UK Parliament

Question 1

What is an example of the Lords delaying a bill?

Answer 1

• Initially delayed a bill allowing May to begin Brexit negotiations and demanded guarantees for EU nationals living in England

Question 2

What is an example of a majority government?

Answer 2

• suffered 4 defeats over a period of 10 years

Question 3

What is a strength of the opposition regarding the Parliamnetary time table?

Answer 3

• 17/20 opposition days they control

Question 4

What is an example of a minority government?

Answer 4

• May’s minority 33 defeats in 2 years

Question 5

What is an example of Prime Minister Question time?

Answer 5

• Keir Starmer , then leader of the opposition, used it to question Conservative government on the cost of living crisis and the NHS and went on to win in 2024

Question 6

What is an example of a PM not taking PMQs seriously?

Answer 6

• Sunak missed 12.5% of PMQs including 5 sessions missed due to foreign travel

Question 7

How many seats did conservatives win in 2024?

Answer 7

• 121

Question 8

What is an example of Lab and Con both becoming centrist rather than being distinctly left and right?

Answer 8

• Labours recent cutting of disability benefits
• David Camerons ‘hug a hoodie’ speech

Question 9

What is an exmaple of a governemt making decision that the electorate does not want?

Answer 9

• Not bringing HS2 to the north

Question 10

What is an example of the private funding system being corrupt?

Answer 10

• Nigel Farage claims to want to abandon net zero on behalf of the working class people, the real reason of course is that 90% of Reforms funding comes from oil and gas companies

Question 11

How are select committees made and how seriously are their reports taken?

Answer 11

• made up of 11-14 experience backbench MPs
• 40% of the reports are acted upon

Question 12

What is an example of a private member bill?

Answer 12

• the sexual offences act 2003

Question 13

what percentage of PMBs are successful?

Answer 13

• 10%

Question 14

What is an exmaple of select committees holding the government to account?

Answer 14

• Public Account committees chaired by Meg Hillier (2016-2021) exposed wasteful government spending during COVID

Question 15

What is an example of the government ignoring select committees?

Answer 15

• 2022 gov ignored several recommendations from Home Affairs Committee on their asylum policy

Question 16

What is an example of committees affecting gov through the media?

Answer 16

• Digital, Culture, Media and sports committee investigated fake news and brought attention to the role of facebook in perpetuating fake political news

Question 17

What is an example of select committees politicising policies through media exposure?

Answer 17

• 2021 Health and Social Care Committee report on the COVID-19 response was thought to include politically charged language

Question 18

What is an example of select committees improving the quality of legislation?

Answer 18

• Environmental Audit Committee influences environmental legislation by proposing more robust and sustainable measures

Question 19

What is a weakness regarding government majorities on committees?

Answer 19

• Education Committee faced criticism for not challenging education policy due to the conservative dominance on the committee