Parliament
The Make-up of Parliament
House of Commons:
Composition:
Single-member constituency
FPTP
650 MP
330 Conservatives
229 Labour
54 SNP
8 Lib Dem
1 UKIP
1 Green
1 Speaker (a conservative MP): stay impartial
Power:
politically and legally dominant chamber
o supreme legislative power: Commons can make, unmake and amend
any law
- Lords can delay laws
- Legal sovereignty is exercised by Commons
o Commons alone can remove the govt: based on the convention of
collective ministerial responsibility
- A govt that is defeated in a vote of confidence is obliged to resign or
call a general election
House of Lords:
Composition:
814 + 36 on leave of absence
250 Conservative
212 Labour
108 Lib Dem (appointed through the coalition, lacks democratic legitimacy
as there are only 8 MPs, but the party has a big influence in the lords)
2 UKIP
0 SNP
29 Nonaffiliated (independent)
178 Cross-bencher
o Life Peers:
The Make-up of Parliament
House of Commons:
Composition:
Single-member constituency
FPTP
650 MP
330 Conservatives
229 Labour
54 SNP
8 Lib Dem
1 UKIP
1 Green
1 Speaker (a conservative MP): stay impartial
Power:
politically and legally dominant chamber
o supreme legislative power: Commons can make, unmake and amend
any law
- Lords can delay laws
- Legal sovereignty is exercised by Commons
o Commons alone can remove the govt: based on the convention of
collective ministerial responsibility
- A govt that is defeated in a vote of confidence is obliged to resign or
call a general election
House of Lords:
Composition:
814 + 36 on leave of absence
250 Conservative
212 Labour
108 Lib Dem (appointed through the coalition, lacks democratic legitimacy
as there are only 8 MPs, but the party has a big influence in the lords)
2 UKIP
0 SNP
29 Nonaffiliated (independent)
178 Cross-bencher
o Life Peers:
