3/2/25 - British Politics Lecture
Parliament and Government - Dr Alexandra Meakin
Part 1: Key Facts about the UK Parliament
Bicameral legislature - 2 Chambers such as House of Commons and House of Lords.
House of Lords
● 826 Lords - primarily appointed plus 92 hereditary peers and 26 Bishops.
● Serve for life.
● Revising chamber - can be overruled by the House of Commons.
● Government does not necessarily have a majority.
House of Commons
● 650 MPs each representing different constituencies across the UK.
● Voted for in each general election.
● Has the power to raise taxes.
● Government comprised of the largest party.
Other Facts:
● Current (31st January) - Labour working majority in the Commons = 163 (speaker
and deputies do not vote, Sinn Fein do not take their seats).
● There are 15 MPs who sit as independent MPs.
● 6 were elected as independents
● 7 Lab MPs had the whip withdrawn for rebelling. One resigned the whip and one lost
the whip for a criminal offence.
● Conservatives are the largest party in the House of Lords but does not have a
majority.
● 590 men and 259 women - 849 members in total.
● Leave of absence - 19 (sometimes serving in jobs where it would be difficult to do
both or personal reasons or due to scandal).
● Disqualified - 2 (due to serving a senior judicial role - President of the Supreme
Court, Lady Chief Justice).
● Suspended - 2 (Lord Maginnis - homophobic bullying and Lord Stone of Blackheath
- bullying).
Main Functions of UK Parliament
● Scrutinise - check and challenge the work of the government.
● Debate - discuss the most important issues facing the country.
● Supply - approve Government spending.
● Legislate - make and change laws
, Part 2: Diversity in Parliament
Diversity in the House of Commons and the House of Lords
House of Commons
● Female - 40%
● Black or Minority Ethnic Backgrounds - 14%
● LGBTQ+ - 9.8%
● University Degree - 90%
House of Lords
● Female - 31%
● Black or Minority Ethnic Backgrounds - 6.6%
● LGBTQ+ - 3%
● University Degree - 86%
Pitkin (1967) - 4 types of representation
1. Formalistic - Authoritarian/ accountability
2. Descriptive - ‘In some sense typical of the larger class of persons whom they
represent’ - Mansbridge, 1999
3. Symbolic - Do the people being represented feel represented?
4. Substantive - Taking decisions on the basis of the interests of those represented?
Pitkin prioritises substantive representation what matters is the representative does, not
who they are, what they stand for or the authority they have. But is descriptive
representation necessary to achieve substantive representation?
Diversity in the House of Commons
● Race - Increased from 4 in 1987 to 90 in 2024.
● Gender - Increased from 1918. In 2024, more women in the Labour government
compared to the 2019 Conservative government.
● LGBTQ+ - Increased from 1 in 1987 to 64 in 2024.
● House of Commons after General Election - Female = 40% & Black of Minority
Ethnic = 14%.
● House of Commons in May 2024 - Female = 35% & Black of Minority Ethnic = 10%.
Diversity in the Commons: Class
● 1920s - 70%+
● 2017 - 8%
● 2019 - 4%
● OED: O’Grady (2018) - They were a manual or manufacturing worker before
entering politics, including occupations such as factory workers, electricians, railway
workers or coal miners; or they worked in another unskilled, no graduate profession,
such as a call-centre worker, typist, clerk, care worker of waitress; or they worked
full-time for a trade union representing manual trades.
Parliament and Government - Dr Alexandra Meakin
Part 1: Key Facts about the UK Parliament
Bicameral legislature - 2 Chambers such as House of Commons and House of Lords.
House of Lords
● 826 Lords - primarily appointed plus 92 hereditary peers and 26 Bishops.
● Serve for life.
● Revising chamber - can be overruled by the House of Commons.
● Government does not necessarily have a majority.
House of Commons
● 650 MPs each representing different constituencies across the UK.
● Voted for in each general election.
● Has the power to raise taxes.
● Government comprised of the largest party.
Other Facts:
● Current (31st January) - Labour working majority in the Commons = 163 (speaker
and deputies do not vote, Sinn Fein do not take their seats).
● There are 15 MPs who sit as independent MPs.
● 6 were elected as independents
● 7 Lab MPs had the whip withdrawn for rebelling. One resigned the whip and one lost
the whip for a criminal offence.
● Conservatives are the largest party in the House of Lords but does not have a
majority.
● 590 men and 259 women - 849 members in total.
● Leave of absence - 19 (sometimes serving in jobs where it would be difficult to do
both or personal reasons or due to scandal).
● Disqualified - 2 (due to serving a senior judicial role - President of the Supreme
Court, Lady Chief Justice).
● Suspended - 2 (Lord Maginnis - homophobic bullying and Lord Stone of Blackheath
- bullying).
Main Functions of UK Parliament
● Scrutinise - check and challenge the work of the government.
● Debate - discuss the most important issues facing the country.
● Supply - approve Government spending.
● Legislate - make and change laws
, Part 2: Diversity in Parliament
Diversity in the House of Commons and the House of Lords
House of Commons
● Female - 40%
● Black or Minority Ethnic Backgrounds - 14%
● LGBTQ+ - 9.8%
● University Degree - 90%
House of Lords
● Female - 31%
● Black or Minority Ethnic Backgrounds - 6.6%
● LGBTQ+ - 3%
● University Degree - 86%
Pitkin (1967) - 4 types of representation
1. Formalistic - Authoritarian/ accountability
2. Descriptive - ‘In some sense typical of the larger class of persons whom they
represent’ - Mansbridge, 1999
3. Symbolic - Do the people being represented feel represented?
4. Substantive - Taking decisions on the basis of the interests of those represented?
Pitkin prioritises substantive representation what matters is the representative does, not
who they are, what they stand for or the authority they have. But is descriptive
representation necessary to achieve substantive representation?
Diversity in the House of Commons
● Race - Increased from 4 in 1987 to 90 in 2024.
● Gender - Increased from 1918. In 2024, more women in the Labour government
compared to the 2019 Conservative government.
● LGBTQ+ - Increased from 1 in 1987 to 64 in 2024.
● House of Commons after General Election - Female = 40% & Black of Minority
Ethnic = 14%.
● House of Commons in May 2024 - Female = 35% & Black of Minority Ethnic = 10%.
Diversity in the Commons: Class
● 1920s - 70%+
● 2017 - 8%
● 2019 - 4%
● OED: O’Grady (2018) - They were a manual or manufacturing worker before
entering politics, including occupations such as factory workers, electricians, railway
workers or coal miners; or they worked in another unskilled, no graduate profession,
such as a call-centre worker, typist, clerk, care worker of waitress; or they worked
full-time for a trade union representing manual trades.
