UK Parliment Flashcards
What are the origins of the House of Commons
The origins trace back through medieval history - king Henry III did not want to share his powers, which prompted a reaction from nobility member called Simon de Montfort who, once Henry was captured, summoned representatives of nobility, knights and churchmen to meet at Westminster hall in 1265 and this was considered the first English parliament
During the civil war what did King Charles do?
Enter parliament and tried to arrest 5 MP’s
In 1689, what did William II accept?
The bill of rights, which established parliamentary surpremacy
Definition of parliament:
Parliament in the UK compromises of the House of Commons and House of Lords, and possesses supreme legislative authority. It scrutinises the work of government and represents the diverse interest of the UK
Composition if the House of Commons:
The only democratically elected chamber, containing 650 MP’s, they have the right to dismiss a government if it loses a vote of no-confidence because it is a democratic body that represents the nation
What are frontbench MP’s?
Mp’s who have been invited by the PM to join the government as senior ministers, junior ministers or permanent private secretaries who are all bound by the principle of collective ministerial responsibility
What are party whips, how are they elected and what is their impact?
Party whips are appointed by party leaders to help to maintain discipline within a party. Whips encourage and cajole MP’s to support the party line, report back rebellions within a party and they can issue ‘one line’ or ‘three line’ whips to either encourage MP’s to vote in a certain way, or to force their MP’s to vote in line with the party
In 2019, where was the ‘three line whip’ used?
21 Conservative MP’s, including Philip Hammond and Rory Stewart had their party whip withdrawn for supporting the HOC taking control of the EU withdrawal negotiations
‘Three line whip’
Under what circumstances are whips particularly important?
When a government has a small parliamentary majority or a minority
What is the role of the speaker and how are they elected?
They are the ‘presiding officer’ of the commons, and they have a duty to be impartial. They arrange parliament business with leaders of the main parties, ensure proper procedures are followed and keep order/preside over debates. They can also suspend MP’s
Since 2009, How has the speaker been elected?
By a secret ballot of MP’s
In 2022, who was suspended from the Commons and why?
The leader of the SNP (Iain Blackford) was suspended by the speaker for claiming that the PM, Boris Johnson had been ‘wilfully misleading’ parliament over the lockdown parties at Downing Street
What did John Bercow push for/achieve as speaker?
- he stood up for the rights of parliament against the executive
- He supported several reforms to increase powers of backbench MP’s to scrutinise government, for example, he ensured that they were allowed to ask more ‘urgent questions’ which ministers had to respond to on the same day
- his critics of government attempts to dominate parliamentary time won him support of many backbench MP’s
When did John Bercow critisise government?
- in 2018 he reacted furiously when the government attempted to limit the time provided for an opposition day debate on the grenfell tower disaster
- in march 2019, he stopped Theresa May from reintroducing her unamended Brexit deal in the HOC
What did Sir Lindsay Hoyle criticise in 2021?
He criticised the treasury when it briefed journalists about the upcoming budget before informing the House of Commons
What is the ‘Deninson rule’
A role of the speaker that says they have to settle a tied vote in government, to which they have to try and always vote in line with the status quo
What is the role of the leader of the opposition?
- they ensure the government is thoroughly scrutinised
- they are given the right to ask 6 questions in PMQ’s
- they select a shadow cabinet whose task it is to hold the government accountable and persuade the electorate that their shadow government can be trusted in government
What is the process of passing legislation?
A bill is presented to parliament at its first reading, then at its second reading the principles of it are debated, following this it is scrutinised by MP’s on a public bill committee, then at the third reading it’s debated at a report stage then sent to the HOL for scrutiny before receiving royal assent and becoming a law
What are the criticisms with how legislation is passed in the UK?
- the public bill committee votes on party lines and always have government majority which may impact objectivity
- MP’s on many bills are expected to vote the way whips tell them to - limiting genuine engagement
- many changes to law came from secondary/delegated legislation, using statutory instruments, meaning the executive can sidestep the Commons
How are ministers provided?
What is an advantage of the way is which ministers are selected?
It allows MP’s to prove their abilities in the legislature, and so can persuade the executive of their fitness in government office. This was shown when the young Tory MP Iain Macleod impressed Churchill in debate and as a result Churchill demanded he be in government and refused the advice of the chief whip saying he was ‘too young’
What are the disadvantages of the way front benchers are decided in government and opposition?
