Evaluate The View That Backbenchers Exert Significant Influence In Parliament.

Question 1

P1: Agree Rebellion

Answer 1

1. Backbenchers can rebelling against government bills to defeat or block legislation.
2. Government defeats have increased since 2010, often due to smaller or coalition majorities. TM minority government was defeated 33 times, including a historic 118 Tory rebels opposing her Brexit deal.
3. Boris Johnson faced multiple defeats too, both as a minority and majority leader.
4. 2024 pause on the Criminal Justice Act after 40 Conservative MPs threatened to rebel. Give police the power to forcibly move on rough sleepers and introduce ‘nuisance prevention orders’ against those who create an ‘excessive smell.’ High-profile backbenchers like Sir Iain Duncan Smith had indicate their intention to rebel.

Question 2

P1: Disagree Majority

Answer 2

1. Tony Blair was defeated only four times in ten years, and Sunak just once despite unpopularity. In 2022/23, 76% of government bills passed successfully, including major laws like the Illegal Migration Act. Starmer, with a large majority, has faced no significant defeats so far.
2. Between 2019–2024, most MPs rebelled less than 2% of the time, with only a few showing notable dissent. Disloyal backbenchers risk being excluded from party advancement or deselection. 8MPs rebelling more than 5% of the time.

Question 3

P2: Agree Urgent Questions and Debate

Answer 3

1. Urgent Questions allow MPs to demand immediate answers from ministers on pressing issues. Their use has increased under Speakers Bercow and Hoyle (0.6 per day under Hoyle).
2. In April 2018, Amber Rudd resigned after misleading Parliament on deportation targets in an Urgent Question by Dianne Abbot about the Windrush scandal.
3. Debates, including those chosen by the Backbench Business Committee, allow MPs to raise overlooked issues and pressure the government. Chose debate for 35 days.5 Dec 2024, Iain Duncan Smith led a debate on detained British nationals abroad, drawing media attention and pressuring the Foreign Office.

Question 4

P2: Disagree Urgent Questions

Answer 4

1. Urgent Questions and debates may be able to raise the profile of an issue and get it on the agenda, they are much less likely to get any action taken or influence
   government policy.
2. Little attention is paid by the public towards debates in Parliament and they are therefore
   unlikely to lead to the change in public opinion needed to make a government care about an
   issue.
3. Further, MPs today spend a lot less time in the House of Commons debating legislation than they used to. Instead, they spend a lot more time in their constituencies.MPs spent just 24% of their time in the chamber between 2006 and 2021, compared to
   44% for Peers.

Question 5

P3: Agree Legislative Influence

Answer 5

1. Public Bill Committees allow backbenchers to scrutinise and amend proposed legislation. For major bills like finance ones, scrutiny happens in the full Commons (e.g. Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act in 2024).
2. PMBs let backbenchers propose legislation via a ballot, Ten Minute Rule, or presentation. Though limited in time, cross-party support can lead to success. Abortion Act 1967, Assault on Emergency Workers Act 2018.
3. In 2022/23, 16 ballot PMBs passed, including the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act and the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023.
4. Kim Leadbeater’s PMB to legalise assisted dying gained majority support and is likely to pass. 2nd reading vote for by a majority of the HoC.

Question 6

P3: Disagree Legislative Influence

Answer 6

1. PBC, the government’s majority usually blocks amendments from backbenchers.
2. Most legislation is government-initiated,. (PMBs). Without government backing, PMBs rarely pass, as the government can whip MPs to oppose them.2022/23, 297 PMBs were introduced but only 24 (8%) passed, compared to 43 out of 56 government bills (76%).
3. The government controls the parliamentary timetable and often rushes legislation, reducing scrutiny time. The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act was rushed—1 day of scrutiny, no Report Stage, and no amendments accepted.