The legislative process

Scrutiny in the House of commons is no longer effective

-only around 10% of gov bills receive pre legislative scrutiny

-bills are rushed. Illegal immigration bill was introduced in just 2 days in the committee of the whole house. The 2016 immigration act had 15 committee sessions and 55 written pieces of evidence

parliamentary ping pong

2021 trade act. House of Lords wanted amendment to prevent uk government from agreeing to trade deals with genocidal countries. Bill went back and forth between commons and lords 6 times before the lords backed down and it received royal assent in April 2021

Parliament act 1949, HOC forcing legislation through

-equalising age of consent for gays and straights with sexual offences act 2000

Banning hunting with dogs with the hunting act 2004

Scrutiny effective in the lords

-Tony Blair defeated 4 times in the commons but 353 times in the lords

-Boris defeated 4 times in the commons but 243 times in the lords

Less pressure to vote along party lines

House of Commons exclusively can bring down governments with votes of no confidence

1978 Callaghan government bought down because nationalist parties upholding the labour government in confidence and supply agreement withdrew their support

Statutory instruments

statutory instruments used to ban more drugs adding them to list under Misuse Of Drugs Act 1971

2016 government abolished maintenance grants for uni students using secondary legislation

The Salisbury convention

The lords cannot block any bills that would fulfil a pledge in the governments manifesto