UK Politics

• Standing order 14- government business shall take precedence at every sitting. This is an example of the power of the PM.
• Opposition days


  • Gov 20 days
  • Opposition 17 days
  • 2nd opposition 3 days
• Blair reforms


  • 1998 Human Rights Act
  • 1999 House of Lords Act
  • 2000 Freedom of Information Act
• In 2024, William Wragg had the whip removed for giving out politicians' phone numbers to a scammer in fear of intimate photos being leaked
• Peter Bone had the whip removed for bullying and misconduct in October 2023
• Chris Pincher had the whip removed for groping two men
• House of Lords Reforms


  • 1911 Parliament Act, HoL cannot reject money bills, maximum duration of parliament change 7- 5 years
  • 1949 Parliament Act, HoL can only delay up to a year
  • 1999 HoL Act, hereditary peers reduced to 92
  • 2005 Constitutional Reform Act, created UK Supreme Court
• west lothian question - English Votes for English Laws
• Private members bills e.g. Abortion Act 1967, Abolition of Capital Punishment 1965
• Burkean Theory - Nick Bowles represented a leave constituency but personally remained
• Delegate Theory - Zac Goldsmith promised to resign if government backed building 3rd runway for Heathrow
• Boris Johnson faced a 41% no confidence vote leading to his downfall
• Liz Truss' tax cuts led to ministerial responsibility
• Partygate had waxing and waning importance
• There were 3 prime ministers in under 2 months in October 2023
• The 2005 Constitutional Reform Act established the UK Supreme Court and removed the Lord Chancellor as head of the judiciary
• The UK Supreme Court opened in 2009
• In the 2016/2017 Gina Miller case, the PM could not trigger Article 50 (Brexit) without consultation of Parliament - this was successful
• The UK Supreme Court is made up of 12 members, with cases heard by 5-9 judges
• In 2015, Lucy Hale pointed out that since her appointment, 13 new judges were all male and white, highly educated
• In 2019, Boris Johnson advised the Queen to prorogue Parliament at the height of the Brexit crisis, which was ruled ultra vires by the Supreme Court in the Gina Miller case
• The Abu Qatada case started in 2002 to deport him, but was denied based on the right to a fair trial, as he would be subject to torture in Jordan. He was finally deported in 2023 after a treaty was signed
• The UK Supreme Court ruled that those sent to Rwanda under the Rwanda Bill could be at real risk of ill-treatment, making it unlawful and breaching the ECHR. Rishi Sunak is bringing in Emergency legislation
• Nicola Sturgeon is stepping down as First Minister of Scotland
• Sadiq Khan is the current Mayor of London
• 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum

  • Turnout 84.6%
  • 55.3% - No
  • 44.7% - Yes
• 2011 AV Referendum


  • Turnout 42%
  • 32% - Yes
  • 68% - No
• 2016 Brexit Referendum


  • 52% Leave
  • 48% Remain
  • Turnout 72%
• The SNP is an important party for the 2024 UK general election
• The BMA (British Medical Association) was a successful pressure group in getting legislation passed on smoking in cars
• Just Stop Oil is a new social movement that led to the 2022 Public Order Act
• The "revolving door" issue involved David Cameron and Greensill lobbying in 2018
• Don't Pay UK is a social movement
• The UK rejected the EU's proposal for free movement of young people
• The Rwanda Bill demonstrated limitations on the PM's power and the importance of the HOL. The bill was rejected 5 times by the HOL and the process was described as parliamentary ping pong
• The Fixed Term Parliaments Act means that an early election can only be called if two-thirds of MPs vote for it or there is no confidence motion passed within 14 days.
• The House of Lords has been criticized for being too powerful due to its unelected nature and ability to block government bills.
• Liz Truss became Prime Minister through a leadership contest among Tory MPs and party members.
• Boris Johnson resigned as leader of the Conservative Party due to multiple scandals including lockdown parties at Downing Street during COVID restrictions.
• The House of Commons has more legitimacy than the House of Lords because it represents the will of the people through elections.