It significantly restricts choice because as many as one in three members of the governing body may be given a ministerial role. Also the PM being able to select government from backbenchers is seen to give the PM ‘patronage power’ which encourages conformity and reduces debate
What are the different ways in which MP’s can scrutinise and debate?
The parliamentary backbench business committee, the petitions committee, adjournment debates, early day motions and emergency debate
What is the parliamentary backbench business committee and when was it established?
It was established in 2010, and provided backbench MP’s with 35 days a year to control parliamentary business. MP’s can raise any issue with the committee such as Black History Month in 2021-22
When was the petitions committee established and how does it work?
It was established in 2015 and was created to schedule debates on petitions that reached 100000 signatures
What are adjournment debates and how long are they?
They are debates that take place after an MP apply’s to the speaker to ask a minister a question, and after this response other MP’s can also ask a question. These debates are limtied to 30mins
What are adjournment debates good for and when was this shown?
They are effective at raising issues of public interest, for example in 2020, when Neil Parish’s MP adjournment debate led the BBC to protect regional news programs
What are early day motions?
Motions introduced by MP’s urging debate on a specific issue
Negatives of early day motions:
Most don’t reach the floor of the commons
What are emergency debates and how are they approved?
Emergency debates take place in response to an MP’s call for it, to which the speaker will allow or disallow it. If allowed, an MP has 3 minutes to make the case in the chamber for the debate - and then if allowed here, the commons decide if it should take place
In 2019, what emergency debates take place did John Bercow approve and what was the outcome?
On September 3rd 2019, Oliver Lewton’s case for emergency debates take place was approved, which enabled the commons to successfully demand government extensions of Brexit negotiations by a vote of 329-300
What are urgent questions and how do they take place?
MP’s can apply to the speaker to ask an urgent question and then if allowed, they are required to explain to the HOC what the government is doing on the issue raised
In January 2022, when was an urgent question raised?
Sir Lindsay Hoyle granted Angela Reyner an urgent question to the PM on whether he had knowingly broken lockdown restrictions
What are the positives of urgent questions?
The effectiveness of parliamentary debate and scrutiny is disputed, and powerful arguments tend to be generated which boosts the concept of independent MP’s
In December 2021, which urgent questions debate sparked strong arguments?
The debate on Covid passes being introduced generated powerful arguments over the extent to which government can intrude peoples’ private life
Why is representation in parliament important
It ensures that all diverse voices are heard, meaning that all groups in society are accounted for. Also without proper representation laws and policies may not properly reflect the will of the public and could lead to dissatisfaction or unrest. Representation also prevents the monopolisation of power because it restricts the domination of power among a single group
In the HOC in 2019, what evidence is there to suggest it was the most socially representative in parliamentary history?
It obtained the highest number of female MP’s (340), the highest population of BAME MP’s (10%) and the highest number of LGBTQ+ MP’s (7%)
What evidence suggests that the 2019 HOC wasn’t representative?
80% of these ‘representative’ MP’s had a business or professional career, therefore the working class was significantly under-represented. Also, 66% of MP’s were still male and 27% of MP’s were privately educated as opposed to 6% of the nation
Representation in the HOC in 2025:
- 335 new MP’s entered the HOC for the first time
- there are 263 female MP’s (41%)
- the commons now has the highest proportion of ethnic minorities at 14%
- there are currently 64 MP’s of LGBTQ+
How it legitimation ensured in the HOC?
- parliamentary bills require the consent of the commons before they are enacted
- the commons are consulted over the committing of military forces to action (after the 2003 Iraq war)
- FPTP system usually grants a majority
Why is legitimation in the commons controversial?
There is no codified constitution that shows the powers of the Commons in relation to the government, allowing the government/PM to act without consulting parliament. This was done in 1982, where Margaret thatcher failed to sufficiently consult MP’s prior to the invasion of the Falkland Islands, also in 2017, May failed to consult MP’s before calling a snap election and in 2018, May joined the US-led assaults on the Syrian government without consulting the Commons, which led Jeremy Corbyn to react strongly
Where has consultation of the House of Commons proved successful?
