Structure and role of parliament Flashcards
(24 cards)
- Explain and analyse the significance of three trends/developments in parliament since the nineteenth century. p28-29 and your notes.
P – House of Lords
E – House of Lords Reform Act 1999. Removed all but 94 hereditary peers.
A – Significant as the appointment of more experts means the fund of knowledge and depth of understanding among members.
CE – However, there have been many failed proposals such as 2007 White Paper to be introduced to make the House of Lords 50% elected and 50% appointed.
P – Growing diversity - Black, ethnic, women MPs in the commons.
E – The first female MP in 1919. 100 years later in 2019 there are 220. 65 BAME MPs in 2019
E – Increased diversity and representation.
P – EU Membership
E – Loss of parliamentary sovereignty. Whilst the EU was a member of the EU, no parliamentary act could conflict with EU law as it took precedence. This meant that areas such as farming and fishing quotas were highly restricted.
L – Decreasing significance after the UK left the EU in 2020.
- Explain and analyse the significance of three key positions in parliament. p29-32 and your notes. (Note: Pennny Mourdant rather than Jacob Rees-Mogg is the current leader of the House of Commons)
P – Prime Minister who is the leader of the single largest party.
E – A PM with a large majority can normally rely on the House of Commons voting the may they want.
CE –Less power in coalition govs such as 2010-15. Eg. Cameron was forced into an AV referendum.
P – The Speaker
E – Enforces rules, keeps order in the commons and suspends MPs.
E – Then speaker Bercow suspended MP Skinner for calling Cameron “Dodgy Dave”
P – Whips
E – Party discipline, ensuring MPs stay loyal.
E – There are 16 whips in the House of Commons. Former Labour chief whip Hilary Armstrong described how she ‘had the responsibility to actually make sure the manifesto was being fulfilled.
- Explain and analyse three stages in the legislative process. (textbook) p33-35 and your notes.
P – Committee stage
E – After the first and second reading, bills are sent to public bill committees who call expert witnesses and suggest amendments
E – Nearly 2/3 of all MPs appointed to committee in 2000-2010 had relevant expertise.
P – Report Stage.
E - Committee amendments considered by commons to be accepted rejected, accepted or changed
E – 87% Accepted.
P – House of Lords stage
E – All Commons stages repeated. Followed by “parliamentary ping pong” as any amendments must be accepted in the commons
E – Terrorism Act 2005 considered 5 times by the Lords and 4 times by the Commons.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which backbenchers can exert influence in parliament. p38-40 and your notes.
P – Backbench Business Committee
E – Opportunity to shape Commons business. Decides topic for Westminster roughly one day per week. 40% suggesstionsn taken on board.
P – Private Members Bills.
E – Backbenchers to influence legislation and raise concrns relating to their constituency
E – Rarely successful but can have a huge impact. Abortion Act (1967)
P – Vote on all bills and legislation
E – Allows MPs to fulfil their representative function. Lib Dem MP voted against his party and voted for Brexit as it is what his constituency wanted. In 2019, May’s Brexit bill was defeated by a record majority of 230 in the House of Commons. It was her lack of support in the commons that led to her resignation.
- Explain and analyse the significance of three different types of private members’ bill p39-40 and your notes.
P – Ballot Bills.
E – Best chance of being law and being debated. Backbench MPs can enter a ballot every year with 20 names drawn. 16 successful in 2022-23
CE- However only get passed if uncontroversial otherwise easy to block. Turning Bill 2016 would have pardoned all men living with UK convictions for same-sex offences committed before the law was changed.
P – Ten Minute Rule Bills.
E – Raise issues relating to their constituencies.
E – Guardianship Act 2017 allowed someone to act in a missing persons interest after 90 days was proposed as a 10 minute bill.
CE – Party whips decide slots, undermining independence of MPs
P – Presentation Bills.
E – Introduced without debate in the House of Commons
E – Used to address non-controversial issues and resolve abnormalities. A Member introducing this type of bill is not able to speak in support of it and the bill stands almost no chance of becoming law. These bills are used by MPs largely as a method of publicising a particular issue.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which parliament effectively performs its representation role. p41-45 and your notes
P – Through having diverse MPs
E - 263 in 2019. Sex discrimination Act permits parties to use positive action. Labour all women short lists and conservatives use priority lists. 90 BAME MPs after the 2024 general election. Has been increasing every year since 1987
P – Some MPs vote against their party.
