Parliament Flashcards

Question

What are the 3 forms of representation?

Answer 1

Constituency Representation (Commons) Group Representation Social Representation

Answer 2

Job of MP to represent interests of all constituents regardless of whether they voted for them - Lords cannot represent this way because it is unelected

Answer 3

MPs will often represent interests relating to a previous job (ie trade unionist) - Pressure groups conduct letter writing campaigns to persuade MPs - MPs form 'all party' parliamentary groups ie on Islamaphobia

Answer 4

Parties form as a group, but FPTP means MPs don't rep as accurately as they should - Ie 2019 election Cons won 43.6% of vote by 56.1% seats

Answer 5

Lords have more time to represent groups because they don't have constituency work - rep groups more effectively because so many are independent-> Party line/whipping is weaker

Answer 6

Party representation is patchy - takes time for governing party to reflect numbers of the Commons in the Lords - ie 5 UKIP MPs in Lords before 2019 (only 1 UKIP MP), but not enough SNP peers

Answer 7

Some argue Parl should represent social make up of country. (Problem in measuring social class Parl only collects stats of whether privately educated.)

Answer 8

Women 34% (3% 1979!) Av age 50 Ethnic minority 10% (15% in pop) LGBTQ+ 7% Privately educated Cons 44% Lab 19% (7% pop)

Answer 9

Women 28% Av age 71 (big fuss about appointee Boris Johnson, called Charlotte Owen aged 30) Ethnic minority 6% Privately educated 60%

Answer 10

Legislative function

Answer 11

Democracies must be based on popular consent. Because there is no direct democracy voters indicate support for manifesto which parliament must then put into law. One of the most important laws is the annual budget authorising the gov’t to tax and spend (Monarch not doing this caused civil war).

Answer 12

1.Private: by external orgs eg a church (not important) 2.Private Members’ Bills by individual MPs; important but rare unless gov’t provides time to support, which they may do if it’s a controversial conscience issue they do not want to get involved with, eg 1967 David Steel’s Abortion Act. 2017-19 15 PMBs passed: egs Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 and one on process EU Withdrawal to prevent No Deal Brexit (Yvette Cooper) 3.Public Bills intro by gov’t (vast majority of bills).

Answer 13

White Paper and/or draft Bill Formal process usually starts in Commons with First reading (title), Second reading (big debate) Committee stage (line by line scrutiny and amendment), Report stage (back on floor of Commons), Third reading final debate. Repeat process in Lords. If Lords amends Commons has to consider, could lead to ‘ping pong’. When both houses agree Monarch signs (‘royal assent’ – not refused since 1708), Bill becomes Act.

Answer 14

House of Commons must agree to enact a bill if its going to become law, if it decides not to vote for legislation it will fail to pass.

Answer 15

- Public Bill Committee vote on party lines + always have government majority, impact objectivity when offering amendments to the bill - MPs are expected to vote the way the whips tell them to on many bills, limiting genuine engagement with the potential strengths and weaknesses of the bill Many changes to law are now made secondary/delegated legislation using statutory instruments (/Henry VIII clauses) rather than by enacting primary legislation-> then the executive can sidestep House of Commons scrutiny

Answer 16

process of how parliamentary bills become law

Answer 17

- Bill's title is introduced + date is given for the second reading No debate or vote at this stage

Answer 18

Bill is debated and a vote is taken Bill could be defeated at this stage

Answer 19

- Examine bill in detail Amendments can be added to the bi

Answer 20

- Changes made by the Public Bill Committee are either accepted or rejected Further amendments can be added by MPs who weren't part of the Public Bill Committee

Answer 21

Opposition usually only get 2% of their amendments passed

Answer 22

- Further debated - Vote is taken Bill is unlikely to be defeated

Answer 23

Sent to House of Lords (or House of Commons if the bill started in the Lords): - goes through similar process - Primary revising chamber- may make significant amendments Bill may pass back and forth between House of Commons and Lords-> parliamentary 'ping-pong' House of Commons decides whether to accept or reject the Lords' amendments

Answer 24

Becomes parliamentary statute

Answer 25

More control from Executive over Parliament decisions after Covid began in 2020 but overall after 2021 with laws relaxing, Parliament has become more efficient and strong check on executive June 2022: vote of no confidence weakened BJ, 211/359 Cons MPs voted for Johnson

Answer 26

relationship between a government and its backbenchers

Answer 27

Johnson 2022 downfall, government resignations-> led to termination as PM, shows power given to exec over covid wasn't permanent

Answer 28

March 2021, 35 backbench Tories voted against government extension of COVID restrictions of a 3rd lockdown - Holding the government to account Dec 2021, further rebellions against mandatory NHS workers vaccinations, mandatory COVID passes for large venues etc 129 government defeats between 2021-22, highest in any parliamentary sessions since Wilson 1975-76

