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A Level UK Politics Essay Outline (Evaluate the extent to which the UK Governments control over Parliament has reduced in recent years.)$7.53
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Evaluate the extent to which the UK Governments control over Parliament has reduced in recent
years.
Introduction
Define- The UK Parliament is a bicameral parliament that consists of the House of Commons and
House of Lords. The House of Commons is formed of the government who is the winning party and
the opposition, and the House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament formed by hereditary
and life peers. The UK government is formed of the ruling party consisting of the Prime Minister,
chief executive, Cabinet and backbench MP’s. The UK government has the authority of creating
legislation and a mandate to carry out its manifesto.
Discuss- Due to the UK constitution, the Parliament maintains parliamentary sovereignty which
makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK. This legislative supremacy is constructed to
emphasise that Parliament can legislate on any subject of its choosing, that legislation cannot be
overturned by any higher authority and no parliament can bind its successor. The power of the
executive has shifted towards the Parliament in an uncodified constitution where it has the highest
authority due to its legal sovereignty. The lack of majority in the government as occurred during the
2016 general election hinders the executive power that the government holds further reducing the
control of the government over the Parliament.
Direct- The control that the UK government has over the Parliament has reduced in the recent years
by rather shifting the power towards the Parliament but there are limitations as the executive can
sometimes exert more power over the Parliament.
Para 1
Point- One of the main reasons for the reduction of government control over the Parliament in
recent years is due to the lack of majority gained by the government, that undermines its executive
power.
Evidence- This was evident in Theresa May’s government from 2016-2019 where the Conservative
Party was unable to gain a majority government leading in their Confidence and Supply Agreement
with the DUP, as a result her government was defeated by 14 times by the House of Lords. During
May’s leadership, she also lost multiple Vote of No Confidence and was unable to pass her Brexit
deal through the Parliament. The government’s biggest defeat resulting in the delaying of Brexit,
which was the goal of many individuals in the Parliament portrays the reduction of government’s
control over the Parliament.
Analysis- This was due to the lack of majority gained by May party that undermined the
government’s legitimacy, weakening their power and shifting the control over to the Parliament.
Similarly, Boris Johnson’s government although gaining a majority of 52.6% voter share in the 2019
general election, now lacks in majority after Johnson removed the whips of 21 Conservative MP’s
which has resulted in the Parliament to exert its power through forcing Johnson to write to the EU
requesting an Article 50 extension that postponed the Brexit deadline from 31 st October to 31st
January 2020. The House of Commons also voted to reject leaving the UK without a deal through the
Benn Act with the vote share of 321 to 278 which was the mission of the government, but the
Parliament rejected it.
Counter-point- However, the executive, mostly the Prime Minister has significant powers such as the
royal prerogative, patronage and prorogation powers over the Parliament, this was portrayed by
Margaret Thatcher who used prerogative powers during the Falklands War and Tony Blair who also
used his large majority to get Parliament to agree over the Iraq War. Boris Johnson was able to use
his patronage power to remove the whips of the 21 MP’s along with his prerogative power to
prorogue Parliament further emphasising the government’s power and control over the Parliament.
But, the war in Syria also represents the increased involvement of Parliament over the powers of the
PM such as prerogative powers that represent government power, therefore suggesting the
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