| What is the Structure of the House of Commons? (Lower House)
(ie Select Committees, Party Whips...) {7} | -Contains 650 Members of Parliament
-Frontbench MPs: Gov Ministers, Senior and Junior, and Leading Spokes persons from Opposite Parties (150 roughly)
-Backbench MPs" MPs that aren't Frontbench MP (The Rest)
-Select Committees: Committees that are Permanent and is elected by all MPs. They mainly Scrutinise the Work of Government
-Legislative Committees (Public Bill Committees): Committees that are Temporary that Scrutinise Bills and suggest Amendments to Better the Legislation. Have 20-40 that are chosen by Party Whips
-Party Whips: Senior MPs who try Persuade Backbench MPs in own Party to vote the way the Party Leadership wants
-The Speaker: Presides over Disputes, and makes calls on Parliamentary Procedure |
| What does Parliament mean? | -Name given to the Legislature in many Nations. Has the purpose of Legitimising Proposed Legislation and Representing the People |
| What is the Structure of the House of Lords (Upper House)
(ie Life Peers, Church of England..) {5} | -Hereditary Peers: Peers inheriting the title from their Father, and usually goes to the Son (not the Daughter.) Out of the Thousands, only 92 Peers are allowed to sit in the Lords
-Life Peers: Appointed for Life by Party Leaders & Appointments commission. No Passing onto Children, and they are usually former Politicians/Experts in a Field. Usually aligned to a Party
-Crossbench MPs: Peers that have no Party Allegiance ie they are Independent
-26 Archbishops and Bishops of Church of England sit in the Lords
-The Lord Speaker: Basically the same as the Commons Speaker |
| If a Hereditary Peer retires / dies, then what happens next?
-What do Critics say? | -The Chamber has a By-election among the remaining Hereditary Peers from their respective Political Party. They chose from the wide range of Peers (that used to sit in the Lord but then Removed) to fill the Vacancy.
-Critics note out the Hypocrisy of the Hereditary Peers - Undemocratic - being maintained via an Election. (Democratic Deficit) |
| How does a Bill become Law? | -First Reading: MPs informed about Bill/Proposed Legislation
-Second Reading: Main Debate on Bill held. Vote takes place
-Committee Stage: If Commons vote Yay, then a Public Bill Committee set up to Consider it in Detail. Amendments may be Suggested
-Report Stage: Bill Debated again, with any Amendments included
-Third Reading: Final Debate, and last Opportunity to Block the Bill
-Passage to 'other place': Bills passed to the other House (usually to the Lords) and further Amendments can be Suggested
-Royal Assent: Monarch Signs the Bill into UK Law. Now an Act of Parliament. |
| What is a Public Bill? | -Bills presented by Government, and usually expected to pass Successfully into Law.
-They usually affect the General Public and covers an Extensive Range of Issues and Topics |
| What is Primary Legislation? | -Major Legislation Pieces that can Change the Law or give Power to Subsidiary Bodies (Committees with a Particular Task) or Individuals to make Secondary Legislation
-This is usually just called 'Legislation' or 'Acts of Parliament' - the highest form of Law in Britain |
| What is Secondary Legislation (Delegated Legislation) | -Usually seen as Ministerial Orders. In the Primary Legislation, Power can be given to Ministers or other Bodies to make Minor Regulation of their own.
-This isn't debated as much in Parliament, but Parliament still can Block such Legislation |
| What are Private Member Bills? | -Backbench MP enter a Ballot, which gets 5 of them annually to Propose their own piece of legislation.
-Its rare for it to become Law, unless the Government supports them.
-Lack of Parliamentary Time to really consider them |
| What are Private Bills? | -Bills presented by Individuals / Organisations outside Government and Parliament. Usually apply to Parliament for Permission to carry out certain actions that are currently Banned from doing so ie Building |
| What are the Key Points of MP? | -MP will Represent a Constituency
-All MPs are basically part of a Political Party - there can be Independent MPs
-MPs allow Parliamentary Privilege, allowing them to be free from Outside Interference and can not be Sued / Prosecuted for anything said in the House of Commons
-MPs not part of Government or Leadership of their Party are Backbenchers |
| What does Parliamentary Privilege mean? | -An Medieval Principle that protects MPs from Pressure Externally, and means they can NOT be Sued or Prosecuted for anything said in the House of Commons
-The Monarch, it is Implied, can NOT Interfere with the work of UK Parliament |
| What Function does Backbench MPs carry? | -Initiate Private Member Bills leading to Legislation. They may not have the Backing of Government
-Represent Interest of Constituents
-Threaten a Backbench Rebellion by voting Against the Party Leadership
-Scrutinise Government Policy and Calls - Select Committees
-Become Select Committees Chairs, taking upon Position of Leadership
-Ask Parliamentary Questions and engage in Debates |
| What are the Arguments that support the idea that Backbench MPs are Influential in UK Politics | -Backbenchers have become more Willing to 'Defy the Whip' and vote Against the Government. This helps the House of Commons hold Government to Account. EG 2020 saw 38 Tory MPs vote AGAINST Gov Plans to allow Huawei in UK 5G Network. This led to a U Turn after it had Passed.
-The Backbench Business Committee (BBC) gives Backbenchers a Louder Say on Issues debated on in the House of Commons EG: BBC got a Debate about Awareness to Teenage Cancer
-Backbenchers has seen Increased Influence when Parliament is Hung - Ability to Call Government into Question is Increased. EG 2017-2019 saw no Majority which meant the Speaker had allowed more Urgent Questions giving Backbench MPs the ability to Summon Ministers to be held to Account (Brexit, Grenfall Tower, Universal Credit) |
| What are the Arguments that goes Against the idea that Backbench MPs are Influential in UK Politics | -Party Whips are still very much in Control of Voting Outcomes. Backbench MPs may see a loss of Future Promotion if going against the Government. Furthermore its Rare to see a Rebellion to Defeat a Majority Government.
-Many Debates that the BBC win time for are in Westminster Hall - not in the House of Commons. This reduces the Status of the Debates, often no Vote too so the Influence is rather Limited
-Backbench have less Influence if the Government has a Majority. Rebellions easily more dealt with |
| What Functions do Peers Represent? | -Represent Different Sections of Society in Parliament, such as Ethnic Minorities, Elderly, Hospital Patients and more
-Advocate for Political Causes and giving them Publicity. Such causes include Environmental Issues, Human Rights Concerns and Animal Welfare
-Peers with Expertise examine Proposed Legislation
-Every Gov Department has a Frontbench Representative in the Lords, giving the Peers an Opportunity to Scrutinise the Government. This does receive Less Publicity |
