2.4 how it interacts with the executive

Question 1

\the role and significance of backbenchers in both houses

How are backbenchers protected?

Answer 1

• by parliamentary privilege
• mentioned in the Bill of Rights 1689
• backbenchers are free to raise questions without being prosecuted

Question 2

the role and significance of backbenchers in both houses

what are backbencher’s roles?

Answer 2

1. represent their constituents
2. scrutinise their government
3. consider legislation
4. legitimise government decisions. Eg. commit troops to military action
5. raise issues they regard as significant

Question 3

the role and significance of backbenchers in both houses

what determines a backbenchers influence?

Blair example Iraq + terrorist

Answer 3

• majority of the government
• Eg. Tony Blair meant he could survive large rebellions. In 2003, 84 labour MPs voted against involvement in the Iraq war but Blair still won the vote
• Eg. in 2005 when his vote dipped to 66.
• he failed to introduce a 90 day detention for terrorist suspects as 49 labour MPs rebelled.

Question 4

the role and significance of backbenchers in both houses

When are backbenchers very influential?

Answer 4

• when the government has a small majority
• Eg. 2017 When May lost her majority, she had to ‘manage’ rather than ‘lead’ Brexit to create crossparty support for her strategy,
• It was only when Johnson won an 80 seat HoC majority in 2019 that he was able to enact the EU withdrawal agreement he wanted

Question 5

Scrutiny - select committees

what are their jobs? examples?

Answer 5

• to monintor the departemtns of state
• buisiness, energy and industrial strategy
• digital culture, media, sport
• defence
• education
• environment, food, and rural affairs
• foreign affairs
• etc.

Question 6

select committees

how can they cut across departmental lines? significant examples?

Answer 6

• Public Accounts Committees
• women and equalities committee
• committee on the future relationship with the European Union

Question 7

select committees

How do their reports carry great weight? how are the members selected? how are chairs of select committees an attractive role?

Answer 7

• they are non-partisan
• each political party votes on the members
• the chairs are elected by MPs as a whole
• the chairs are an attractive role because they recieve a significant financial bonus, and they have cross-party support and strong mandate from the legislature.

Question 8

select committees

Eg. 2020 Jeremy Hunt and the Health Select Committee: how was he effective? what did the significant 2021 report on covid 19 show? how was it also positive?

Answer 8

• as previous health secretary he could criticise them effectively
• 2021 health and social care comittee + science and technology committee reported that the government had a slow response to the covid pandemic, but also how the vaccination programme had been successful.

Question 9

select committees

2020 Tobias Ellwood and the Defence Select Committee: how was he experienced? what was their significant report in 2021

Answer 9

• Tobias Ellwood was selected as the chair for the Defence Select Committee and was previously a soldier and defence minister
• 2021: their report on the most effective way fo dealing with russia was ‘it is imperative the UK govenrment work with Ukraine allies, and NATO to promote peaceful resolutions between Russia and Ukraine’

Question 10

select committees

example of the Public Accounts Committee being significant during covid

2021 report

Answer 10

• it reported on how effectively the government has spent taxpayers money
• Eg. 2021 report on the £22b cost of ‘track and trace’ was critical of the government

Question 11

select committees

advantages of select committees: how are they legitmised? what are their powers? how do they have a significant impact on government decision making?

Answer 11

• due to parliamentary privilege, MPs can ask difficult questions without fear of prosecution
• they can consult widely with ministers, civil servants, and experts, and can send for ‘persons, papers, and records’ to help investigate
• they are also non-partisan and can summon expert witnesses

Question 12

select committees

2015 Health Select Committee example of impact

Answer 12

• they proposed a 20% tax on sugary drinks to cut obesity
• 2016 George Osborne introduced a sugar drink tax

Question 13

select committees

disadvantages of select committees: are they really that effective? do they take away time from MPs priorities?

Answer 13

• MPs are not trained in forensic cross-examination
• due to the time demand on MPs, select committees significantly disadvantage their ability to scrutinise the government

Question 14

Ministerial questions

how/wehn are ministerial questions asked in both houses

Answer 14

• monday-thursday an hour of HoC time is set aside for ministerial questions
• in the HoL this is half an hour and qustions are directed at the government generally rather than specific departments

Question 15

Ministerial questions

when do ministers have to respond to questions? what does the ministerial code of conduct require? example?

Answer 15

• ministers have to respond to questions within a week in the commons, and within 2 weeks in the lords
• the ministerial code of conduct requires the qustions be made public
• Eg. during the early stages of Russia-Ukraine, the foreign office had several questions from MPs over the UKs response

Question 16

Prime Ministers Questions

how/when are PMQs asked? how many can each group ask?

Answer 16

• wednesday 12-12:30
• the PM is expected to be in the chamber to answer questions
• the PM can be held accountable this way
• leader of the opposition can ask 6 questions
• leader of the next biggest party can ask 2 questions
• then the other MPs can ask questions

Question 17

Prime Ministers Questions

governing party’s MPs?

Answer 17

• can ask questions to allow the PM to take credit for government’s successes

Question 18

Prime Ministers Questions

advantages?