Answer 29

- Proposals for voter ID laws for elections - Rwanda plan 2024 Personal and corporation tax rise

Answer 30

Wright reforms 2010 of Select Committees - Provide powerful check on government + executive Helpful to question controversial legislative agendas

Answer 31

- Questions PM on government activity, 2-3 times a year Made up of all the chairs of the select committees

Answer 32

2022, Johnson questioned on Cost of Living crisis, Ukraine-Russia war, Partygate Humiliated him

Answer 33

2022- Lords voted against 14 amendments in government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill - Defeated further 5 amendments on same bill days before - Government wanted to pass tough laws in response to disruptive protests by groups like Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion- unsuccessful due to the resistance of the Lords

Answer 34

Both houses have to agree on a Bill's final wording before it can receive royal assent - Requires more debating, more voting, more parliamentary time - Commons need cooperation of unelected Lords

Answer 35

- Make laws - Investigate public policy Hold government to account

Answer 36

Spend 60% time on legislation, 40% on scrutinising the government 2022- Lords considered 5244 amendments to 100 bills Most work is done outside chamber in committees 2022-23-> 27 committees, suggesting refinements to legislation + scrutinised policies and performance of government

Answer 37

Raise questions, debate key issues, produce reports, put pressure on government

Answer 38

Its 'Democratic Deficit', as it is unelected

Answer 39

Wary not to overstep and outright challenge Commons, but they are still critical

Answer 40

- Can defeat amendments to Bills through majority vote - Can result in amendments being dropped or returned Commons= 'Parliamentary Ping-Pong'

Answer 41

- Commons can resort to Parliamentary Acts 1911 and 1949-> ensuring House of Lords cannot veto Commons' Bill, only allowed to delay vote for a year, allowing them to push through legislation without their consent Blair used it to push through the Hunting Act 2004 (banned hunting wild mammals with dogs)

Answer 42

12 government defeats in Nationality and Borders Bill during 'ping pong' phase - Government wanted to be tougher on illegal immigrants, number of voices in Lords watered it down Received royal assent in 2022- SHOWS THE LORDS' ABILITY TO REFINE A BILL

Answer 43

Lords introduced amendments to government Retained EU Law Bill to increase parliamentary oversight - Rejected by the Commons - Government experienced defeat on some amendments, were dropped and Bill achieved royal assent in 2023 - Act was designed to revoke or reform EU legislation that still existed un UK post Brexit EXAMPLE OF LORDS AMENDING LEGISLATION

Answer 44

Government defeated Lords 128 times between 2021--22 - Even higher than 126 defeats in 1975-6 parliament under Harold Wilson

Answer 45

Increasingly polarised politics of post Brexit UK, including migrant, environmental, and civil rights crises, meant even Conservative Majority doesn't get its own way in the Commons due to the Lords

Answer 46

Utilitarian Mix of efficiency and what's best for people Whips make it quicker to pass bills, efficient MPs have ability to speak out against bills + come up with bills Lots of stages, lots of scrutiny Lots of chances to amend and make bills effective, make utilitarian bills + inclusive through compromise, best interest for the most amount of people and the best format. Government pick the bills, pass the bills on their manifesto (ensure people vote for things that get done)

Answer 47

Using whips takes away legitimacy Speakers may favour certain parties Contradictory legislation Lots of stages are time consuming and give way for more scrutiny that means the initial idea of the bill could be compromised Government pick the bills, pass the bills on their manifesto (if elective dictatorship, means there may be lack of check and opposition, so bills that may not be utilitarian are easier to pass)

Answer 48

- David Cameron appointed 13 Conservative peers at his resignation, 2 crossbenchers, 1 Labour peer to the House of Lords. Among newly appointed peers were his chief of staff, Ed Llewellyn, head of his Policy Unit, Camilla Cavendish and Head of Downing Street, Liz Sugg Boris Johnson: HOLAC refused to endorse peerages for both Peter Cruddas (leading donor to Conservative Party) and expressed security concern over life peerage for Evgeny Lebedev (Owner of Evening Standard + friend of Johnson), Johnson ignored HOLAC's advice both times

Answer 49

- Cannot stop bills that have passed the House of Commons from becoming law - Can propose amendments, refining the content of the bill with their expertise - Commons doesn't have to accept the advice + can only delay passing legislation for a year Advice is often valuable and accepted by members of the Commons to refine the bill

Answer 50

Members are usually life peers, so many are crossbenchers, less influenced by the dictates of whips, address merits and demerits with an open mind

Answer 51

- Debate between the 2 houses/Parliamentary Ping-Pong-> can be highly productive political engagement

Answer 52

- Parliament Act 1911 + 1949: government can pass legislation over House of Lords objection ○ 2000: Sexual Offences (Amendment) bill- reduced legal age for gay sex from 18 to 16 Passed House of Commons, rejected by House of Lords Government invoked 1949 Parliament Act to give bill royal assent, effectively bypassing the Lords

