PARLIAMENT

GOVP2

GOVP2
TOPIC 2:

PARLIAMENT
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS ESSAY PLANS (25
MARKERS)

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GOVP2

House of Lords vs House of Commons - ROLES

INTRODUCTION
Representation the act of speaking on behalf of someone else mandate, delegate, trustee
Scrutiny the process by which the gov is checked & held accountable by the legislature and other bodies
Legislation commonly referring to one or more acts of parliament
House of lords unelected second chamber of parliament, the UKs bicameral legislature
House of commons fully elected chamber of parliament, located in Westminster
Parliament the UKs legislature, located in Westminster, consists of HOC & HOL & Monarch
Life Peers a member of the HOL appointed for the duration of his or hers life
Hereditary Peers historically a member of the house of lords who sat in the chamber by virtue of a title that had been
passed down the family through the male line now 92 due to 1999 house of lords reform

DEFINITIO
NS

House of LORDS
Good at LEGISLATION

Bad at LEGISLATION

House of COMMONS
Good at LEGISLATION

LORDS AMMENDMENTS
ELECTED = COMMONS
LIFE PEERS OFFER
CAN BE IGNORED BY
POINT
DOMINATES LEGISLATION
EXPERTISE
COMMONS AS LACK
PROCESS
LEGITIMACY
Free schools policy law
Lord Winston Science
appeared in tory manifesto
human & embryology
Commons ignored lords on
bought to attention in
EXAMPLE
act, analysed thoroughly
fox hunting bill 2004
parliament, once elected
Baroness Brady business
Commons ignored lords on fox
& enterprise
hunting bill - 2004

EXPLAIN

HOC dominates leg process as

elected
Elected = legitimate = mandate
to govern

DETAILED & THOROUGH

LEGSLATIVE PROCESS

EXAMPLE

EXPLAIN

POINT

Typical time to pass a bill = 6-12

months
quality of bill, as time spent on

Bad at LEGISLATION
WHIPPING SYSTEM LIMITS
GENUINE DISCUSSION &
AMENDING OF BILL

Poll tax = extremely unpopular

But thatcher pushed whip
system to get votes
Threats of no promotion
most MPs = professional
politician
loss of whip = loss of seat at
next election
could lead to bad legislation
GOV CONTROL OF AGENDA
LIMITS TIME FOR PRIVATE
MEMBERS BILLS

Time for private members bills,

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on Fridays as gov controls

agenda
If run out of time usually
doesnt pass

it

EXAMPLE

EXPLAIN

POINT

Good at SCRUTINY
POINT

WEAK WHIP SYSTEM

USE OF EXPERTISE IN
WHITE/GREEN PAPER &

COMMITTEE STAGE
Immigration act student visas

consulted with UK border

agency, universitys & NUS
Experts tend to be on prelegislative stage/committee

stage
quality of bill

Bad at SCRUTINY

Good at SCRUTINY

PRIME MINISTERS QUESTIONS

EXAMPLE

D.C embarrassed, asked about

GSK jobs selling on company
put on hold as DC couldnt
guarantee jobs asked by
labour

No room for promotion &

in lords for life
No pressure from whips
EXPLAIN Free to express own
opinion
Can scrutinise effectively
Hold gov to account

Televised popular
Backbenchers can raise local
concerns
Chance to embarrass PM so he
acts on the issue
Leads to change

LIFE PEERS OFFER

EXPERTISE
Currently 187 life peers
Lord Winston Science

EXAMPLE
Baroness Brady business
& enterprise
EXPLAIN Give expert knowledge

Can scrutinise the content

of the bill more
POINT

Bad at SCRUTINY

DEBATES

Theoretical:
Did you hear about the work
the conservative party has
been doing for my
constituency this month?
Backbenchers asking Qs to
make PM look good or cause in
embarrassment
Not really addressing the role of
scrutiny
Waste time to avoid Qs from
opposition
WHIP SYSTEM

John Reynolds (MP for Uxbridge

Gov lost EU budget
and south Ruislip HS2 debate) made
Televised = high profile as elected Limit good discussion/scrutiny
More conscious of public opinion MPs worried about promotion
Leads to change
professional politicians

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effectively
Leads to more/better
change
POINT

CROSS BENCHERS

Currently 178
EXAMPLE
crossbenchers in lords
Do not belong to a party
Remain neutral not bias
EXPLAIN
Can scrutinise fairly &
effectively
POINT

OPPOSITION DAYS

Gives opposition the opportunity

Government do not have to act
to control the agenda of the
upon discussion on opposition
debates
Opportunity to embarrass the PM
days
Leads to change

EXAMPLE

EXPLAIN

DEPARTMENTAL SELECT COMMITTEES

November 2013 Intelligence
Thatcher refused to sit before
committee questioned bosses of
the defence select committee
the main intelligence services,
over the Westlands affair in
regarding the information
1986
leaked by Edward Snowden
Established in 1981
Role: scrutinise a particular
Strength of party discipline
department of gov
undermines their effectiveness
Consists of 15-20 MPs they can
Membership influenced by whips
compel witnesses to give
evidence on particular issues

Good at
REPRESENTATION

POINT

EXAMPLE

EXPLAIN

MORE
REPRESENTATIVE
THAN COMMONS
20% women in HOL
Only 15% in commons
5% ethnic min
4% ethnic min in
commons
More ethnic minorities
and women than

Unqualified teachers discussion

by labour was not readdressed, no action was
taken

Pasty tax opposition day did

lead to scrutiny action taken /
change in policy

Bad at
REPRESENTATION

UNREPRESENTATIVE

Only 20% = Women

Thus, 80% = Male
5% - Ethnic Minority

Though, more than

commons

Good at REPRESENTATION

MPs = ELECTED

Legitimate = authority =
power

Bad at REPRESENTATION

UNREPRESENTATIVE

Only 15% = Women

4% ethnic minority

Less than lords

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commons
POINT

EXAMPLE

EXPLAIN

GOVP2

Old, white male, oxford,

high class

HEREDITARY PEERS

Unelected
Place is given to them
Not representing the
people

Have an mandate

POINT

EXAMPLE
EXPLAIN

UNELECTED

CONCLUSION effective = expertise = HOL > HOC - but - =getting things done = HOC > HOL

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HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM?

POINT
EXAMPLE
POINT
EXAMPLE

EXPLAIN

Y ES
UNELECTED HEREDITARY PEERS
Under representative / un

democratic
Illegitimate = undemocratic

NOT REPRESENTATIVE

Women = 20%

POINT
EXAMPLE

EXPLAIN

Ethnic minorities = 5% (12%

population)

ROLE OF BACKBENCH MPs

Mandate
Delegate
Trustee

NO
ALREADY HAD A REFORM
1999 1st stage left with 92 hereditary peers replaced with life peers
(expertise)
2003 second stage rejected
IF ELECTED GRIDLOCK WITH COMMONS
Like house of reps and executive in USA due to midterm election,
republican house and democratic executive
Both elected
Both legit=authority=power
Conflict
Rejecting each other
Scrutiny harder to push legislation inefficient gov & gridlock
LIFE PEERS = EXCELLENT SCRUTINY
Loosing expertise
Weaker scrutiny