Structure and role of parliament

• Three influences upon mp’s voting in parliament

  • Delegate theory - mouthpiece - whipped though - Boris Johnson Heathrow expansion - elected adn the changed
  • Mandate theory - represent political party rather than constituents - elected to carry out manifesto - Brexit and 2019 election
  • Burkean theory - mp trusted to make right decision as people cant
• Significance of committes in scrutiny

  • Public bill committes - make effective change - environmentalist Georgia monbiot for 19-21 environmental bill committee - gov always has majority
  • Recommendations are acted upon - Home Office committee - Windrush compensation - Gov increased amount of compensation - not dismissal partially accepetred - lords committee
  • Select committees - Suella Braverman Immigration SC - held to account over legal migration - akin to court - increasingly high profile
• Three functions of parliament :

  • Legislative - laws introduced, debated and passed - 30/40 a year - Rwanda bill which faced heavy scrutiny but legalised
  • Scrutiny - Punch and Judy politics - PMQ’s - committees - debates - ineffective especially when majority - elected dictatorship - but can work eg Theresa May was defeated twice over Brexit deals
  • Representative - Doesn’t work well - favours executive and large parties FPTP - MP’s can abstain from votes eg Gaza Ceasefire as controversial and Gay Marrage - over half of conservatives rebelled f=or abstained
• Three ways parliament scruinises executive

  • PMQ - Punch and Judy - whipped and prepared - avoid them - 2012 Cameron’s secretary planted heckling of ed miliband
  • Select Committees - 66% recommendations aren’t followed though - pay gap discourages ms and talent - Backbench business committee disrupts timetable - civil servants - windrush compernsation was used
  • Reformed House of Lords - no majority - effectively challenge gov - Rwanda change for Afghans - child benefit cap to exclude adopted children - has to pass through to be law but onay one year delay and can’t delay manifesto eg Brexit
• Representation

  • Sc reforms mean held to accountability and can summon ministers - pay gap - 66% ignored - can’t scrutinise prerogative - Sunak Houthi air strikes and Cameron Syria - broke convention
  • Women 32% of parliament but 51% population - 10% vs 13% population - 1/3 fee paying schools vs 7% - 26% Oxbridge v 1% - lack personal mandate as vote for party - owe position to party
  • Social media - direct relationship - delegates - Conservative MPs explain Brexit rebellions on this - Gaza rebellions for labour
  • Private member bills - Abortion act 1967 + Murrider act - large reform - bbbc
• Role of oppositon in scrutiny

  • Depends on majority and leadership - opposition powerful over may
  • Extra funding and prove pages
  • Check and change legislation - Ghurkas under Gordon brown - opposition tabled legislation and it passed
  • Backbench rebels can present serious problems as 2012 con blocked lords reform bill
• Secondary legislation - dangerous dogs act 1991 - refers to revision within primary legislation mainly for sake of efficiency - 3500 - MPs and peers
• PMb - 20 mp ballot randomly - hardly ever become law - successful when not controversial or have backing from gov - Abolition o f death penalty and abortion act
• 2023 Rwanda committee - extra £100 mil but didnt cooperate and was late - no authority
• Voters are a check on executive and parliament
• Executive dominance - elected dictatorship - gov back bills w ships pass - Rwanda and Sunak - ping pong with lords but whipped conservative lords and MPs to pass -

  mps follow party lines in debates

  PMQ is punch a dn Judy -

  scrutiny is weak and ineffective
• Labour amendment 23 defeated whipped Toirises - 22 rebelled - blood scandal - justice delayed is justice denied
• Lords reform - no

  • elected chamber would foster gridlock a s they challenge legitimacy - conventions would no longer work - gov unable to complete manifesto - parliament act 1949 and legislate 1 year without lords
  • Peers are not under public pressure as they have no voters to appease unlike mp’s who face heavy scrutiny eg Zara Sultana biggest target of online hate - unlike SC aren’t demonised as enemies either
  • Peers have expertise and knowledge in business as tec etc, Baroness king made mednments for chid benefit for adopted kids -
• lords reform yes

  • Scotland has an elected second chamber and it works to force. bipartisanop - next stage of evolution - pr would be democratic and representative of voters unlike hereditary peers and party knighthoods
  • mp’s regularly chat with constituents and gov has advisors - lords are appointed - all donors who gave over £3 mill were appointed by conservatives - lack vetting process
  • Leguslative processes often look like ping pong raherthan bipartisan checks on giv - Rwanda bill and Brexit
• Select committee - David Cameron and Israel violation of human rights - hasn’t changed government attintrude -
• Parliament isn’t an effective check as commons is increasingly artisan and MPs abide by whips - PMQ can be rigged to make governing party look good