Answer 53

- Heavy defeats in House of Lords may persuade the government to reconsider to modify or even continue with legislations, especially the case if it only passed the House of Commons with small majority + is controversial

Answer 54

○ 2008: clauses from Counter Terrorism Bill to enable terror suspects to be held for 42 days without charge, decisively defeated in the Lords by 191 votes. Proposal only passed Commons by 9 votes, Gordon Brown decided to drop them from the bill ○ 2015: George Osbourne's plan to cut tax credits defeated in Lords. Significant show of bipartisanship, Lords accused the government of introducing significant financial measure through statutory instrument to reduce parliamentary scrutiny-> resulting outcry was so great Osbourne dropped proposal ○ House of Lords criticism that the Internal Market Bill (2020) didn't sufficiently recognise the authority of the devolved governments to determine goods and services policy led to the government conceding that some regulatory differences could be accepted within a common framework

Answer 55

if government is fully committed to policy and possess a sizable House of Commons majority

Answer 56

- 2019, Boris Johnson 80 seat victory-> January 2020, House of Commons rejected all 5 House of Lords amendments to EU (Withdrawal Agreement Bill). One was the Dubs Amendment- which would've ensured the unaccompanied child refugees would be able to join relatives in the UK after Brexit

Answer 57

Legislation Scrutiny

Answer 58

House of Lords sessional committees and special enquiry (ad hoc) committees - House of Lords scrutinises the work of government in oral questions to ministers and through committees - Highly regarded work as the level of expertise of the members is high - Instead of monitoring specific departments, committees concentrate on major social and political issues making recommendations to the government

Answer 59

○ Sessional committees deal with a particular issue and last from one parliamentary session to the next ○ Special enquiry (ad hoc) committees also investigate a special issue but are set up for a specific time period

Answer 60

- Most bills debated by Government are introduced by the Government ○ Strong chance of being enacted as government will give sufficient time for the bill to be debated ○ Can also rely on the whips to encourage support for the bill in House of Commons ○ If the bill was in the government's election manifesto, House of Lords (according to the Salisbury Convention) will not seek to obstruct it with 'wrecking amendments'

Answer 61

Principles of Bills will be thoroughly debated at second reading + strength of Public Bill Committees is that they take advice from relevant experts and interested parties

Answer 62

- If government has large parliamentary majority, usually be able to rely on loyalty of MPs to vote for the bill, thus making debates and voting essentially a formality - Membership of the Public Bill Committees is proportionate to public strength in the House of Commons, always giving the government a majority - Whips also influence the selection of Public Bill committee members, who are instructed to vote according to the whip on proposed amendments to the bill - MPs who are too critical of their government's bill are unlikely to advance their career- a good reason for them to just accept the legislation

Answer 63

The dictation of the Whips in both parliamentary and committee votes therefore can lead to lack in both scrutiny and badly thought through legislation

Answer 64

Labour backbenchers elected during Blair's landslide victories in 1997 and 2001 were often criticised for lack of independant judgement and for too readily supporting government policy without adequately scrutinising it

Answer 65

Shoes independence and MPs being more unruly than their whips-> Johnson government succeeded in its legislative plans to introduce Covid passports in England in 2021. 99 Conservative backbenchers voted against, forcing the government to rely on the support of the Labour Party for success Lots of backbench rebellion during Johnson government due to pro EU Conservative MPs (June 2022, 41% of Conservative MPs refused to back Johnson in a vote of confidence, fatally damaging his authority)

Answer 66

Cameron government planned to allowed England and Wales to extend their opening hours beyond 10am-6pm on Sundays. Plan was defeated by 317 votes to 286 votes, Opposed proposals to allow councils to extend opening hours- 27 Tories rebelled Said it would pressure workers further+ 'chip away' at Sunday's special status Wanted to devolve the limit on hours on Sunday to local councils- blocked by unlikely alliance of Labour, SNP, Conservative backbenchers Lost due to 56 SNP MPs objecting the plans- even though Scotland's shops have opened on Sundays for longer for many years

Answer 67

- Legislative process can be seen to fail citizens through things that would've passed under EVEL Defeat came before 2016 budget, was a huge blow to credibility of Chancellor George Osborne

Answer 68

7th December 2023- James Cleverly, Home Secretary (Conservative) Passed 3rd reading 17th January Passed report stage 6th March (House of Lords)- government disagreed with all of the Lords amendments Bill was sent back and forth between Lords and Commons 6 times Eventually received royal assent 25th April 2024 Supreme Court of UK in November 2023 ruled Rwanda was not safe and the plan was unlawful Prime Minister Rishi Sunak subsequently stated that he would withdraw the UK from the ECHR if there were further challenges to stop deportations to Rwanda after the act was passed

Answer 69

June 2016- Referendum under Cameron on EU membership - 52% Leave, 48$ remain Cameron resigns, May takes over

