the resignation of Amber Rudd post-Windrush Scandal
  • Introduced a Private Members’ Bill to block a no deal Brexit that narrowly passed.
65
Q

What are two things Lord Dannat is known for?

A
  • Previously was the Chief of General Staff, the highest ranking soldier in the UK
  • 2015: Campaigned for UK ground troops to be redeployed in Iraq
66
Q

What are two things Baroness Floella Benjamin is known for?

A
  • Raises awareness of issues relating to education, children, healthcare, immigration
  • 2013: marked international women’s day with a speech about the harmful effects of violent porn on children and women
67
Q

What is the difference between a Public Bill comittee and select comittees?

A

Public Bill committees are ad hoc, select comittees are permenant.

68
Q

What is the role of the Public Accounts Comittee?

A

To moniter government spending and collection, investigating and calling the government to account.

69
Q

What are the reasons the Public Accounts Comittee are so powerful?

A
  • The chair is alway a member of the Opposition (previously Meg Hillier)
  • Its reports are often unanimous so stands above party politics
  • Has a high media profile so betters scrutiny
70
Q

Explain the 2015 Public Account Comittee investigation into the effectiveness of cancer care by the NHS.

A

It was found that there was great variation in treatment depending on age and region, paired with low cure rates and increased wait times.
- The government launched a task force to improve the delivery of cancer treatment.

71
Q

What is the purpose of departmental select comittees?

A

To investigate and scrutinise the work of government depatments.

72
Q

What were the successes and failures of the 2018 Home Affairs Comittee’s investigation into the Windrush Scandal, as well as the wider implications?

A

The standing Home Secretary Amber Rudd was forced to resign due to her attempt to feign ignorance
+ Shows the ability of DSCs to pressure the government
Reccomendation of apology and procedure reform has been ignored
- They can pressure but they have no constitutional power.

73
Q

What is the role of the Liason Comittee and who are its members?

A

The LC directly calls the Prime Minister to account twice a year, it is comprised of the chairs of all DSCs.

74
Q

Why is the Liason Committee inneffective? Give an example.

A

They have no power to force a PM to show up, Boris Johnson skipped out on 3 of 6 meetings.

75
Q

What is the most celebrated example of the work of the Backbench Business Comittee?

A

After an e-petition received 100,000 signatures to release all documents relating to the 1989 Hillsborough football disaster, the BBBC hosted a debate that resulted in multiple inquiries and th release of previously secret papers.

76
Q

What gives the Opposition power over the executive?

A
  • The Leader of the Oppostion has priority at PMQTs (up to 6)
  • They recieve 20 Opposition days to decide the topic of debate
  • They have an extremely large media platform to use for scrutiny
77
Q

What MP had the lowest vote share in 2024?

A

Labour MP Terry Jermy for South West Norfolk only had 26.7% of the vote.

78
Q

How many times was Blair beaten and what was the first?

A

4 time total; his first in 2005 on extending detention of terrorist suspects

79
Q

How many defeats did the Lords inflict in the 2017-2019 session?

A

69

80
Q

How many amendments did the Lords make in the 2013-2014 session?

A

1,686

81
Q

How many Urgent Questions did Speaker Jon Bercow allow in the 2017-19 session?

A

307

82
Q

Give an example of toxic behaviour in Parliament

A

In 2015, Cameron called Milliband “Alex Salmond’s Poodle”, to which the Conservative MPs responded with barking.

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