Summary Component 2 : Parliament

PARLIAMENT
PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT

- Fusion of the executive and legislative branches -overlap power
o E.g. in the UK
- Legislative can dismiss the executive, so the government is held accountable in parliament
- Parliament can remove the government through a vote of no confidence
- The government can dissolve parliament by calling a general election
- Collective government - executive branch is led by the Prime Minister who in theory is first
among equals in a cabinet of senior ministers
- Separate head of state
o E.g. The UK monarchy

ALTERNATIVES TO PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT:

- The USA has a presidential system
- There is a clear separation between the executive and legislative branches and the executive
is dominated by a single individual [the president] who is directly elected

THE WESTMINSTER MODEL:

- Traditional
- Claims that it is the best example of how political system should operate
- Puts parliament at the centre of British politics
- Key feature of the Westminster model is that parliament has Supreme law-making authority
- Other key features include:
o An uncodified constitution
o First past the post electoral system
o Cabinet government
o Two party system
o Unitary state
- The Westminster model is often criticised due to:
o Parliamentary majority
 2020 80 seats conservative majority
o Party discipline
 Chief whip
o Government control of the timetable

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT:

- The government is accountable to parliament for his actions
- It is accountable to the people through elections
- Collective responsibility means the government can be forced to resign by parliament
- Individual ministerial responsibility means that ministers must take account for their actions
in parliament
- There is a significant difference between theory and reality
- There is a clear imbalance of power between the executive and legislature

,PARLIAMENT VERSUS GOVERNMENT:

THE ROLES OF PARLIAMENT:

Holding the government to account (scrutiny / accountability):

- Checking what departments are doing and how they are spending public money
- They do this by asking questions in the House of Commons and working on committees
which run investigations and make recommendations to the government

Making and amending laws:

- Most of the draught laws going through parliament will be government bills
- Everyone in the House of Commons can debate about them and vote on them

Representing UK citizens:

- All MPs are voted for and is their job to support and represent their constituency
- Anyone can contact their MP regardless of age
- MPs will often help with issues that people may not be able to get to their local council to
help with
- You can also write to them urging them to vote in a particular way for a law

PARLIAMENT VERSUS GOVERNMENT:

- The Government is elected to power by having the most MPs after a general election and
manages the country in several ways and is formed within Parliament.

- Parliament keeps Government accountable to the electorate and is the machine that makes
and passes laws. Consists of all MPs not just the one in the party holding the majority.

KEYWORDS (TYPES OF MPS & LORDS):

Frontbench MP - an MP with a ministerial role. There are about 100 of these and they sit on the
front benches of the House of Commons

Backbench MP - MPs without a ministerial role. they sit on the back benches

Life peer- a peer appointed on merit in their field or on the recommendation of the Prime Minister

Crossbencher - appear with no official political party. They are appointed by the House of Lords
appointment Commission

Lord spiritual - 26 peers who are archbishops or bishops of the Church of England. This includes
Justin Welby the current Archbishop of Canterbury

Hereditary peer - peers who succeed their title through family. There are currently 92 of these in the
House of Lords. There were over 600 hereditary peers before the House of Lords reform 1999.

, APPOINTMENT TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS:

- There are 650 MPs in the House of Commons
- Most of them are attached to a party
- To become an MP, you must be selected by the local party constituency committee
- Often MPS have worked in the government
- If an MP dies or resigns a by election is held in their constituency
o In 2016 in Tooting there was a by election so Sadiq Khan could become mayor

HOW ARE LORDS APPOINTED?

- All are appointed by the monarch at the time
- They either recommended by the Prime Minister or House of Lords appointment
Commission
- Crossbenchers are all recommended by the House of Lords appointment Commission

THE POWERS OF PARLIAMENT:

Function House of Commons House of Lords
Passing legislation Can pass tax laws without Amend and delay legislations
Lords
Whips can impose sanctions
on MPs who vote against their
party
Parliamentary scrutiny MP scrutinise the parliament Lord scrutinise the MPs as it is
to ensure their laws do not their job to amend law
pass through the house

Providing ministers Parliament acts as a recruiting Awarding of peerages to
ground for future ministers secure the persons position as
a minister
21% of ministers are in the
House of Lords
Representing the electorate It is the elected house, so it House of Lords is not
represents the electorate representative as it contains
MPs represent their people appointed by the
constituencies government
They are also not elected in
HOW DO THE POWERS DIFFER?

House of Commons:

- Exclusive authority on money bills
o The House of Commons can pass laws on tax without interference from the HoL
- Deals between parties
o Coalitions and confidence and supply deals can occur
- Debating legislation
o Both houses debate laws
o Parliamentary ping pong