Parliament: pt.1

Structure, whips and Hansard

Describe the structure of Parliament

Comprises the King and two chambers, House of Commons and House of Lords.

Four main roles:

• to make laws

• vote for taxes to fund government policy

• scrutinise government policy

• provide a forum for public debate

• Commons = elected chamber. 650 MPs representing constituencies.

• Lords = appointed chamber. 830+ mainly life peers created in the Queen’s Birthday and New Year’s honours lists by prime minister of the day

Who are backbenchers?

Backbench MPs are those who are not ministers, whips or shadow ministers.

ROLES:

• representing constituents by holding surgeries

• putting questions to ministers

• debating and voting on laws

• scrutinising laws in Public Bill Committees and introducing their own legislation

• holding government to account

What are the roles of a backbencher?

• Legislation- voting on and amending legislation, membership of public bill committees, introducing private members’ bills

• Debate- debating government policy in general debates sponsored by government and opposition, adjournment debates for 30 mins at end of day and urgent debates, putting forward early day motions

• Scrutiny- holding the government to account through PMQs and ministerial question time, written questions, adjournment debates, membership of select committees

• Constituents- holding surgeries, dealing with correspondence, taking up constituents’ problems, taking an interest in major constituency matters, writing to ministers

What are the whips?

Party discipline is maintained through the whips – party officials who act as a link between the frontbench and backbench and instruct backbenchers how to vote

What are the three types of whips?

• Whip: individual MPs responsible for coercing backbenchers from their party into voting a certain way, led by a chief whip

• Party whip: an MP or peer’s membership to a party; membership can be revoked if they fail to abide by the rules attached

• Three-line whip: most serious voting order, issued to indicate that it is compulsory for MPs to attend the vote and vote with their party for a key policy issue

What is the weekly whip?

A document sent to MPs by their whip indicating the timetable for the week

What consequences can disobedient MPs face?

• summoned to appear before their whips for a disciplinary meeting

• can face deselection as the party candidate to fight the seat at the next election

• ultimate punishment: having the whip withdrawn- to be thrown out of the party in parliament and to become an independent MP.

What is Hansard?

The official record of the proceedings of both houses of parliament and their committees published early each morning which has absolute privilege. When used by journalists as a source, it only has qualified privilege.