Answer 70

Tried to pass in 2017, called GE to increase conservative majority but resulted in fewer conservative MPs + hung parliament, have to rely on Ulster Unionists Early 2019: May lost Brexit agreement 432 to 202 votes Next version submitted March 2019: defeated 391 to 242 3rd attempt at end of month: defeated 344-286 Fails process as Brexit only passed with 52%-48%, and MPs can't agree, showing it wasn't in the best thing for the country, but changing it/going against it was refused

Answer 71

2017 GE- Hung parl, Conservatives rely on Ulster Unionists Split Cabinet - Some ministers resign because policy is too pro EU Call a vote confidence on her leadership of the Conservative Party (May survives)

Answer 72

More Eurosceptic than May's Attempted to limit discussion and debate of the bill to 3 days- Parliament overruled this decision 322 to 302 Johnson prorogues Parliament SEPTEMBER 2019 (Supreme court rules this unanimously unlawful) Holds GE, increasing majority by 80 31st January 11pm, UK left the EU

Answer 73

In 2005, 49 Labour MPs were unconvinced by the Blair government's proposals that terrorist suspects should be held in custody for 90 days without charge. Government was defeated 291 to 322 votes, legislation was enacted without this provision

Answer 74

unacceptably slow down the government legislative process

Answer 75

- Members of both houses can introduce these bills - Can introduce through the ballot, the Ten-Minute-Rule and presentation

Answer 76

held at the beginning of Parliament in which MPs can put forward proposals for a Private Members' Bill. 20 bills enter the ballot, top 7 usually debated-> most Private Members' Bills enter this way

Answer 77

MPs can put forward their proposal for a bill of speech for 10 minutes - but is not succesful very often

Answer 78

An MP formally presents a private members bill to the House of Commons

Answer 79

- In the House of Lords private members bills are selected at a ballot at the start of new parliament - Most private members bill originate in the House of Commons - Limited time is given to debate them on Friday but there may not be enough time for a division (vote) which is nessicary for the bill to progress - As there is so little time, some hostile MPs will talk to out, known as filibursting - Therefore, private members bills can be more effective with raising the profile of particular issues rather than changing the law eg. Peter Kyles representation of the young people bill - However, if a private mebers bill has good cross party support and the government is supportive of it then a bill has a chance of becoming law eg. Andrew Rosindells Animals (penalty notice)

Answer 80

- Was a private members bill - Intorduced by Dan Byles MP (2010 - 2015) - Made it possible for members of the House of Lords to resign or retire and providing a route for the expulsion of peers from the House of Lords due to criminal activity / non attendance As a result lazy and corrupt members have been able to be replaced with new members

Answer 81

Each Parliament lasts for a maximum five year term. Each parliament's term is divided into sessions usually lasting about a year. It is always started by the King's Speech.

Answer 82

Delegate Model Trustee Model Mandate Model

Answer 83

The MP frequently finds out what as many constituents as possible want them to do and does it, regardless of whether they personally (or their party) agree. Most common in marginal seats.

Answer 84

You trust your MP to make the right decisions on your behalf. They do not have to find out constituents’ views frequently and use their mature judgement to decide. More of an elitist, 19th century attitude.

Answer 85

Voters gave their MP a mandate to promote a party manifesto: the MP should just toe the party line (regardless of constituents' or their own consciences).

Answer 86

in reality all MPs exhibit all three tendencies, with perhaps some in safe seats feeling less pushed in a 'delegate' direction and the degree of attachment to party discipline differing between the parties and sometimes over time

Answer 87

Richard Foord= Marginal seat, delegate model Diane Abbott= Safe seat, trustee model

Answer 88

NO, due to the FPTP system (ie 10% of votes does not equate 10% of MPs)

Answer 89

- Difficult to have a parliament representing all groups (ie working class, women, ethnic minority, young people) - Will women better understand women's issues in parliament? etc

Answer 90

Thatcher frontbench- all white, only 1 woman

Answer 91

Commons: 40% Lords: 28%

Answer 92

Commons: 50 Lords: 71 (big fuss about appointee Boris Johnson, called Charlotte Owen aged 30)

Answer 93

Commons: 10% (15% in population) Lords: 6%

Answer 94

Commons: Cons 44% Lab 19% (7% pop)

Answer 95

The constituency Labour party is told by HQ that they can only accept women candidates to choose from. This is a form of positive discrimination.