E – Allows them to properly represent the views of their constituency. Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd voted for Brexit.
P – Wide range of parties in the Commons
E – 15 Parties with at least 1 seat in the Commons representing a range of ideological views. Reform UK for the far-right, Greens for the environmentalists, SNP for nationalist parties ect.
A – 80% seats Labour and Conservative in 2024
- Explain and analyse three ways in which parliament does not effectively performs its representation role. p41-45 and your notes.
P – Expenses Scandal 2009
E – Sir Peter Vargas had to step down after receiving £30,000 over 3 years for gardening expenses.
P – Disproportionate amount of privately educated MPs.
E – 7 % attend private secondary schools but it makes up 41% Conservative MPs. Ed Milliband commented that “ There are as many men who went to Eton as there are women” in the conservative party.
P – It is not a microcosm that represents groups fairly.
E – Only 21 MPs aged 18-29.
- Explain and analyse three different theories of representation. (textbook) p43-45 and your notes.
P – Delegate
E – Authorised to Act on the behalf of others but bound by clear instruction. Mouthpieces
E – Stephen Lloyd Lib Dem MP voting for BREXIT
P – Trustee ( Burkean )
E – Exercise own judgement. Behavior in Parliament should be informed by his knowledge and experience, allowing him to serve the public interest.
E – MP Nick Boles voted Remain against his party and constituency.
P – Mandate
E – Authority to carry out a policy regarded as given by the lectorate to a party. MP not as important as party.
E – 2019 MP Frank Field stood as an independent and lost his seat despite being long-serivng and well respected.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which parliament effectively scrutinises the executive. p45-61 and your notes.
P – Parliamentary Questions
E – 2017-18 55,000 Questions were asked
E – Chance to interrogate the gov. Corbyn read questions from the public.
CE – However PMs such as Cameron used them to impress their party and “patsy questions” are asked to make the PM look good.
P – Select Committees
E – Have the ability to call and question ministers which forces accountability. Amber Rudd resigned after she denied the Home Office had targets for the deportation of illegal immigrants.
CE – However, the gov increasingly refusing to release evidence due to national security.
P – Opposition Parties
E – Not only produce reports critical of government policies and/or their implementation but also the official opposition have a shadow cabinet.
E – The role of the shadow cabinet is to challenge the relevant government ministers.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which Prime Ministers Question Time is effective. p49 and your notes.
P – MPs given the opportunity to scrutinise the government.
E – Forces the MP to directly address key issues. Most direct method of scrutiny.
E – In 2017-18, 55,000 questions asked.
P – Putting the prime minister under pressure
E – Sir Anthony Seldon revealed that PMQs “take hours of preparation and many PMs find them to be the most stressful part of the job”.
P – Offers the leader of the opposition opportunities to stake a claim to the premiership by delivering a better performance.
E – David Cameron as newly elected conservative leader in 2005 remarked that Tony Blair was “the future once”
- Explain and analyse three ways in which Prime Ministers Question Time is ineffective. p49 and your notes.
P – Gives a distorted image of parliaments work and presents it as theatrical and adversial.
E – Former speaker John Bercow stated in 2014 that PMQs are “very male… in the worst cases, of yobbery and public school twittishness”.
P – Ineffective at restoring trust in the public.
E – An independent poll by the Hansard society found that PMQs made just 12% feel proud of parliament.
P – Many MPs use it as an opportunity to show their leader in a good light.
E – “Patsy questions” often asked. Shaun Bailey asked about police spending to show the government in the best possible light.
- Explain and analyse the significance of three types of parliamentary committee. p50-55.
P – Public Bill Committees go through legislation line by line and make changes to a bill.
E – They allow backbench MPs to scrutinise legislation in greater detail than at a general debate and expert witnesses can be called.
E – Environmental activist George Monbiot gave oral evidence to the 2019-21 Environment Bill Committee.
P – Select Committees ensure public bodies are doing their jobs and that taxpayers’ money is being spend effectively.
