Parliament and the Executive - who has control over who?

The Executive has control over Plmt - Starmer

• Starmer has a huge majority and is gaining control of his MPs

• 3-line whip on winter fuel payment meant 12 MPs were sanctioned for not voting or voting against the govt

• July 2024 - 7 Labour MPs lost the whip for rebelling against the govt regarding the 2 child benefit cap

The Executive has control over Plmt - elective dictatorship

• Blair and Thatcher ran the executive as an elective dictatorship and controlled Plmt

The Executive has control over Plmt - electoral mandate

• Executive has a majority and therefore an electoral mandate to carry out their manifesto commitments

• This is especially important in the case of a large majority and clear mandate

The Executive has control over Plmt - scrutiny, including Select Committees

• Executive has more resources which means it is difficult for backbenchers to scrutinise them

• The rise of planted questions also means MPs are unable to ask the questions they need to in order to hold the govt accountable

• Johnson and other ministers, such as Priti Patel, cancelled their Select Committee appointments which rendered its function of scrutiny useless

The Executive has control over Plmt - sovereignty

• Plmt exercising its sovereignty would threaten the democratic legitmacy of the govt

• The govt therefore steals plmt’s sovereignty

The Executive has control over Plmt - Lords

• Limits on the Lords prevent it from exercising power over the executive

• Lords felt unable to intervene during Johnson’s stint as PM due to the Commons following the lead of the Exec

The Executive has control over Plmt - circumstances

• Weak opposition leaders, large majority, party unity and a popular media image all improve the Executive’s hold over plmt

• Weak opposition leaders

  • Miliband (Cameron)

  • Badenoch (Starmer)

  • Duncan-Smith (Blair)

  • Corbyn (Johnson)

Plmt has control over the Executive - constitutional reform

• Constitutional reform has given more power to Plmt, and in some cases taken power from the Executive

• Wright Reforms

  • Gave more scrutiny powers to backbenchers

  • Executive has less control over appointments to select committees

Plmt has control over the Executive - balance of power

• Coalitions, small majority and minority govts (2010-9) mean there’s a better balance of power

Plmt has control over the Executive - sovereignty

• Plmt is sovreign

Plmt has control over the Executive - legislative role

• The Commons can veto policies

• Both houses can change legislation

Plmt has control over the Executive - scrutiny

• Question Time and select committees call the govt to account

  • Liason committee targets the PM to make sure they are being held accountable

• Vocal opposition can force the govt to withdraw a proposal

Plmt has control over the Executive - votes of no confidence

• Plmt can pass a vote of no confidence and force a general election

Plmt has control over the Executive - backbench MPs

• Backbench MPs can express concern via the whips

Plmt has control over the Executive - conventions

• Convention can be defied

  • E.g. the Lords can defy the Salisbury convention, which is the convention that dictates they cannot vote down any legislation at the second or third reading that was included in the govt’s manifesto

Plmt has control over the Executive - circumstances

• Weak majority, minority, internal splits and a bad media image can all reduce the power of the executive

  • All of the biggest govt defeats have occurred during a minority govt

    • May lost Brexit vote by 230 votes

    • MacDonald