Reform in the House of Commons

Why has the debate on reform of the House of Commons began?

The growth in executive power and the declining ability of Parliament to hold the govt to account

Which House has received the most reform?

The House of Lords

What do many bbs want in the Commons?

A rebalance of power between the executive and the legisature

What has the reforms arguably done to the power balance?

It has given the executive more power in practice

What did the Liaison Committee reform under Blair do? (2002)

• This made the PM appear before the committee at least twice a year

• The PM is subjected to direct scrutiny from the most senior MPs

What did the Freedom of Information Act (2000) reform under Blair do?

• This was an attempt to widen the public’s access to information held by public bodies - this helps build an open government

• This acts gives MPs and peers easier access to govt information - easier scrutiny

What did the Wider constitutional reform under Blair do?

• These are reforms that have impacted Parliament’s ability to scrutinise the govt

• This includes the Human Rights Act, devolution and the wider use of referendums

What did the reform under Brown do?

• He pushed for PM powers to be transferred to Parliament

• Parliament would be consulted on matters such as war, ratifying treaties and choosing peers and bishops

• This improves the govts need to consult with Parliament and get given their approval

What were the problems with Brown’s reforms?

They were considered constitutional conventions

What evidence is there of Brown’s reforms impacting the government?

In 2013, Cameron consulted with Parliament on the matter of helping the USA with their strikes against Syria

What evidence is there of Brown’s reforms not impacting the government?

In 2024, PM Rishi Sunak allowed military action against Yemen to take place without consulting Parliament - his prerogative powers

Why did many reforms occur during the 2010 coalition? What did the reforms do?

• The coalition with the Lib Dems who campaigned for parliamentary reform lead to many reforms taking place

• Its aim was to strengthen parliament’s ability to hold the govt to account and expand popular participation in the Commons

What did the Fixed Term Parliament Act (2011) reform during the coalition do?

• This was proposed to stop the PM calling a general election at a time most favourable to their party

• The PM couldn’t call a general election before the 5 year parliamentary cycle unless 2/3 of the Commons agreed

• It was supposed to reduce the size of the majority and make changes of power more frequently

• This was supposed to enhance Parliament’s influence

• This Act was repealed by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act in 2022

What did the AV referendum reform during the coalition do?

Although rejected, AV promised to boost representation for smaller parties leading to less hung parliaments

What did public initiated bills reform during the coalition do?

• The Public was given the ability to suggest topics for debate in parliament through E- petitions that secure at least 100,000 signatures;

• BBC has the option to review this

• E.g. Hillsborough papers, Pritchard and circus animals, Second EU referendum

What was the Goldsmith’s amendment to recall petitions?

• The only way MPs are voted out is through their constituents voting them out or if they are caught being financially corrupt

• If an MP is suspended for more than 10 days, a recall petition occurs; if 10% of the consistency signs it, a by-election occurs

• Goldsmith wanted a recall petition to occur over any issue - this was rejected

How many votes did Theresa May lose during her time in government?

33 votes

What happened in 2018 to Jeremy Corbyn?

He suffered the biggest rebellion as 90 MPs deified his instruction to abstain on a vote about the UK’s position in the EEA and soft Brexit deals

How many votes was May defeated by in 2019?

230 votes

Why was Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament controversial?

It prevented Parliament from performing its constitutional duties

How many times were the govt of 2017-19 defeated by the Lords?

59 times

What did Dominic Rabb refuse to do in 2018?

He refused to give detail about the deal with the EU so the Lords couldn’t debate the legislation

Between 2002-3, how many defeats did Labour face from the Lords?

88 defeats

How many select committee inquiries between 2017-20 were to do with Brexit negotiations?

one in eight sessions

How many times did Boris Johnson refuse to go to the Liaison Committee

twice

How many defeats did the government face during 2021-22?

129 defeats

What did the Triggering of the Confidence vote during the Johnson govt highlight? (June 2022)

Parliaments assertiveness even during a sizable majority

What is the term for point scoring during PMQs?

Punch and Judy element

Which committee always has a senior opposition minister as chair?

The Public Accounts Committee

What proportion of bill committees have relevant specialist expertise?

3/5