Parliament Vs The Executive

Question 1

List the reasons backbenchers can be seen as mere lobby fodder

Answer 1

• most speeches lead to no action
• whips
• bbbc only debates things w cross bench support
• standing committees controlled by commons majorities

Question 2

List the reasons backbenchers can be seen as an effective executive check

Answer 2

• bbbc 35 days for debate
• government drops legislation that will be defeated
• backbench rebellions increasing
• rise in urgent questions that require a ministerial response
• lords are experts
• lords are often less amenable to pressure by whips
• cross bench laws are independently minded

Question 3

Give a recent example of the government dropping legislation that would lose in the commons

Answer 3

Lords reform bill 2015

Question 4

How much did coalition mps rebel

Answer 4

35% of the time

Question 5

How much did urgent questions increase between 2009-13

Answer 5

200%

Question 6

Do backbenchers make a difference (complex answer)

Answer 6

They are more decisive when the government doesn’t have a strong majority

Question 7

When did backbench rebellions become more common

Answer 7

90s

Question 8

What did conservative mps rebel abt under major

Answer 8

• Maastricht treaty
• gun control
• VAT on domestic fuel

Question 9

What did major have to resort to to pass the Maastricht treaty

Answer 9

A confidence vote

Question 10

How many labour mps rebelled abt invading Iraq in 2003

Answer 10

139 - largest rebellion in modern politics

Question 11

What was new labour defeated on

Answer 11

90 day detention for suspected terrorists
Racial and religious hatred bill
The right of Gurkhas to live in the uk

Question 12

Why was the coalition not defeated that much despite the amount of backbench disobedience

Answer 12

Lib Dem and conservative MPs would rebel on different things

Question 13

What was the biggest defeat for the coalition

Answer 13

Intervention in Syria

Question 14

What was the conservative minority government defeated on

Answer 14

Evel
Ur referndum conduct
Changes to Sunday trading laws

Question 15

What are governing party questions intended to do at pmqs

Answer 15

Flatter

Question 16

What are opposition questions intended toward do at pmqs

Answer 16

Joke or humiliate

Question 17

What does pmqs often turn in to

Answer 17

Parliamentary theatre rather than effective scrutiny

Question 18

Why are mqs often seen as better scrutiny

Answer 18

Less publicity
Questions are more specific and practical
MPs can propose questions in advance - more informed debate
MPs are more likely to ask questions from constituents

Question 19

What is the opposition better off doing instead of challenging the government in the commons

Answer 19

Attacking them in the media

Question 20

What is the opposition better off doing instead of attacking the government

Answer 20

Appearing statesmenlikr

Question 21

What is the opposition better off doing instead of providing a radical alternative

Answer 21

Appearing like a government in waiting

Question 22

What does the opposition have at its disposal to help w scrutiny

Answer 22

Loto receives a ministerial salary
Short money is granted to compensate for no civil servants
Loto gets most pmqs questions

Question 23

Reasons select committees are an effective executive check

Answer 23

Scrutinise using detailed investigations
Many recommendations accepted by government
Questions ministers civil servants and outside experts
Access to papers
Chairs elected by MPs

Question 24

Reasons select committees aren’t an effective executive check

Answer 24

Commons majority reflected
Ministers and civil servants can avoid giving info
Some members don’t regularly attend or are too confrontational when questioning ministers
No power to propose policy
Government can ignore recommendations

Question 25

What do is pac

Answer 25

The public accounts committee

Question 26

What does pac do

Answer 26

Scrutinises value for money and the provision of public services

Question 27

Reasons why the pac is strong

Answer 27

Chair is an opposition mp
Chair has greater prestige and higher salary
Members are mp elected - not under party control
Members are independent meaning government majority does not matter

Question 28

Give two big issues pac has recently ibfestigated

Answer 28

Quality of nhs cancer treatment
Tax affairs of Google

Question 29

What is at stake in pmqs

Answer 29

Credibility of the pm
A chance for the opposition to set the agenda

Question 30

Notable pmqs from starmer

Answer 30

Dominic Cummings gets pay rise - nurses don’t
Squandering vaccine roll out by not redlisting India
Slamming the working class by raising national insurance and ending universal credit uplift

Question 31

Changes in select committee composition

Answer 31

Growth in the number of experienced committee chairs
Virtual proceedings have meant an increase in virtual witnesses

Question 32

What did the health select committee make Dominic Cummings admit

Answer 32

The government response to Covid was inadequate and the health secretary should be sacked

Question 33

Examples of backbench pressure on government

Answer 33

• made the government rethink trading w china in light of Uighur muslin persecution
  Rebelled against extending lockdown
  Rebelled against NI rise on the basis that it broke a manifesto pledge