parliament act 1911

• Parliament Act 1911

  • abolished the power of lords to veto a bill that originated in the commons

  - bills originating in the lords, or private members bills are exempt

  • the lords could merely 'delay' legislation by 2 years

  - amended to 1 year in the parliaments acts 1949 due to labour government's concerns that the lords would delay their concerns that the lords would delay their programme of nationalisation

  • 'money bills' could only be delayed by 1 month
  • the length of parliament was reduced from 7 years to 5 years
• Parliament Acts - intended as temporary

  • "whereas it is intended to substitute for the house of lords as it is at present exists, a second chamber constituted on a popular instead of hereditary basis, but such substitution cannot be immediately brought into operation" [preamble]
• Parliament Acts - Why a 5 year parliament?

  • "our object in limited the period to 5 years is that there may be no risk run out of the perils...of a government..outliving its welcome, getting completely out of touch with the country..and carrying through legislation of which country does not approve" [runciman]
• Parliaments Acts - Salisbury Convention

  • the post ww2 labour gov't only had 16 labour peers; lords addison and salisbury remembered the disputes over the 1911 parliaments act & wanted to prevent an elected government being unable to fulfil its pledges
  • the convention prevents the lords from voting against an elected gov'ts legislation from its manifesto
• Parliaments Acts - significance today

  • supremacy of the commons i.e more legitimacy
  • underlines possible need for codification of the constitution
  • used for ethical issues, and involving rights
  • some constitutional experts believe that the 1949 is unconstitutional, because the 1911 act was used to pass it
  • can encourage stronger views to be expressed in the lords, knowing that legislation will merely be delayed