Parliament flashcards

Pregunta	Respuesta
Composition of the commons by party 2015	Conservatives 330 Labour 232 SNP 56 (up from 6 in 2010) Lib Dem 8 (down from 57 in 2010) Green 1 UKIP 1 Others eg DUP 8 Sinn Fein 4, Plain Cymru 3, SDLP 3, Independant 1, Speaker 1
Social composition of the commons 2015	Age: Youngest MP ever Mhairi Black , 20, SNP for Paisley & Renfrewshire Average age of MP: 50 Gender: in 1987 6% (41) women 2015: 29% (191) women Ethnicity & religion: remains disproportionately white & christian 2015 6% (41) (BME) compared to 13% nationally
Resemblance model of representation	Those in the legislature should by typical of the communities that they serve It is argued they can reflect more fully their communities' collective values & beliefs
Is remblance important? YES :)	A more representative Commons will better understand the issues facing some communities Some ethnic minorities may have more faith in the legislature
Is resemblance important NO :(	Some constituents will always be represented by people who are unlike them A good MP will represent all their constituents to the best of their ability, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or gender
The House of Lords reform 1999 intro	Immediately prior to the reform, Conservatives had 471 peers to Labour's 179, commonly referred to as inbuilt Tory majority as they were mostly hereditary peers Critics argued many of them only attended to block radical legislation Removal of many hereditary peers and subsequent appointment of large numbers of Labour peers changed chamber significantly Lords' security of tenure means party ties are relatively weak
Composition of the Lords by party October 2011	Conservative 218 Labour 240 Lib Dem 91 Crossbench 183 Other 31 Not including bishops or peers on leave of absence
Appointment to the Lords	Life Peerages Act 1958 still used Technically the monarch who confers life peerages, PM has virtually free reign He/she is bound by convention to invite nominations from the opposition parties & nominees are scrutinised by the House of Lords Appointment Commission, neither check presents a big obstacle
Composition of the Lords by type October 2011	Life peers under the Life Peerages Act 1958 - 509 men, 178 women, total 678 Peers under the House of Lords Act (1999) - 90 men, 2 women, total 92 Life peers under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act (1876) (judges)- 22 men, 1 woman total 23 Archbishops & bishops - 24 men
New Labour & appointment of life peers (1997-2010)	Process of life peers being appointment is criticised as no better method for selecting legislators than the hereditary principle it was designed to replace Rapid increase in Labour peers after 1997 led to accusations of cronyism (Tony's cronies) or that peerages were being sold in return for political donations or loans- this was ultimately discredited Introduction of "people's peers" was supposed to address this Blair's elevation of Andrew Adonis to the Lords in 2005 then straight into gov as education minister reignited the debate
Using the power to appoint peers (cabinet)	As a means of bringing people into the cabinet without waiting for a Commons by-election eg Gus MacDonald (made a life peer in 1998 then minister for business and industry in the Scottish office, Andrew Adonis (Lords in 2005 then straight into gov as education minister)
Using the power to appoint peers (quieting)	As a device for getting rid of potentially troublesome Commons backbenchers 9eg elevation of former leaders such as Thatcher)
Using the power to appoint peers (reward)	As a reward for political service (eg Blair's private pollster Phillip Gould in 2004)
Parliaments funtions	Has three main functions: 1. Representation 2. Legislation 3. Scrutiny Two other roles: 1. Legitimisation 2. Political recruitment
!. Representation	Commons Mps elected to serve a geographical constituency and those who live there Mps should represent their constituents concerns in Parliament
2. Legislation	Parliament's primary role as a legislature is to legislate Most government legislation is uncontroversial, however it must still pass through both houses, unless the Parliament Act is invoked, before it can become law Parliament Act (1911 & 1949) assert the House of Commons is supreme by limiting the Lords legislation blocking powers (11 stopped it complete veto & 49 reduced it's blocking time from 2 years to 1)
3. Scrutiny	Parliament plays an important role in scrutinising the government through parliamentary committees and other procedures like Prime Minister's questions
4. Legitamision	The UK government isn't directly elected meaning its legitimacy rests on the confidence of the Commons Withdrawal of this (through a vote of no confidence) would lead to the government falling (eg James Callaghan's government in 1979, lost by 1 vote, took over by Thatcher)
