What is Parliament?

Role of Parliament?

• Provide a system of checks and balances = hold gov to account

• To approve all national legislation

• Represent interest of electorate

• Representing interest groups

• Providing minister

Features of Parliamentary sovereignty

Parliament is supreme law making authority

No Parl can be bound by a successor or appoint a predecessor

Laws cannot be entrenched

Omnicompetence

No other body can override an Act of Parliament

How can Parl hold Govt to account?

How is this essential to a functioning democracy?

Parl can remove Govt through a vote of no confidence

Preventing the abuse and/or accumulation of power by one branch

Ensures Govt has command of majority

Role of Govt?

Develop laws

Setting taxes

Allocating funding

Running the country

Role of MPs?

Represent constituencies

Scrutiny of Govt

Voting on legislation

Lobby on behalf of constituencies

Primacy of the Commons?

The main chamber of Parliament is the HoCs

Role of HoLs and why?

Use of expert knowledge to scrutinise work of HoCs

No democratic legitimacy

Role of the Speaker?

Manage proceedings

Manage debate in HoCs