Parliament

• The Prime Minister is the head of government, while the monarch is the head of state.
• The Cabinet consists of senior ministers who advise the prime minister on policy matters.
• House of Commons:

  • legislation
  • national debate
  • accountability
  • Representation of interests
  • scrutiny
• Parliament:

  • legislation debates
  • scrutiny of executive
  • recruitment of ministers
  • representation
• House of Lords:

  • delaying
  • revising
  • secondary legislation
  • national debate
• Scrutiny:

  • question time
  • debates
  • official opposition
  • select committees
• Models:

  • Trustee Model - MPs make decisions based on their personal beliefs.
  • Delegate Model - MPs makes decisions in the interests of their constituents.
  • Mandate Model - MPs make decisions in the interests of their party.
• Select committees: committees set up to investigate specific issues.

  • minimum 11 backbench MPs
  • scrutinise policies, administration + spending.
  • committee chairs are elected by their fellow MPs on a secret ballot
  • committees choose what they investigate
• Question Time:

  • planted questions create political theatre
  • once a week every week
  • lasts one hour
  • government is able to reprint question + therefore prepare answers
• Debates:

  • official opposition get 20 days to pick the subject of debate
  • government ministers will introduce the topic + can be questioned by MPs
  • first opportunity for debate is the second reading
  • opportunity for MPs to voice concerns of the constituents
• Official Opposition:

  • hold government to account
  • symbolic importance + distinguishing feature of parliamentary democracy
  • 20 days to choose subject of debate
  • criticise minsters
• Private Members Bill - MPs may enter a ballot allowing 5 of them each year to represent their own proposed piece of legislation, these rarely pass into laws unless they receive support of government but there usually isn’t enough parliamentary time to consider them.
• Public bills - bills presented by government, they are expected to pass successfully into law.
• Salisbury convention - if the government had a policy in their manifesto then the House of Lords will vote it through because they have a mandate.
• Convention - established practices that are not necessarily law e.g Salisbury Convention
• Backbenchers:

  • participate in debates
  • scrutinise proposed legislation
  • represent outside interest
• First Reading: A formal stage where the title of the bill is read out, no debate.
• Second Reading: A debate on the main principles of the bill, held in chamber.
• Committee Stage: Line-by-line consideration of the detail of the bill.
• Report Stage: This stage takes place in both Houses + amendments are discussed as well as the adding of new provisions.
• Third Reading: Another general discussion of the bill which takes place immediately after report, amendments aren’t possible.
• Royal Assent: A bill that has been passed by both Houses becomes law once it has been given Royal Assent + this has been signified to Parliament.
• Delegate Model - representatives should voice the concerns of those who elected them.
• Trustee model - representative who it trusted to use their own knowledge and expertise to make decisions.
• Mandate Model - representatives are expected to follow the ideals and policies of their own party.