Parliament Effective At Carrying Out Its Functions Flashcards
(9 cards)
Introduction
Parliament’s primary functions include legislating, scrutinising the executive and representing the electorate. Some argue that Parliament effectively fulfils these roles through mechanisms such as select committees, PMQs and the bicameral structure- House of Lords and House of Commons. However a more convincing argument is that the executive dominance, party discipline and weaknesses in representation limit Parliament’s effectiveness in performing its functions
Legislation- it is an effective check
-it could be argued that Parliament is effective in legislating because it thoroughly debates and amends bills before they become law. The House of Lords provides additional scrutiny, helping refine legislation and prevent poorly drafted laws from passing. The process ensures that laws are carefully considered and not rushed through without scrutiny.
-at the “committee stage” of a bill, the peers take part in debating the details of proposed legislation and table or propose amendments .
-they can improve legislation, add clauses, protect vulnerable minorities and drop parts that do not operate effectively. The Lords are in particular effective in amending and improving secondary legislation.
-the House of Lords play a vital role as the revising chamber, benefiting from the expertise of their membership. In 2015, Baroness Meacher led a successful House of Lords motion to delay and force a reconsideration of the government’s proposal to cut tax benefits of low-income families, arguing that it disproportionately impacted the poor working class. This intervention effectively displays the house of lords’ expertise and moral authority when revising secondary legislation.
-A recent example of effective legislation by the House of Commons is the Online Safety Act 2023, which aims to protect users from harmful content on the internet. The Act gives Ofcom regulatory powers to hold tech companies accountable for online harms, fulfilling Parliament’s role in safeguarding citizens and updating laws for the digital age. This demonstrates Parliament’s effectiveness in legislating on emerging societal issues and ensuring government accountability through regulatory oversight.
Legislation- not effective
-a more convincing argument is that the government dominates the legislative process, reducing Parliament’s effectiveness. The executive controls the parliamentary timetable, meaning most legislation originates from the government rather than backbenchers MPs. The use of party whips ensures that government bills almost always passed without significant opposition in the Commons. additionally, Lords can only delay legislation rather than block it outright, further weakening parliament’s role in law-making.
—the House of Lords is a revising chamber so it is not able to legislate. Under the 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts, the Lords can delay a bill for 1 year and cannot veto money bills. The Salisbury Convention says the lords should not opposed bills that are in the winning party’s manifesto, as they won a mandate for their policies.
-most legislation is initiated by the government and there is limited opportunity for backbench and opposition MPs to propose measures of their own. They usually react to measures put before the executive, rather than develop its own legislative proposals and it is rarely able to defeats or significantly amend legislation. Between 2015 and 2024 general elections, conservative backbench MP introduced 168 private member bills, but only one became law.
In 2024, Labour backbencher Paul Blomfield introduced a revised Assisted Dying Bill, proposing to allow terminally ill adults with less than six months to live the legal right to end their lives under medical supervision. The bill included rigorous safeguards such as psychiatric assessments, judicial oversight, and two independent doctors certifying eligibility. Despite cross-party interest and widespread public support, the bill failed to progress beyond its second reading due to the limited time allocated to Private Members’ Bills, which rarely reach full parliamentary debate or become law without government support. This case illustrates how backbench initiatives often lack legislative traction, as the executive dominates the parliamentary timetable, leaving critical moral and rights-based issues in political limbo.
In 2023, Conservative MP Greg Clark introduced the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill, aiming to extend redundancy protections for pregnant employees and new parents. While it gained initial cross-party support, the bill stalled due to a lack of time for further readings and was eventually dropped from the parliamentary calendar. This underscores how Private Members’ Bills, even on widely supported social issues, often fail due to procedural constraints and lack of government prioritisation.