Answer 96

They have been successful in practise; responsible for radically boosting the number of Labour women MPs to 101 in the 1997 election When male activists successfully paused them for 2001 election number decreased 51% Labour MPs were women 2019 so the party abolished AWS 2024 (might have been a legal challenge if they hadn't). Proportion Labour MPs who were women went down slightly in 2024 (190/402)

Answer 97

Lead to assumptions that women MPs have not got there on merit Equivalents for ethnic minorities or low income backgrounds have not been introduced Raises questions as to who should be able to identify as a woman Discriminate against men

Answer 98

- Size isn't regulated by law (2024: 806 members)

Answer 99

- 92 members= hereditary peers - When hereditary peers die, their successor must be elected by all remaining hereditary peers based on party affiliation - Expected to take their position seriously, attend and vote regularly, take part in committee work. - Parliament (2024) has now passed a bill to remove all 92 hereditary peers

Answer 100

- 26 members are archbishops and bishops of the Church of England, known as 'Lords Spiritual' (reflects Anglican Christianity as UK established religion) Recent appointments of life peers (rather than permenant acknowledgement) of other religions in Modern UK

Answer 101

- Life peers, can be appointed my reigning monarch, but that has passed to the PM - Cannot pass their title onto their children - Most nominated by PM and leaders of other main parties (political appointments- expected to follow party line on most issues) - Non political peers appointed by NGOs, members of the public etc House of Lords Appointments Commission decides which people should be appointed, can veto unsuitable candidates nominated by party leaders

Answer 102

- No firm constitutional principle concerning the balance of party members in the Lords - General convention that parties can make nominations roughly in proportion to their strength in the House of Commons - 2010-2024: Conservatives made more nominations than any other party - Before 2010: Labour made the most nominations - Life peers are appointed for life, can take many years to change the balance of party strengths in the House of Lords

Answer 103

- Political make up of House of Lords is always different to Commons - Governing party never has overall majority due to crossbenchers - 2021: Conservative Party had only 257 members out of 794

Answer 104

- Frontbench speakers in Lords as well as Commons, government representatives needed as virtually all business goes through both houses - Frontbench peers are expected to be loyal to party leadership - Equivalent of House of Commons Speaker is Lord Speaker, held by Lord Fowler since September 2016

Answer 105

- Most work of peers takes place in committees (similar to Commons)

Answer 106

- Legislative committees: all peers are allowed to participate, consider proposed legislation and select committees - Select committees are less significant in the Lords than in Commons

Answer 107

- Any legislative bill must be passed by the Lords before becoming law, but doesn't mean the Lords is granting consent as the Commons does - Gives Lords the opportunity to scrutinise proposed legislation, to give opinions, ask the government and commons to think again, possibly to amend proposals and improve them - Has the power to delay legislation for up to 1 year, encouraging the Commons to reconsider - If Lords insists on delay and prevents legislation, Commons can vote to bypass the Lords and pass legislation without their approval 1 year after.

Answer 108

○ Wars Powers Act 1991: allows UK government to prosecute war criminals even if offences were committed outside the UK ○ European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999: established a new closed-list system for elections to the European Parliament ○ Sexual Offences Amendment Act 2000: lowering age of consent for gay men to 16 Hunting Act 2004: banning fox hunting with pack of hounds

Answer 109

- Increasingly using statutory instruments to make law - Matter of concern as these instruments aren't considered by Parliament-> little scrutiny, few checks on their use/quality

Answer 110

- House of Lords has more time and expertise to consider such legislation-> House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee considers all secondary legislation and decides what proposals might cause concern - When concern is expressed, matter is brought to attention of whole house, then referred to Commons (which is rare, but provide important discipline on Government) Members of Lords also share in work of Joint Committee on Statutory Instrument, checking secondary legislation for errors in wording and meaning-> role where Lords can claim to be more important than the Commons

Answer 111

October 2015: Lords voted against piece of secondary legislation that would've reduced the level of tax credits paid to low income families. Action forcing the government to amend the legislation until it was acceptable to peers

Answer 112

- Examination and approval of financial affairs of the government - Complete veto of legislation in certain circumstances - Dismissal of a government by vote of no confidence - Select committee examination of the work of government departments - Final approval for amendments to legislation

Answer 113

- Debating legislation and voting on legislative proposals - Proposing amendments to legislation - Calling government and individual ministers to account - Debating key issues of the day - Private members may introduce legislation of their own

Answer 114

- Examining secondary legislation and making recommendations for further consideration - Delaying primary legislation for up to a year

Answer 115

Legislative process in both houses are almost identical, have lots of shared powers - Lords may examine legislation more thoroughly as all peers are involved and party whips are less involved in forcing members to vote one way or another However, Commons is the dominant chamber

Answer 116

- Stopped them from blocking or effectively vetoing legislation indefinetly, now only being allowed to delay primary legislation for up to 2 years (reduced to 1 year in 1949) Lost the power to veto legislation, can only revise it, proposing amendments to the Commons that can be rejected Commons can by pass Parliamentary Acts being invoked by a 1 year delay on the vote before it can be passed

Answer 117

Lords also lost the power to delay or amend money bills or 'supply bills' as a result of Parliament Acts, that deal with taxation and raising of money by the government - Linked to democracy as Lords don't answer to tax payers + shouldn't be able to demand the rise of taxation

Answer 118

A bill designated as a money bill by the Speaker of the Commons must be passed without amendment of the Lords within a month, or can receive royal assent without their approval - Lords serves no practical purpose for money bills

Answer 119

the right to remove the government and grant or withhold funding.

