(1) What are the composition of the UK Parliament?
House of commons
The powers
The supreme legislative power, and in theory
can make, unmake and amend any law it likes
The house alone can remove the government of the
day – this is based on collective responsibility. A
government which is defeated in the Commons on a
major issue or matter of confidence would be
voting FPTP
Front benchers hold a
ministerial or shadow role
House of lords
Complex and controversial as
peers are not elected
Current membership based on House of Lords Act 1999 which removed most
of the hereditary peers, and 2005 Constitutional Reform Act, removing the Law
of the Lords from the House of Lords & set up a Supreme Court (2009)
Hereditary peers: inherited
peerage & descended in rank
Since 1999 only 92 are permitted to sit – they were elected by all hereditary
peers in the ‘unreformed’ House of Lords
Lords Spiritual’: Bishops &
archbishops of the Church of
England
Total 26, appointed by PM on
recommendations by C of E
Life peers: entitled to sit for their lifetime.
Appointed under the Life Peerages Act 1958. The are
appointed by the PM, but can be nominated by opposition
party leaders.
Powers of House of Lords
Legislative powers set out in
Parliament Act, 1911 & 1949
The Lords can delay bills passed
by the House of Commons for up
to one year… except “money bills”
or, by the Salisbury
Convention,
measures which
were outlined in the
government’s
election manifesto
They possess some veto powers that cannot be overridden by the Commons e.g.
Delaying a general election to extend the life of Parliament, sack senior judges (needs
consent of both Houses of Parliament), introduce secondary, or delegated legislation
Monarchy
Non-executive Head of State (embodies
the power & authority of the state)
The Queen does have the role of appointing the
government, as she chooses the PM who appoint
people to government roles.
Officially opens Parliament each year (late Oct/early Nov)
and dissolves Parliament in order to allow a general election
The Royal Assent – final stage of
the legislative process, when the
Queen signs a bill to make it an Act
– this is a formality because by
convention monarchs do not refuse
to do this.