5. Political recruitment	Parliament serves as a recruitment pool for government Most ministers will have served an apprenticeship in the Commons before taking high office, though some may be brought into the Lords as a means of bringing them into Parliament (eg Andrew Adonis 2005)
Public Bills	Public bills affect the entire population 1. Government bills: often seek to fulfill manifesto commitments & more likely to succeed as government controls the timetable, ministers pilot these bills through Parliament 2. Private Member's Bills: introduced by any MP on any issue, rarely succeed without government support due to time pressures, can offer useful way of legislating on issues of conscience eg the Abortion Act 1967, introduced by Lib Dem David Steel, backed by government
Private bills	Affect particular areas of policy or a specific person or organisation 1. Acts for the benefit of individuals (known as private or personal acts), historically often dealt with divorces or granting British nationality to foreigners, but in modern terms are generally limited to authorising marriages which would otherwise not be legal 2. Acts for the benefit of organisations, or authorising major projects such as railways or canals, or granting extra powers to local authorities (known as local acts)
Normal passage of legislation	1. First reading (formal introduction; date for second reading set) 2. Second reading (minister outlines principles of bill; debate follows) 3. Standing committee (committee scrutinises, if necessary amends the bill before reporting to the Commons 4. Third reading (no major amendments at this stage, bill passed or rejected) 5. House of Lords (same process as Commons, thought the committee stage is often taken on the floor of the House, amendments back to Commons, then back to Lords who approve of reject the bill, Parliament Act could be used at this stage) 6. Royal assent (monarch formally approves)
Short-cutting the legislative process	Can take long time to get from Green Paper stage to statute books, government can speed up process if it's prepared to use powers available by virtue of its Commons majority: - Whip the standing committee to ensure speedy passage - Formally guillotine (fix times at which various parts of bill can be voted on) committee action - Limit time for Commons debate - Make concessions to backbenchers/Lords - Threaten the use of/use the Parliament Act
Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005	Over 28 1/2 hours 10-11 March 2005, longest day in Parliament since Labour came to power in 1997, Prevention of Terrorism Act ping-ponged between the Commons & Lords Commons saw Labour rebellions on 11/12 separate votes, 7 Labour MPs (including Jezza and Kate Hoey) opposed the government on all 11 divisions Was the Lords however which forced a "sunset clause" (so the Act would automatically expire in March 2006, unless it were renewed by further legislation)
Relative powers of the House of Commons and the House of Lords	Two chambers in the UK don't have co-equal legislative power Lords was once the preeminent chamber, it's unelected statues in a time of widening Commons franchise led to a number of developments that have limited the Lords' power eg: The Parliament Acts of 1911 & 1949 The Salisbury Doctine
The Parliament Acts of 1911 & 1949	The 1911 Parliament Act resulted from the Lords' attempt to black the government's budget in 1909 Act replaced right to veto with power to delay bills for 2 years Also effectively prevented them from vetoing, amending or delaying money bills, underpinning the Commons financial privilege 1949 Act reduced time from 2 to 1 Parliamentary session / year Gives Commons ultimate power over the Lords but has only been used 4 times between 1949 & 2011, eg War Crimes Act 1991 & Hunting Act 2004
The Salisbury Doctrine	Dating from 1945 it established the convention that the Lords, as an unelected chamber, shouldn't oppose government bills at a second reading where the government had established a clear electoral mandate to act by including a measure in their manifesto
Is the Lords really that weak?	Although the Parliament Acts and Salisbury Doctrine provide real checks on the power of the Lords, its experience, security of tenure & relatively weak party ties make it a serious obstacle to the government Particularly effective holding Conservative governments to account between 1979 & 1997 and New Labour In the modern era where large Commons majorities are the norm, many regard the Lords as the real opposition eg 2002-03 around 100 government defeats in the Lords for Labour

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