Answer 120

willingness of Commons to authorise necessary taxation and borrowing to allow the government to operate

Answer 121

refers to Commons' faith in government ability to operate.

Answer 122

Usually a result from government having minority support within its party Minority governments may need to rely on another party granting confidence + supply agreement by pledging to support the government in passing key measures like the Budget, but not joining formal coalition

Answer 123

DUP support for May government between 2017-19, 3 page agreement between Conservative party and DUP (10 DUP MPs supporting key government legislation, passing budget and votes of confidence in return for additional £1 billion spending in Northern Ireland Assembly + support for DUP priorities like guaranteeing pensions continue rising at a minimum of 2.5% a year) Gave May a working majority of 328, but only on issues agreed to

Answer 124

If government fails to pass a supply measure ( budget or taxation measure), or defeated in vote of no confidence

Answer 125

all members must resign from government

Answer 126

- Pre 2011, would lead to general election, but Fixed Term Parliament Act means existing Commons has 14 days to form new government before election is triggered.

Answer 127

- Acts are rare, last government to lose vote of no confidence= 1979, Callaghan Theresa May survived one due to DUP agreement

Answer 128

House of Lords has no power and no role in supply and confidence, so less effective at holding government accountable as it can't remove a government from power

Answer 129

Parliament Acts allow Lords to delay legislation for up to a year, there is a concern Lords could abuse this and routinely take a year on all matters, decreasing effectiveness of government

Answer 130

Requires Lords to consider government legislation in reasonable time, should aim to vote by the end of a parliamentary session

Answer 131

Vague and open to interpretation

Answer 132

but is another way the ability of Lords to scrutinise the government is restricted

Answer 133

Lords recovered some former authority through 1999 House of Lords Act - More active and more willing to challenge the Commons, acquired greater legitimacy with removal of hereditary peers (2024), + since 2010, issues around winning party mandates have been less clear cut. - Cases where government has large majority, only effective parliamentary scrutiny is the Lords, to avoid elective dictatorship, as Commons just does what the government demands as the party in control has a large loyal majority. - Lords is free from party control, so can provide effective scrutiny the way Commons cannot

Answer 134

- Government is only accountable to the public at general elections, but is called to account by the Commons on a regular basis - Criticising the government: usually at PMQs or sessions devoted to questions for ministers - Forcing the government to justify its policies and decisions (Ministers then will be careful to prepare a good case for what they propose to do or have done Can investigate the quality of government, largely through departmental select committees and Public Accounts Committee (IE if taxpayers' money is being well spent, whether government is efficient and rational, whether policies have been well investigated etc)

Answer 135

Newspapers could previously rely on high levels of loyalty from their readership Since 1980s, competition has become fiercer - BBC and ITV have been joined by commercial news outlets in TV and broadcast media - Rise in social media= greater increase in competition between news agencies - Made media more commercially minded + now seeks to engage the public by entertaining them as much as informing them - Led to reater populism in the press, focus on 'catastrophes', 'scandals', 'enemies' (more likely to attract consumers than news stories Ie PMQs are portrayed as a battle between MP and Leader of the Opposition, with weekly winner and loser, less informed scrutiny

Answer 136

- Escape formal, ritualised procedures of Parliament + operate in a less formal but more effective manner

Answer 137

permanent committees - Since 2010, chairperson of each select committee had been elected by the whole House, raising status and prestige of backbench MP chosen as chair, giving them an additional salary

Answer 138

- Call government to account (ie Public accounts Committee, Liaison Committee) - Gives backbenchers some control over parliamentary agenda (Backbench Business Committee)

Answer 139

most influential - Examines public finances, scrutinising value for money, economy, efficiency, effectiveness, collection of taxation + how well it's done - Conducts investigation into various aspects of government finances, how it allocated and spends money on public services, calls witnesses who are obliged to attend (can be ministers, government officials, outside witnesses, experts on particular fields.

