The Role and Significance of the opposition
Ways that the opposition can attack the government
1. Through the dispatch box – the opposition leader
2. Through the media
3. Cross party debate
Case Study of William Hauge
He was a very able politician and was often known as the conservative PM that we never
had as he was around at the wrong time as the New Labour rule under Blair 1997-2001 was
too strong.
He lost the 2001 election badly and failed to make an impression on the public at this time,
due to the massive majority that Blair had in the commons.
But he had an extremely successful career serving as foreign secretary in the tory liberal
coalition and then as leader of the house of commons and first secretary of state in the
Cameron majority conservative government that followed.
Hauge is now a life peer.
The Media
The opposition is often now televised through Sundays with Laura Kuenssberg and
Newsnight. Moreover, they are also often on radio station LBC, with heavy political hitters
such as Andrew Marr and Nick Ferrari.
Cross Party Debate
Opposition parties are allocated 20 days per year for structured debate and 17 of which are
directed to the official leader of the opposition and thus the largest opposition party (Keir
Starmer and Labour)
Case Study 2015 – Trident
The SNP used their directed power to raise debates in November 2015 in the commons
about the usage of Scotland to store the trident nuclear system.
The SNP are against having the system
Though the system was kept, it aired the views of the SNPs opposition to government in a
very open way.
The governments response
The government will usually table an amendment to the opposition motion, cancelling it
out.
The government will comment on the strength of its own policy, and if it has a large
majority, it will easily carry through the amendment.
The Concept of Short Money
Short money is money that is allocated by the government to the opposition parties to help
them run effectively and to maintain a healthy opposition government
The money cover running costs and also funds the leader of the opposition’s office
The opposition parties do not have access to civil servants, so this makes sense.
Ways that the opposition can attack the government
1. Through the dispatch box – the opposition leader
2. Through the media
3. Cross party debate
Case Study of William Hauge
He was a very able politician and was often known as the conservative PM that we never
had as he was around at the wrong time as the New Labour rule under Blair 1997-2001 was
too strong.
He lost the 2001 election badly and failed to make an impression on the public at this time,
due to the massive majority that Blair had in the commons.
But he had an extremely successful career serving as foreign secretary in the tory liberal
coalition and then as leader of the house of commons and first secretary of state in the
Cameron majority conservative government that followed.
Hauge is now a life peer.
The Media
The opposition is often now televised through Sundays with Laura Kuenssberg and
Newsnight. Moreover, they are also often on radio station LBC, with heavy political hitters
such as Andrew Marr and Nick Ferrari.
Cross Party Debate
Opposition parties are allocated 20 days per year for structured debate and 17 of which are
directed to the official leader of the opposition and thus the largest opposition party (Keir
Starmer and Labour)
Case Study 2015 – Trident
The SNP used their directed power to raise debates in November 2015 in the commons
about the usage of Scotland to store the trident nuclear system.
The SNP are against having the system
Though the system was kept, it aired the views of the SNPs opposition to government in a
very open way.
The governments response
The government will usually table an amendment to the opposition motion, cancelling it
out.
The government will comment on the strength of its own policy, and if it has a large
majority, it will easily carry through the amendment.
The Concept of Short Money
Short money is money that is allocated by the government to the opposition parties to help
them run effectively and to maintain a healthy opposition government
The money cover running costs and also funds the leader of the opposition’s office
The opposition parties do not have access to civil servants, so this makes sense.
