structure and role of parliament

• The video is an introduction to UK politics, particularly the structure and role of the House of Commons and House of Lords
• The video is part of a series that will go into more depth on the nuances of parliament
• The A-Level specification from Edexcel requires knowledge of the structure and role of the House of Commons and House of Lords, including the selection of members
• Selection of members of the House of Commons

  1. Democratically elected

  2. 650 members or MPs

  3. Elected via first-past-the-post in constituencies

  4. Constituencies vary greatly in size, with the largest having over 100,000 voters and the smallest having under 22,000

  5. Most MPs are members of political parties, with a few independents
• Selection of members of the House of Lords

  1. Not elected

  2. Over 800 members, making it the second largest legislative body in the world

  3. Three main types: Lord Spiritual (archbishops and bishops), appointed life peers, and hereditary peers

  4. Steps have been taken to reduce the number of hereditary peers
• House of Commons


  • Considered the more powerful and democratic chamber
  • Most government bills are initiated in the House of Commons
  • Government bills generally pass due to the government's majority, but can be defeated if there is a rebellion by backbench MPs
  • Parties use a whip system to ensure MPs vote as the party wants, with a three-line whip being the strongest
• House of Lords


  • Larger and less democratic than the House of Commons
  • Composition is controversial, with concerns about the continued existence of hereditary peers and the appointment of life peers
• Passing legislation in the House of Commons

  1. Most bills are government bills initiated by the executive branch

  2. Private members' bills can also be introduced by backbench MPs

  3. Votes on bills involve MPs walking through lobbies to indicate support or opposition
• Scrutiny of the executive by the House of Commons

  • The opposition holds the government to account
  • Scrutiny occurs through questions to ministers, select committees, and debates
  • Backbench MPs can play an important role in driving the agenda and scrutinising the government
• Almost all ministers sit in the House of Commons, and the Prime Minister has the power of patronage to appoint them
• MPs in the House of Commons sit for one day a week and played a major role during the Brexit debates, with the backbenches taking an unprecedented level of control in driving business and setting the agenda
• In normal circumstances with a majority government, the majority government will hold court most of the time, but the House of Commons does have a degree of power when it comes to scrutiny and driving business, looking at what the executive is doing and trying to push the executive in certain directions
• Key function of the House of Commons

  Providing ministers - almost all ministers sit in the House of Commons, and the Prime Minister has the power of patronage to decide who becomes a minister
• This can lead to issues where people who are not experts in an area end up controlling a ministry or department
• Key function of the House of Commons

  Representing the will of the people - MPs are elected by constituents and should consider their views, though a delegate model is not often adopted in the UK
• The House of Commons is relatively representative in terms of race and sexual orientation, but women are still massively underrepresented
• Key function of the House of Lords

  Passing legislation - the Lords votes on legislation but does not have the same power as the House of Commons, as it cannot block or stop legislation, only delay it for up to a year
• The House of Lords cannot block bills that come from the government party manifesto or finance bills
• The House of Lords has a different dynamic than the House of Commons, with more cross-benchers and less of a government-opposition divide
• Key function of the House of Lords


  Scrutiny of the executive - the Lords can ask questions to ministers and has topic-based committees, though the quality of debate may not always have a significant impact
• The House of Lords can sometimes provide ministers, though this is not a common occurrence
• There are issues with both the House of Commons and House of Lords in fulfilling their roles - the party system limits the strength of scrutiny in the Commons, and the unelected nature of the Lords diminishes its legitimacy
• Overall, most legislation produced by Parliament is fairly sound, though there are examples of rushed legislation that has not been well thought through, such as the Dangerous Dogs Act