Answer 140

- Chair is always member of main opposition party - Chair has great prestige, and higher salary than other MPs - Chair and members are elected by all MPs and so are not controlled by party leaders Members tend to act independently, ignoring their party allegiance on the whole. Means government has no advantage of committee even though it has majority members on the committee

Answer 141

- Reports are often unanimous inconclusion, so stands above party politics - High profile in the media, many important hearings are broadcast as news items

Answer 142

Chair, Margaret Hodge, introduced new device to call senior civil servants to give evidence, as well as ministers and outside witnesses, determined to publicise major issues and question public policy to get value for money for tax payers

Answer 143

9 Conservative, 5 Labour, 1 SNP, 1 Lib Dem

Answer 144

2015: Into the effectiveness of cancer care by the NHS - Highly critical of variations of cancer treatment in different regions + for different age groups - Criticised low cure rates and increased waiting times for treatment - Publicity caused government to launch a review into cancer treatment and set up and independant cancer task force to improve the delivery of cancer treatment across the UK by 2020

Answer 145

Accountability is affectively achieved by reports creating publicity, forcing government response

Answer 146

- Vital to Parliament calling government to account - 19 committees each investigate work of a governmental department

Answer 147

- Cross party whips determine which committee chairs will be awarded to each party (total in line with party representation in Commons) - Backbench MPs who wish to chair a committee allocated to their party put themselves forward for a vote of all the House of Commons (+ salary increase) - Remaining committee seats are allocated in proportion to party size in Commons: members are elected by secret ballot of party members - Membership varies between 11 and 14 - The governing party usually has majority on each committee - Chairs may be from any political party - Small parties have scattering of members

Answer 148

- Like PAC, act largely independant of party allegiance, often produce unanimous reports - Like PAC, call witnesses who may be ministers, civil servants, outside witnesses like pressure grou[s reps or experts

Answer 149

Reports and recommendations are presented to the whole House of Commons and receive considerable publicity

Answer 150

Chairs of the committee have become influential parliamentarians, government feel they need to respond to their criticism and recommendations

Answer 151

2020: Transport, into the impact of Covid 19 pandemic on the aviation industry and its employees - Condemned the way British Airways had treated its employees during the pandemic - Urged the end of the 14 day quarantine by June 2020, and that airlines not be hasty about large scale redundancies

Answer 152

Recent years -> DSC started to extend work to consideration of matters of general public interet not just performance of government departments- in hope of expectation that government will consider new legislation to deal with problems revealed.

Answer 153

Created in 2002 Chairs of all DSCs and several other committees

Answer 154

Oversees work of Commons select committees, calls PM to account. - PM appears 2x a year infront of the committee

Answer 155

Overall, not very effective as a committee - lack of power, Boris Johnson cancelled several planned appearances, reflected lack of power they have

Answer 156

Set up as part of Wright Reforms 2010 - Made up of elected backbench MPs - Determines what issues should be debated on the one day a week allocated to backbench business - Before 2010, parliamentary agenda was controlled by government + main opposition party leadership

Answer 157

- E-petitions on downing street website with over 100,000 signatures - On initiative of a select committee - From request by an MP or group of MPs Requests emerging from national and local campaigns

Answer 158

- Effect of Covid 19 on black, asian and minority ethnic communities - Many debates over the issue of Brexit and leaving the EU - Improving cancer care - Future of the BBC - Harvey's Law (RESULT OF poor police handling of a dog killed in road accident, e petition demanded law require police treat such incidents more seriously and keep pet owners better informed following accidents) 2011: E petition to order the publication of all the documents relating to the 1989 Hillsborough football disaster,. Forced parliament debate with 100,000 signatures +, affair resulted in a new inquest and several inquiries into Hillsborough

Answer 159

- becoming increasingly significant feature of parliamentary policies MP who make up their own membership tend to be independent minded- operate outside normal constraints of party loyalty so ministers and government increasingly take note of what they have to say - Hearings are televised, controversy receives media coverage Questioning can be intense and prolonged, MPs do not accept weak answers

Answer 160

Same weakness= they all don't have the power to enforce decisions and recommendations, can only hope to bring publicity to an issue , call government to account and reccommend various courses of actions. Questioning of ministers tend to be weak and easily countered in commons

Answer 161

Implementation of recommendations can be disregarded or slow from the government

Answer 162

- Unrepresentative - Controversy of large size - Boris Johnson, 36 new appointments in 2020

Answer 163

Lords play prominent role in scrutinising, revising, potentially delaying legislation

Answer 164

Johnson disregarded the idea many have that the Lords should reduce in size - Ie his Brother + former MP Jo Johnson - PM personal friend Evgeny Lebedev: owner of Evening Standard, son of Alexander Lebedev, Russian business man and former KGB agent

Answer 165

Johnson also appointed several Labour peers, cross benchers But most were Conservative, many Brexit supporting allies of Johnson

Answer 166

Too expensive due to size, appointment structure, partisanship of House of Lords - Overall cost of £20.1 million a year - Average £26,000 per peer - Reducing by a 1/4 would save 5 million

Answer 167

- Claimed £20,935 in expenses - Contributed to 12 debates - Produced 7 written questions - Voted 23 times 140 life peers failed to partake in any debates Less than half sat on a committee Over 70 voted only between 1 and 5 times in total

Answer 168

Total number of peers is over 800 - Too many for the amount actually needed to govern the country

Answer 169

highlighted the unregulated appointment process - No enforceable constraint on how many peers a PM can appoint - Appointments are made by monarch convention requires them to act on PM advice - Leads to PMs using this system to appoint allies and friends