E – Do this by launching investigations, calling witnesses and publishing reports. The committees set their own agendas, operate largely free from party control and generally produce unanimous cross-party reports.
E – Increasingly high profile. In 2012, the home affairs committee was mentioned over 2,000 times in the press.
P – Lords committees
E - examine specialist subjects using the experience of experts. Conduct inquiries and produce reports.
CE – Less power than the commons. Communications committee report in 2014 had little effect on the conduct of TV debates.
- Explain and analyse three advantages of public bill committees. p51 and your notes.
P – They allow Backbench MPs to scrutinise legislation.
E – More opportunities to engage with the scrutiny of legislation than they would in debate where frontbenchers dominate.
P – They can and do make effective changes to legislation
E – During the committee stage of Investigatory Powers Act 2016, additional safeguards were put in place to protect journalists.
P – Allows outside involvement.
E – Pressure groups can put forward their views and suggestions and expert witnesses can be called.
E – George Monbiot gave oral evidence to the 2019-21 Environment Bill Committee.
- Explain and analyse three disadvantages of public bill committees. p51 and your notes.
P – They lack continuity and wisdom of permanent departmental select committees.
E - Public bill committees are temporary and only last for the lifetime of the bill. Because membership is temporary MPs do not build up expertise in policy area.
E – Just 8% of MPs on bill committees also sit on relevant departmental committees.
P – Government dominates public bill committees
E – A government always has the majority and party whips decide committee members.
E – This means party loyalists are more likely to be chosen than more independently minded MPs.
P – Major amendments to bills unlikely
E – Just 0.5% of opposition amendments are accepted.
- Explain and analyse three ways that select committees could be seen as an effective method of parliamentary scrutiny. (textbook) p51-54 and your notes
P – They force ministers to take accountability.
E – Amber Rudd interviewed by home affairs committee. In her interview she denied the Home office had plans to deport illegal immigrants however leaked emails suggested she knew there were plans.
E – She resigned from her post taking full responsibility
P - Operates in a less party political way.
E - total membership reflects the party balance in the Commons. Following the Wright reforms, membership has been decided through a secret ballot, reducing the power of the whip. Aim for consensus not competition and many committee chairs are from the opposition party. Set their own agendas and generally produce unanimous cross-party reports. Despite the governing party having a majority on select committees, they can sometimes support opposition party policies. In September 2020, the Treasury Select Committee urged the government to consider extending the COVID-19 furlough scheme, a policy advocated by Labour.
P – Committees are more corporate and specialised than commons debates
E – Many committee ministers will have ministerial experience or specialist interest in a certain policy area meaning they can scrutinise government policy thoroughly. For example, from 2017-22 Tom Tugendhat led the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, bringing his military service and experience in the Middle East to his role.
- Explain and analyse three ways that select committees could be seen as an ineffective method of parliamentary scrutiny. (textbook) p51-54 and your notes.
P – The government is not obliged to accept recommendations
E – The government accepts around 40% of these suggestions, usually those already in alignment with government policies
A – However, these recommendations usually do not involve major changes of policy
P – Select committees have weak and ill-defined powers to compel witnesses to appear before them to tell the truth.
E - For example, in 2013, as Home Secretary, Theresa May blocked the Home Affairs Select Committee from interviewing the head of MI5 and Johnson evaded attendance before the Liaison Committee
P – Uncontroversial topics
E – Due to the desire for bipartisan approach there is evidence that chairs avoid selecting topics they know are highly politicised and likely to prevent partisanship.
CE – Despite this, controversial topics such as BREXIT have committees and votes despite being along party lines.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which an MP can influence policy and represent
P – Joining committees
E – Backbench Business Committee or select committees. This allows them to scrunise legislation and propose legislation changes.
P – Private members bills can often have a huge impact on voters
E – Abortion Act 1967
P – Voting and debating
E – BREXIT vote Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd voted against his party. MPs voted against Syrian airstrikes and Cameron was defeated so they did not occur.
- Explain and analyse three influences on individual MPs when voting in the House of Commons. p57 and your notes (2020).
P – Party whips and loyalty
E –Three-line whip means MPs instructed to vote the way of the party.
P – Personal beliefs
E – “Votes of conscience” religious, moral or ethical issues rather than about administrative or financial ones. Matters such as the prohibition of alcohol, abortion, homosexuality law reform and the legality of prostitution are often subject to conscience votes.