Attempts by May’s government to begin the process by which the UK would enter negotiations to exit the EU without consulting the commons failed and in the 2017 Gina Miller case, the Supreme Court declared that the PM couldn’t legally do this by proroguing parliament
What is ‘having the whip withdrawn’ and when has this happened?
- Having the whip withdrawn is when an MP essentially gets removed from a party for misconduct, meaning they can still be an MP but must be independent
- labour suspended 7 rebel MP’s over the 2 child benefit cap
- recently, Andrew Giuynee was sacked as health Minister by the government after allegations came to light of comments he made regarding his electorate and some anti-Semitic references he made in a WhatsApp group
What is the role of the leader of the opposition?
They appoint a shadow cabinet and keeps them in account and challenges the current PM/governmen
What are the three branches of powers?
Legislative, judicial, executive
Why is the UK parliament described as bicameral?
It means ‘two chamber’
What is the House of Lords?
The unelected chamber of Westminster parliament, composed of life peers, elected hereditary peers and bishops
What are hereditary peers?
Peers that were made lords because their father was previously one, and after the 1963 peerage act, this title was extended to girls as well
How many people did several PM’s put forward for peerage?
Tony Blair put forward 357
David Cameron put forward 243
Gordon brown appointed 34
In 2022, what was the composition of the House of Lords?
There were almost 800 members, including 26 bishops of the Church of England (including Canterbury and York), 92 hereditary peers and the rest life peers
Why are life peers appointed and why is this an advantage?
Due to service to the nation, which could mean that the HoL is less influenced by party politics in comparison to the Commons
Who is the speaker of the Lords and when were they appointed?
Lord Mcfall was elected as speaker in 2021
HoL impact over legislation:
- they are unable to stop bills passed by the House of Commons from becoming laws
- they can however, make amendments to bills, hence they are seen as the ‘revising chamber’
- they can delay legislation for a year as a result of the 1949 Parliament act
- as members aren’t influenced by dictates and party whips, they tend to be more independent and open minded
Due to the 1911 and 1949 parliament acts, legislation can be passed regardless of objections. Where was this shown?
In 2000, the sexual offences (amendment) bill which reduced the legal age of gay sex from 18 to 16 was rejected by the lords however the government invoked the 1949 parliament act to give to the bill royal assent so that it could become a law
What may heavy HoL defeats prompt government to do?
Reconsider/remodify or even discontinue legislation (especially when the initial bill was passed with a small majority) because there is a risk to continual ‘parliamentary ping pong’ which could bog down parliament regarding a bill that doesn’t even appeal to the public very much
Where have heavy defeats in the HoL and small HoC majorities caused government to rethink legislation?
in 2008, a clause in the counter terrorism bill to enable suspects to be held for 42 days with no charge lost in the Lords by 191 votes and because this clause was only passed in the Commons by 9 votes, Brown decided to drop the clause
Where has HoL criticism/scrutiny shown to be insufficient?
- HoL critics of the 2020 internal market bill failed to sufficiently recognise the authority of devolved governments to determine goods and services policy, which led to the government conceding that some regulatory differences could be accepted within a common framework
What does a larger HoC majority mean for HoL amendments?
The HoC would tend to be less prepared to accept amendments, evident after Johnson’s 80-seat majority in 2019, as in January 2020, the commons rejected all HoL amendments to the EU withdrawal agreement bill
What are HoL sessional committees and special enquiry committees?
- sessional committees deal with a particular issue and last from one parliamentary session to the next
- special enquiry committees investigate a specific issue and are set up for a specific time period
‘Governing from the shadows’
Critics have accused governments of increasingly using statutory instruments to introduce significant changes to law without them being scrutinised in the same way as primary legislation, shown in 2020, as 1618 statutory instruments were passed but only 29 acts of parliaments were, which led veteran labour MP Angela Eagle to accuse recent governments of ‘governing in the shadows’
What is a key ‘HOLSC’?
The secondary legislation committee
What is the purpose of the secondary legislation committee and where was it used?
It highlights when statutory instruments are so badly drawn up that they may not achieve purpose, for example in 2022, a statutory instrument was used to reduce from 3 months to 4 weeks, the time claimants may limit their job search to the same occupation with the same pay level as their former job, however the committee said that these measures were rushed
What are joint committees and what are three key examples?
They are joint between the Lords and the Commons and are created to deal with specific issues, such as the Human rights committee, National Security strategy, and statutory instruments