Answer 170

Johnson's appointments will cost an extra £1.1 million in attendance allowances and expenses

Answer 171

Daily attendance rate of £323 is strong incentive for many to just turn up without making much of a democratic difference

Answer 172

Size is less relevant than the capability Lords contains - Removal of most hereditary peers means House is 500 peers smaller than end of 21st century - Difficult to deny expertise of many recent additions

Answer 173

Allowed appointment of life peers in bid to invigorate and modernise 2nd chamber

Answer 174

reduced chamber size, from 1330 in 1999 to less than 700 in 2000

Answer 175

Boris Johnson Tony Blair

Answer 176

government was defeated 4 times in 1 day on amendments to UK internal Market Bill

Answer 177

Power to amend legislation and delay bills is important

Answer 178

1911- lowered delaying period to 2 years 1949- lowered delaying period to 1 years 1958- Life Peerages Act, introduced appointment of life peers 1999- Blair removed all but 91 hereditary peers 2024- Starmer removed all remaining hereditary peers

Answer 179

Lords won't reject bills the government explicitly stated in their manifesto - Hard to interpret what ways parties will pass the points on their manifestos

Answer 180

Robert Winston - Fertility doctor expert in his field

Answer 181

PM personal friend Evgeny Lebedev: owner of Evening Standard, son of Alexander Lebedev, Russian business man and former KGB agent - Appointed by Johnson - Report in security risk of his presence, Johnson blocked this

Answer 182

House of Lords Appointment Commission - Wrote a report on Evgeny Lebedev, but Johnson as PM had the power to deny it being published

Answer 183

- More democratic - People who the public feel are better

Answer 184

- Ensures people who may not get voted can get into the Lords - Convention/tradition - Expertise, can have cross benchers/independents Expensive/Practicality

Answer 185

A wholly appointed body, as at present is undemocratic - the UK is one of the only countries in the world gives power to such a body

Answer 186

FPTP for the Commons leads to single party governments with overly large majorities, such as at present. The Lords elections could be by a proportional voting system, thus making Westminster fairer.

Answer 187

An elected Lords would have more legitimacy and therefore could have more power to check the government of the day effectively

Answer 188

COULD BE SMALLER The Lords appointed nature means each new government has to appoint new peers to keep the formula of gov't peers majority over opposition, independents roughly equivalent to gov't. An elected Lords would not need such a formula and could be smaller.

Answer 189

current members such as Boris Johnson's ex aide Charlotte Edwards are often not chosen because they have genuine expertise but because they are 'croneys' and the Lords is generally out of touch and elitist

Answer 190

get rid of the Church of England bishops in today's multicultural society!

Answer 191

should the church of England 'established' since Henry VIII be disestablished? Other religious leaders such as leading Muslims and Jews are appointed on a less official basis

Answer 192

The public would get confused by a different voting system.

Answer 193

If elected on the same day as Commons the same party would end up controlling both houses so the Lords would not check the government. If elected on a different day there would be endless conflict between the two houses ending in gridlock.

Answer 194

An elected Lords might be less diverse in terms of expertise because the scientists and business people who currently serve would not stand for election to full-time posts

Answer 195

You would be making members more full-time so you would have to start paying them salaries not just the allowances current peers receive; the Lords would become more expensive

Answer 196

The UK is the democracy with the oldest and most organic development therefore it is legitimate for it to have some traditional features.

Answer 197

- Allows parliament to perform duty of holding government to account - Essential in democracy, to prevent government from becoming tyrannical (secretive, not following rule of law etc) - Opposition has particular duty to scrutinise the government, usually loudly/publicly Backbenchers from government party should also scrutinise, maybe more subtly

Answer 198

Select Committees Question Time Opposition Debates and Motion

Answer 199

- Usually around 10-11 backbenchers - 1 select committee for every government department - Conduct investigations, Call minister to come give evidence to them- then publish a report - Sometimes the chair is from a different party - Call outside experts, ie Rupert Murdoch in 2011, attacked with pie - 2 mornings a week, MPs are in the select committees - Chairs get extra pay, others sitting in the committee don't

Answer 200

- Ministers don't have time to be members of committees + will put pressure on other MPs to not scrutinise what they're doing closely

Answer 201

Most important select committee= Liaison committee, meeting of all the chairs of the select committees- Only committee that gets to question the PM

Answer 202

Same representation in Committees as in Commons, members are chosen straight after an election (ie present, majority of Labour MPs)

Answer 203

Ie Boris Johnson Liaison Committee March 2022 questioning was a factor in his resignation - Power in questioning/scrutinising the government

Answer 204

(ministers questions and urgent questions) - Leader of opposition gets 6 questions - Ministers also get questioning slots fortnightly

Answer 205

- Scrutinise Get media coverage

Answer 206

opposition day and backbench

Parliament Flashcards

(233 cards)