Answer 18

• PMQs allow for parliament to interrogate the PM in a way that cannot happen in the USA where the executive is much less regularly accountable
• PMQs also allow the PM to expose the opposition

Question 19

Prime Ministers Questions

disadvantages?

Gerlad Kaufman MP quote

Answer 19

• performative and disruptive, not debate
• questions are never truly answered, just countered by something else
• 2015 Sir Gerald Kaufman MP said PMQs have become an ‘exchange of pointless and useless declamations

Question 20

Prime Ministers Questions

relavance and importance of PMQs example: 2022 Boris Johnson

Answer 20

• Keir starmer used PMQs to examine Boris’ culpability for illegal lockdown parties at DOwning Street, and the government’s response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
• the PM had to respond to enormous issues of public concern

Question 21

Liason Committee

what is it? how does it perform?

Answer 21

• represents chairs of all select committees and twice yearly questiosn the PM
• less confrontational than PMQs
• ## extended discussion of issues

Question 22

Liason Committee

2019 chair Sarah Wollastone rebuke on Johnson

Answer 22

‘our role as select committee chairs is to ask you detailed questions on behalf of the public and we planned to do so on Brexit, climate change, health and social care. It is unacceptable that you are refusing to be held to account’

Question 23

Liason Committee

2020 government appointed who as the chair? instead of what?

Answer 23

• Sir Bernard Jenkin
• instead of allowing the select committees to choose the chair which had been done since 2010

Question 24

Liason Committee

Eg. 2022 Jenkin and climate strategy

Answer 24

• he made it clear to the PM it was unacceptable to not be clear about his climate strategy

Question 25

# Liason Committee how was Johnson criticised after several resignations in **2022**?

Answer 25

- when Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resigned in **2022**, the Liason committee criticised him brutally - Jenkin made the PM accept he would not be justified in seeking a GE if he had lost the support of his party

Question 26

# Opposition days what are they? what do they usually contain? what is rare?

Answer 26

- during each session 20 days are set aside to debate subjects chosen by the opposition - they're normally on issues that the opposition believe the government must justify - it's rare for oppoisiton day motions to pass

Question 27

# Opposition days **2009** Lib Dem motion passed. What was the subject/result?

Answer 27

- Brown's failure to provide Gurkha veterans with UK residency rights - passed by 267/246

Question 28

# Opposition days labour opposition day motion urging what? what was the result?

Answer 28

- urging government to declare '*an environment and climate emergency*' - supported by the HoC - not endorsed by the government

Question 29

# representation what should MPs Balance? what was Burke's opinion on this?

Answer 29

- Constitutents, party, their own conscience - *Burke* **1774** '*your representative owes you, not his industry only but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion'*

Question 30

# representation how did Brexit raise questions about the Burkean model?

Answer 30

- some pro-EU MPs decided to switch to supporting Brexit given the strength and support of it among their constituents - others tried to delay/stop Brexit despite the wishes of their constituents being the opposite.

Question 31

# representation MPs and constituency work | Tony Benn example

Answer 31

- they are expected to thoroughly engage with local issues, individual and colective - by spending time in their constituencies they are addressing local issues, contributing to the right of '*redress of grievance'* - **Eg.** Tony Benn MP for 50 years, said constituency work the hardest but most satisfying part of his job.

Question 32

# representation Sarah Champion MP for Rotheram: how and why did she change her stance?

Answer 32

- Rotheram voted 68% in favour of Brexit - Champion previously had campaigned to remain in the EU and subsequently changed her position, voting in favour of Johnson's withdrawal agreement in **2019**

Question 33

# role and significance of the opposition what *should* the opposition do? ## Footnote encourage the government to? create what? what is especially true for His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition? what should shadow ministers do? what should the leader of the oppositon do?

Answer 33

- encourage the governemnt to justify its decisions - create a public debate by providing arguments why they cannot support the government - the largest oppositon should provide a government-in-waiting - shadow ministers should criticise the department they are shadowing - the leader of the opposition should use PMQs to present themselves as having the political statute to the PM in waiting

Question 34

# role and significance of the opposition *how* can the opposition parties achieve these objectives? ## Footnote oppostion days? committees? shadow ministers? when the government has a small majority?

Answer 34

- on the 20 opposition days, when the main opposition can choose the motion on 17 of these days - opposition MPs scrutinise proposed legislation in public bill committees and offer amendments - shadow ministers expose their government counterparts - if the government has a small majority, opposition parties can work closely with HoL members to uncover failures - opposition parties play an important role in debate in forcing the government to justify its policiesq

Question 35

# role and significance of the opposition **Eg.** Diane Abbott pressure on Amber Rudd in **2022**

Answer 35

- Corbyns shadow home secretary proved effective at keeping up the pressure on Amber Rudd during the Windrush Scandal

Question 36

# role and significance of the opposition **Eg. 2022** Angela Rayner and Boris Johnson

Answer 36

- she (queen) powerfully attacked Boris Johnson in the HoC over the allegations of parties