P – The opinions of constituents
E – Stephen Lloyd MP voted against his constituency in the BREXIT vote in order to represent his constituency who voted to leave. EASTBORNE (HIS SEAT)
- Explain and analyse three ways in which the opposition is significant in parliament. p57-59 and your notes.
P - Opposition days
E – Enable the opposition to bring forward important issues the government may have neglected such as the Liberal Democrat Gurkha motion in 2019. 20 opposition days available
P - Official Opposition special privileges
E – At PMQs the leader of the opposition always ask the opening question plus up to five more. They also are the only MP allowed to respond to the PM. Corbyn used this effectively by asking questions sent in by the public.
P – Shadow Government and ministers
E – Scrutinise the policies and actions of the government, as well as to offer alternative policies
A - In this way the Official Opposition seeks to present itself as an alternative government-in-waiting.
- Explain and analyse three ways examples of the weakness of the opposition in UK politics. p57-59 and your notes.
P – Division in opposition parties divert attention from scrutinising the gov
E – Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership challenge in 2016 led to the resignation of 21 shadow cabinet members and 31 shadow ministers. This meant MPs such as Emily Thornberry had to take on multiple positions. Little chance of MPs acquiring the expertise needed for those areas
P –Little opportunities to scrutinise the gov
E – Smaller opposition parties struggle to gain visibility. Green Party with only one member means it is not possible to scrutinise all areas of government policy. There are only 20 opposition days available and this has not increased since 1992.
P – Depends on the quality of the shadow cabinet
E – Performance in the media. Shadow Home Secretary Dianna Abbot appeared on LBC but was criticised for her weak grasp of details.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which the Official Opposition can challenge the government in the House of Commons. p57-59 and your notes. (2022).
P – Prime Ministers questions
E – At PMQs the leader of the opposition always ask the opening question plus up to five more. They also are the only MP allowed to respond to the PM. Corbyn used this effectively by asking questions sent in by the public.
P – Opposition days
E – In 2018 Labour raised the issues of school funding, the Grenfell tower file and NHS privatisation as part of their allocated 17 days.
P – Shadow cabinet
E – Role to challenge the relevant government minister. In debates over the standard of rail services, shadow Labour Transport Minister argues for renationalisation of the railways.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which the executive dominates parliament. p59-61.
P – Party whips
E – Discipline and whipping ensures government backed bills pass easily. Also ensure loyal MPs stand on public bill committees.
P -Overruling select committees
E – Ignore their reports and reject 60% recommendations
CE – Increasingly high profile and independent, secret ballot.
P – PMQs more theatrical than useful for scrutiny
E – Political point scoring. “Patsy questions”. Shaun Bailey asked about police spending to show the government in the best possible light.
CE – Sir Anthony Seldon revealed that PMQs “take hours of preparation and many PMs find them to be the most stressful part of the job”.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which the executive does not dominate parliament. p59-61
P – Increasing rebelliousness
E - Voted against Syrian air strikes in 2015 and thus they didn’t happen.
P – Coalition Governments can be and are defeated in the commons. Theresa May’s Brexit Deal. opposition from within the Liberal Democrat Ranks meant that the conservatives dropped proposals to lower inheritance tax. Conservatives forced to hold an AV referendum
P – PMQs
E – Forces Prime Ministers to address failures and concerns. Sir Anthony Seldon revealed that PMQs “take hours of preparation and many PMs find them to be the most stressful part of the job”.
- Explain and analyse three roles of civil servants when appearing before select committees Pg. 53, 20
P – Explain or justify perceived mistakes in their departments
E - They are personally accountable for the delivery or implementation of government policy
P – To represent the minister in their department
E - The Civil Service Code makes clear that civil servants are accountable to ministers who in turn are accountable to parliament. So, when civil servants give evidence to a select committee they are doing so not in a personal capacity, but as representatives of their ministers.
P – To avoid giving evidence that might endanger national security
E – This could be surrounding defence laws ect. This is outlined in the Osmotherly Rules Drawn up in 1980 and revised in 2014, these rules give guidance to civil servants and other government officials when appearing before select committees.