Legislative not effective with facts to bolster argument
- Control of the parliamentary timetable:
The executive determines what gets debated and when, often sidelining private members’ bills. For instance, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill, which sought to increase prison sentences for animal cruelty, was delayed for years despite cross-party support, because the government did not prioritise it in the Commons timetable. This shows how the government can effectively block or delay popular reforms by controlling time allocation.- Most legislation originates from the government:
The vast majority of bills come from government ministers, not individual MPs. A key example is the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which was introduced by the Home Secretary and gave police expanded powers to restrict protests and increased maximum sentences for certain crimes. Despite widespread protests and opposition from civil liberties groups, the bill passed through Parliament largely unchanged, reflecting the government’s ability to shape and push through controversial legislation. This demonstrates how the government not only initiates most laws but also ensures their successful passage, often without major concessions. - Party whips ensure government bills pass:
MPs are frequently compelled to vote in line with their party leadership through a strict whip system, limiting independent scrutiny. For example, the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, which reformed asylum rules and allowed for offshore processing of refugees, passed despite objections from several Conservative backbenchers. The government used a three-line whip to maintain party discipline, ensuring that even controversial aspects of the bill were approved without major rebellion. This undermines Parliament’s deliberative role, as government control over its MPs diminishes meaningful debate and amendment. - House of Lords can only delay, not block, legislation:
The House of Lords lacks real power to prevent laws from passing and can only delay them for up to a year. A recent example is the Public Order Act 2023, which introduced new offences such as “locking on” and expanded stop and search powers, targeting protest movements like Just Stop Oil. Despite strong resistance in the Lords and among human rights organisations, the government forced the bill through, underscoring how the Commons—under executive control—can override objections from the upper chamber. This demonstrates that the Lords’ scrutiny is ultimately limited and cannot halt government-driven legislation.
- Most legislation originates from the government:
Scrutiny- effective
-it could be argued that Parliament hold the government to account effectively through mechanisms such as PMQs, select committees and debates. PMQs force Prime Minister to answer questions from MPs, while select committees investigates government actions and policies in detail, often producing critical reports that exposes failures and demand improvements.
-PMQs last for an hour and take place every Wednesday where it allows backbenchers and the opposition to question the PM directly, offering a high-profile platform for holding the government accountable.
-when Labour MP Paul Goggins died in 2014, Cameron was put on the spot over the effect that the coalition’s abolition of the Child Trust Fund would have on Children in care. Thus confronted, Cameron responded sympathetically and agreed to look at the problem. George Osborne announced a Junior ISA scheme for such children with £5 million in funding.
-In 2018, then-Home Secretary Amber Rudd appeared before the Home Affairs Select Committee, where Yvette Cooper’s rigorous questioning exposed her apparent ignorance of official deportation targets. Rudd denied the existence of such targets, but leaked internal emails later revealed that they did exist and that she had been informed of them. The episode damaged her credibility and ultimately led to her resignation, highlighting the committee’s effectiveness in holding ministers to account.
In February 2025, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a critical report on the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project. The committee highlighted persistent failures in cost control, governance, and oversight, particularly following the cancellation of the northern leg to Manchester. The report emphasized that, despite over a decade of warnings, the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd had not adequately addressed issues, leading to escalating costs and uncertain benefits for taxpayers.
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🗣️ Prime Minister’s Questions: Winter Fuel Payment U-turn (May 2025)
On 21 May 2025, during Prime Minister’s Questions, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a significant policy reversal by increasing the threshold for winter fuel allowance, effectively reinstating payments to more pensioners. This U-turn came in response to mounting pressure from within his party and the public over the initial cuts. The announcement highlighted the role of PMQs in holding the government accountable and prompting policy changes.
Scrutiny- not effective
-a more convincing argument is that scrutiny is often weak due to executive dominance. PMQs frequently descend into party-political point scoring rather than genuine accountability. Select committees, while influential, lack enforcement power, as the government is not required to act on the their recommendations. Furthermore, a strong government majority in the Commons, means that opposition attempts to hold ministers accountable are often ineffective as government MPs tend to support their party leadership rather than challenge it.
-PMQs often devolve into theatrical, combative exchanges with limited opportunity for sustained scrutiny or detailed policy discussion. Prime Minister frequently evade direct answers, relying instead on political rhetoric designed to rally their party and grab media headlines. For example, when Jeremy Corbyn asked Theresa May whether she was personally responsible for the destruction of the Windrush generation’s landing cards, she deflected the question and instead shifted blame onto the previous Labour government- highlighting how PMs can use the spotlight to avoid accountability.
-in 2017, during a session of the Select Committee on Exiting the European Union, then-Brexit Secretary David Davis responded to questions from Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg in a light-hearted and relaxed manner. David Davis appeared jovial and un-pressured suggesting a lack of rigourous scrutiny when ministers are questioned by their own party colleagues. This example reflects a key weakness in committee oversight- when party loyalty supersedes robust interrogation, the effectiveness of scrutiny is undermined.
-the Liason Committee, which is intended to be one of the most serious venues for holding Prime Minster to account, can also fall short of its potential. In 2018, Theresa May gave evasive responses when questioned by Hilary Benn about whether Parliament would get a meaningful final vote on the Brexit deal, dodging the issue despite its constitutional importance. Moreover, Boris Johnson later eroded the committee’s credibility by cancelling multiple scheduled appearances reinforcing perceptions that Prime Ministers can simply avoid scrutiny when it suits them.
