politics :(

commons role of representation

2024 - 40% women, 14% ethnic minority, 23% privately educated when 6% national

financial privilege

2012 amendments to the welfare reform bill were overturned

BUT peers used powers to block 2015 tax credit reform (new regulations on 2002 tax credits act to cut bill by 4.4bn), argued they broke conventions

lords are powerful

illlegal migration act 2023 aiming to detain/remove illegal immigrants, Lords made 20 approved amendments eg protections for unaccompanied children

lords weak

Safety of Rwanda Act 2024 - stating Rwanda was a safe country to restrict the courts ability to block removals, Lords backed down on 2 amendments after it was thrown 4x between the houses

expert lords?

lord darroch of kew - former national security advisor

lord norton of louth - professor at Hull, giving constitutional insights

cameron - 245 peers in 6 years, patronage

boris - peter cruddas donor appointed in 2020 despite holac advice

power of rebellions

2025 threat of 120mp rebellion lead to Pip cut U - Turn, 52 abstention from winter fuel payment, reexapanded

Sunak making concessions due to threat of rebellions eg offshore wind, housing

BUT 2003 84 MPs voted against Iraq war

PMBs

success - Voyeurism Offences 2019, Abortion 67

conservative gov blocked Civil Rights (disabled persons) bill but introduced own Disability Discrimination Act in 1995 after pressure

BUT run out of time and not carried over eg Assisted Dying, filibustering issue, Sam Gymia Sexual Offences (pardons etc) 2016

backbenchers important

UQs - Oct 24 ministerial gifts

BBC 2010 - business 1 day a week, debates lead to laws eg Harveys Law 2015 (highways agency)

Parliamentary privilege no libel; select committees better since 2010

BUT removal of whip - starmer removes whip from 7 MPs voting for snp amendment to end 2 child benefit cap in 2024

select committees

scrutinise depts in commons and issues in lords eg Environment and Climate Change is permanent, Home Based Working is a special enquiry

30-40 end up as policy

Privileges Committee suggested 90 day suspension, seat would have gone for byelection prompting resignation

BUT gov not obliged to uphold, 2023 Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee expressed concerns that the dept had not responded to 7 of their reports within 2 months

how influential is supreme court

can issue ultra vires - Miller cases 2017 and 2019

can say legislation is incompatible with hra, hale quote

eg ruled rwanda bill was unlawful

found ni abortion restrictions incompatible with rights in 2018, occured oct 2019

2019 bedroom tax - housing benefit reduction unlawful under hra - breached right to a home

not legally binding, parliament decides which is taken - parliament always has the last word

gov can pass legislation afterwards - safety of rwanda act

devolution

1997 referendums

1998 scotland act devolving primary legislative powers eg education, health, housing; 2012 income tax variation powers

2016 alcohol sales estimate - base price 2018

gov of wales 2006 - limited powers, 2017 income tax variation

free prescriptions 2007

westminster retains foreign policy, defence etc powers

Supreme court - no legal brexit requirements, ruled second scottish independence couldn´t take place without westminster agreement in 2022, ruled against high court with legal def of woman under ea

is parliament sovereign

yes, can limit exec through votes, no confidence votes, role of scrutiny

but exec has whip, timetable, secondary legislation, a mandate

royal prerogative powers - eg do not need to consult parl on use of forces, may 2018 syrian air strikes

always changing - special circumstances eg coronavirus act 2020 essentially giving up sovereingty to the exec

is fptp good

produces stable government who can pass laws with ease - 80% said gov was more confused during coalition

not proportional - 2015 tories 37% votes 51% seats

In 2019 12 seats were won with margins of under 1%

Is AMS better than FPTP?

first round is fptp - constituency vote

regional vote - eg scotland 8 regions electing 7, use of dhondt formula (regional vote for party/constituency seats held +1), cancels out some effects, repeated until seats are filled

voter has 2 votes, greater representation etc

complex, not that dissimilar, blurred accountability

Is stv better than fptp

broadly proportional with no wasted votes, provides a wide choice

complex, time consuming, unclear accountability

18 regions have 5 representatives, voters rank these

droop quota - total votes/seats available +1 +1

votes over this are redistributed/last knocked out

what are the other voting systems

sv - 1 and 2 choice, if no majority achieved after 1 choice, top 2 continue and 2 choice are added

used for metro mayors - not proportional, wasred votes but easy to run

av - rank, if no 1 majority, fewest is eliminated and 2 choice is counted - no spoiler effect/tactical voting but 2 party system

av+ - 85% av but also another vote, topped up from county wide party lists for broader proportionality

why has there been no electoral reform

1997 election manifesto committed labour to set up an independent comission, electoral success dampened blairs enthusiasm for reform despite 1998 jenkins report

2010 cameron committed to new system, equalising constituencies, fixed term and recall of mps act, may 2011 av referendum

67.9% opposed

are referendums good

yes - gives legitmacy to large changes, usually predicatble results, encourage participation, pressure on government

no - not nuanced, not legally binding, before 2010s last used in 1970s, too many recently, pwoplw vote in self interest, complex and expensive, close results are divisive

further - initiatives - people themselves decide eg by signing a petition, must be 5% voters in california

are recall elections good/how do they work

act 2015 - 10% must sign petition, can only be initiated if MP is convicted of making false allowances claims, susoended from house atc

good - empowerment, check and balance, eg 2019 christopher davies Brecon and radnorshire convicted for misleading offences, 18.9% votes against him, replaced by lib dem jane dodds

bad - costly, could be influenced by the media, could be abused

does representative democracy work?

yes - accountability - jared o mara 2017-19 sheffield hallam mp charged with 7 counts of fraud

yes - rosie cooper, west lancashire championing deaf rights, bsl act 2022 through pmb

is there a participation crisis?

differential turnout is a problem - 2017 only 54% 18-24 voted but 71% of 65+

undermined legitimacy - under 60% in 2024

rise of anti politics - 2019 audit of engagement said 50% said main parties didn’t care

polarisation leads to more engagement? - 8% local election increase 25-6

other ways to engage - 2011-15 37 petitions reached 100k signature and 31 were debated

party membership shows participation - 100,000+ snp members

rspb has more members than main parties combined - pressure groups

has the franchise been successfully extended?

yes - great reform acts 1832/67/84

following nuwss and wspu - representation of the people act 1918 - women over 30 who met conditions

1928 - all adults over 21

69 - 18

bill 2026 - under 16s, scottisg elections act 2016

are civil liberties sufficiently protected?

part of law of land, can be changed, not entrenched

1215 magna carta - article 61, lawful dissent, used in covid

1998 hra incorporated echr - under question, exeptions eg belmarsh case 2004 suspending right to liberty to keep terrorsit suspects in custody w no charge - prevention of terrorism act

2000 foi act has exceptions

2010 equality act

must balance individual and collective rights eg lee vs ashers baking company - christian belfast bakery won in sc in 2018 as message contravened beliefs