relationship between branches

• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Parliamentary privilege; refers to the fact that within the walls of parliament, MPs are free to speak without fear of prosecution for slander. This includes the immunity from being sued for libel. However, it does not mean they can't be prosecuted for criminal activity. For example, several MPs were jailed after the 2009 expenses scandal
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS 


  Backbench Business Committee 2010: The role of backbenchers has increased as they are now able to choose topics for debate 35 days a year. Topics can be chosen by individual backbenchers or via e-petitions signed by the public. Giving backbenchers more say and more power over debates in parliament

  • example of Harvey's Law - obliged the highway agency to notify the owners of pets who are killed on the roads
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Backbench Business Committee 2010: A rise in the number of backbench rebellions against government measures, even if the average number of MPs involved in a particular rebellion against government measures. It has been calculated that the coalition MPs rebelled in 35% of divisions. A government may also choose not to go through with a bill to avoid outright defeat (The coalition's rejection of the House of Lords reform Bill in 2013 being dropped after the second reading)
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Backbench Business Committee 2010: an increase in the use of 'urgent questions' - allows MPs to raise an important matter requiring an immediate answer from a gov minister. During the Coalition the speaker allowed 3547 urgent questions

  • the summoning of Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green in 2017 to answer a question regarding Personal Independence Payment
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Backbench Business Committee 2010 Limits:

  • MPs can use various methods to draw attention to issues that they are interested in but this does not mean that they will succeed in geting any action - The adjornment debate. After the offical business of the house is over there is an oppertunity to raise a debate and a minister will reply another option is the 10 minuet rule
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Backbench Business Committee 2010 Limits:

  • Public Bill Committees allow MPs to propose amendments to legislation, and each clause of the bill is scrutinised. However, the government has a majority on these committees and often will use its position of strength to introduce its own amendments rather than listening to opposition MPs
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS 


  Backbench Business Committee 2010 Limits:

  • the power of patronage and ties of party loyalty reinforced by the party whips remain an important role.
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Independence

  • since 2007, backbenchers seem to have become more independent in voting in Parliament than in previous decades. This is not always reflected in Gov. defeats as backbenchers often negotiate with gov to get amendments to legislation before they agree to vote on them
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Independence

  • Select committees show backbenchers' independence since the Wright Reforms of 2010 removed the whip's powers over the selection of members, select committees have used their limited powers to maximum effect often causing embarrassment to the gov. or other bodies
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACHBENCHERS

  Independence

  • Speaker John Bercow has been a champion of backbenchers rights since assuming the chair in 2009
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Limits

  • WHIPS: The role is to encourage backbenchers to vote with their party, whips have a lot of 'carrots' to entice backbenchers, such as sending them on fact-finding trips to exotic locations and giving positive reports to PMs for the next reshuffle of their government. They are also well known for 'sticks' they use, such as refusing to 'pair' MPs, revealing information they hold on MPs to newspapers and scuppering their chances of promotions
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Limits

  • RESOURCES - compared to the government, Backbenchers have relatively few resources to rely on. They have limited research and admin staff, and a meagre budget to explore personal interest
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKBENCHERS

  Limits

  • Majority - a government with a large Commons majority means a lot of MPs are needed to make governments pay attention to them. Usually, backbenchers accept the government's legislation programme and vote with them even if they disagree at times. This is especially true if the government has just been elected and/or is popular with the electorate
• SELECT COMMITTEES - THEY ARE IMPORTANT

  • Their work is respected because it is evidence-based. Their hearings are televised and reported in the media, which increases their influence. They air issues of public interest - The Transport Select Committee held Patrick Mclaughlin to account over the controversy over the West Coast mainline rail franchise in 2012
  • the scope of committee work has widened in recent years to scrutiny of legislation. They also hold pre-appointment hearings, in which they interview candidates for public roles
• SELECT COMMITTEES - THEY ARE IMPORTANT

  • long serving members can accumulate more knowledge of a policy area than a minister
  • select committees can have a direct influence on legislation for example in 2014 the home office took back the passport office back under ministerial control
• SELECT COMMITTEES - OVER EXAGGERATED 


  • a majority of the members of a select committee will be drawn from the governing party
  • committees have limited resources so can only cover a limited amount of topics in depth
  • the high turnover rate for membership and MPs regularly do not attend
  • gov only accepts on average 40% of select committee recommendations but rarely involves policy changes
  • committees powers to summon are considerable but not unlimited
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OPPOSITION

  Opposition parties are often not in a strong position to hold the government to account unless its majority is small. Even the leader of the opposition holds little real influence on the public. Opposition leaders may choose to follow the attack of the government in the media where they will reach a larger audience. They need to prioritise whilst also projecting themselves in a good light to be able to hold office next
• ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OPPOSITION

  the opposition parties are allocated 20 days a year to propose subjects for debates of these 20 days 17 are at the disposal of the opposition leader leaving the 3 for the second largest opposition (The SNP used their days to debate the Nuclear Trident Defence system and the closure of HMRC offices) only have symbolic importance allowing the opposition to express their views on gov policy, the government will usually make amendments to the opposition motion and with a majority they can usually do that with ease.
• PMQs AND MINISTERIAL QUESTIONS

  PMQs are held once a week at midday for half an hour each Wednesday. It attracts considerable attention in press and TV reporting. Defenders argue that it obliges the PM to engage with the opposition on a range of topics. Tony Blair described it as the 'most nerve-racking experience of his political career'
• PMQs AND MINISTERIAL QUESTIONS

  critics of PMQs argue that it has a 'gladiatorial nature' between the PM and the Opposition leader which tends to reveal more about their personalities than the details of their policies (Sunaks transphobic comment on the 'definition of women' in front of Bhrianna Gheys mother). there is considerable stage management with MPs on the government side deliberately asking 'planted' questions to paint the PM in a good light (tories 'Wall of Sound' in 2012 against Ed Milliband)
• PMQs AND MINISTERIAL QUESTIONS

  better scrutiny of government activity is arguably provided by the rota on which ministers answer questions about their departments. This usually entails more detailed questioning and ministers are given notice of oral questions so they can prepare with the assistance of civil servants. MPs also submit written questions that are answered by civil servants. This allows the opposition MPs to inform themselves about government policy, and individual members can raise issues of interest to their constituents. This, of course, is much well less known than PMQs