-these examples collectively show that while scrutiny mechanisms like PMQs and select committees exist, their effectiveness is often compromised by political theatre, partisan questioning and evasive or even absent executive behaviour.
Representation- it is effective
-it could be argued that Parliament is effective in representing the electorate as MPs are directly elected and accountable to their constituents. They raise constituency issues in debates and can challenge government policies that negatively impact their local areas. The diversity of Parliament has also improved with more woman and ethnic minority MPs representing wider range of perspectives
-as the Lords do not need to concern themselves with the needs of a constituency or getting re-elected they can focus on issues that affect a group from across the whole of society. Non-affiliated and crossbench peers means much greater freedom to speak about more marginal interests and to represent a wider range of views
-INCREASED DIVERSITY IN COMMONS: the 2024 general election resulted in the most diverse UK Parliament to date, with women comprising 40% of MPs and ethnic minorities representing 14% of the House of Commons. This marks a significant increase from the 2019 election, where women held 34% of seats and ethnic minority MPs made up 10% of the seats. Notably Kanishka Narayan became Wales’ first ethnic minority minister, and Kirith Entwistle was elected as the first Sikh MP for Bolton North East. These milestones indicate progress toward a Parliament that more accurately reflects the UK’s diverse population.
-MP ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONSTITUENCY REPRESENTATION- in 2023, Conservative MP Alicia Kearns raised concerns in Parliament about the proposed solar farm developments hat threatened agricultural land in her Rutlan and Melton constituency. By voicing local opposition in debates and directly questioning ministers, she demonstrated accountability to her constituents. This shows how MPs can act as a direct channel between local communities and national decision-making.
-CHALLENGING GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL IMPACT- Labour MP Ian Byrne used debates to challenge government food security policy, citing the rise in food bank usage in his Liverpool West Derby constituency. He pushed for free school meal expansion and highlighted local hunger statistics. This exemplifies how MPs use their platform to advocate for vulnerable constituents and challenge policies harming local areas.
-CROSSBENCH REPRESENTATION IN THE LORDS- Lord Woolley of Woodford, a crossbench peer and founder of Operation Black vote, has used his position to advocate for racial equality and democratic participation. Free from party whips, he raises issues that often lack attention in the Commons, such as minority voter suppression and institutional bias. This shows how unelected peers can represent marginalised interests on a national stage
Representation- not effective
- a more convincing argument is that Parliament remains unrepresentative and limited in its ability to reflect the electorate’s views. The FPTP electoral system often results in governments being elected with a minority of the vote, meaning parliament does not always reflect the will of the people. Additionally the House of Lords are entirely unelected, undermining democratic representation. Many MPs also follow party lines rather than prioritising their constituents, limiting their effectiveness in truly representing the electorate.
-in the 2024 general election, the Labour Party secured a substantial majority in the House of Commons, winning 412 out of 650 seats. However, this was achieved with only 33.7% of the popular vote, marking the lowest vote share for a majority government in modern UK history. This outcome highlights how the FPTP system can produce disproportionate results, granting significant legislative power to a party without majority public support.
-the presence of unelected members in the house of lords continues to influence legislation without direct accountability to the electorate. This structure raises concerns about democratic legitimacy and the representative nature of the Uk’s legislative process.
-in July 2024, seven Labour MPs were suspended from the party for voting against the government stance on the two-child benefit cap, supporting an amendment to scrap the policy. This incident underscores the pressure MPs face to adhere to party lines, even when such positions may conflict with their constituent’s interests or personal convictions. The enforcement of party discipline can thus limit MPs’ ability to represent their electorate effectively.
-the 2019 general election results demonstrated significant disparities in vote-to-seats ratios among parties. For instance, the Green Party received 800,000 national votes but only secured 1 seat in the house, due to geographic distribution. Liberal democrats secured 11.5% of the national vote, but won 1.7% of the seats (11 seats). The liberal democrats and Green Party were heavily underrepresented. In contrast, the SNP, with a smaller national vote share, (3.9%), secured 48 seats (7.4%), due to concentrated regional support in scotland
Conclusion
While parliament performs important functions in legislating, scrutinising and representing the electorate, its effectiveness is undermined by executive dominance, party discipline and weaknesses in democratic representation. Although mechanisms exist to challenge the government and pass laws, the reality is that Parliament often struggles to act independently, making it less effective than it ideally should be
