politics paper 2 example flashcards

development of the constitution since 1997: HRA 1998

incorporated ECHR into British law, gave British Citizens positively stated rights

development of the constitution since 1997: HRA 1998 - Article 8

right to family life used in AA v Secretary of State for home department (2022) - allowed convicted Nigerian Drug Dealer to remain in the UK due to British Girlfriend and Child

development of the constitution since 1997: Supreme Court incompatibility

in 2018, the SC declared the 2005 Civil Partnership Act incompatible with the HRA - government changed the law in 2019 accordingly

sources of the constitution: SC rules

MS (Pakistan) v Secretary of State for home department (2020) - SC ruled that the government has a duty to protect victims of human trafficking

development of the constitution since 1997: HOL Act 1999

removed all but 92 Hereditary Peers

development of the constitution since 1997: devolution

1998 Good Friday Agreement; 2004 North East rejected a regional assembly by 78%; 1998 London voted in favour of a Greater London Mayor; 2000 Local Government Act - allowed local authorities to offer referendums over elected mayors

development of the constitution since 1997: electoral reform

Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly - AMS; NI- STV; London Assembly - SV but no longer in use as of 2022

development of the constitution since 1997:  Supreme Court

Constitutional Reform Act 2005 - ended the lords judicial function and established the SC

development of the constitution since 1997: 2010-2015

2011 AV referendum; 2014 Scottish Referendum and Fixed Term Parliaments Act (repealed in 2022)

development of the constitution since 1997: recommendations of wright committee 2009 established

parliamentary backbench committee; membership of select committees now determined by MPs in a secret ballot (no longer whips); introduction of E-Petitions

development of the constitution since 1997: E-Petitions

2023 after a petition reached 183,000 the commons debated a commission to be set up to investigate the process of Brexit for 3 hours

2019 - revoke article 50 and remain in the EU got 6.1 million signatures

development of the constitution since 1997: devolution from Wales Act 2014

introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners

Turnout in 2016 for police and crime commissioner was 17.7% in Durham

development of the constitution since 1997: 2015 Recall of MPs Act

Ian Paisley in 2018 was suspended from Parliament for lobbying on behalf of the Syrian Government - recall petition failed with 9.4% signatures ; Fiona Osanaya in 2019 and Christopher Davies in 2019

development of the constitution since 1997: 2015-now

Scotland Act 2016 ‘demo max’ power granted, 2016 EU referendum, repeal of the fixed term parliament act in 2022

devolution: scotland referendum

1997 referendum in scotland - 73.4% voted yes and turnout was 60.1%

devolution: scotland act 1998

established the Scottish parliament and granted several legislative powers to Parliament - local gov, housing, environment, law and order, income tax

devolution: freedom of intimation act 2002

grace citizens rights of scouting of public bodies

devolution: different policies in scotland

scotland offers free tuition for Scottish residents

devolution: example of uk still holding power of devolved bodies

act also states that Westminster reserves the powers over fp, defence, immigration and monetary policy and if scotland had this they would be a nation-ststae

devolution: socitland parliament act 2016

determine abortion laws, determine speed limits

devolution: 2014 referendum

55% of Scottish voted to remain and turnout was 84.6%

devolution: 2022 sc ruiling

in 2022, sc ruled that the Scottish referendum needed approval from Westminster to hold a second referendum

devolution: 2023 sunak on gender bill

sunak blocked Scotlands 2022 gender recognition act

devolution: 1997 Wales referendum

50\.3% yes to devolution and turnout was 50.2% ; they were given administrative powers

devolution: 2011 powers referendum Wales

63\.5% said they wanted an assembly that could made primary legislative decisions - 35.4% turnout

devolution: Wales act 2014

control over a number of tax, change welsh assembly to welsh government

devolution: Wales act 2017

welsh government now permanent part of the UKs constitution and rights on transport and income tax

devolution: ni - Good Friday agreement 1998

under Blair, power sharing assembly to represent unionists and nationalists

devolution: assembly suspended in ni

2002-2007 due to conflict and 2017 suspended and rule imposed by Westminster and suspended again in 2022

parliament: house of commons - bills passed in 2019-21

in 2019-21, 92% of bills passed were government bills

parliament: house of commons - opposition amendments

only 1% of the amendments suggested from opposition were accepted by the public bill committee

parliament: house of commons - bj in 2023

in 2023, Boris continues to be scrutinised about party gate

parliament: house of commons - 2022 coronavirus act

acts were passed quickly and lacked efficient scrutiny - gave police extensive powers to break up demonstrations, Sarah Everard

parliament: house of commons - 2013 Cameron

in 2013, Cameron wanted military strikes against syria but parliament said no

parliament: house of commons - may defeated

in 2019, mays government was defeated by 432 votes on the Brexit deal offered to parliament

parliament: house of commons - executive power v speaker

in 2019, John Becrow stood up against the executive and stopped may from re-introducing her un-amended Brexit deal to the HOC

parliament: house of commons - 2018 windrush scandal

Amber Rudd failed to provide satisfactory answers to home affairs committee - resigned

parliament: house of commons - select committees

government accepted 40% of recommendations from select committees

parliament: house of commons -  2021 rebellion

in 2021, Johnsons faced a rebellion of 98 Tory MPs voting against COVID passes

parliament: house of commons - 2018 defied three line whip

8 Tory MPs voted against Heathrow expansion and defied three line whip

parliament: house of commons - 2023 liaison committee

sunak was grilled by the liaison committee on economic issues, migration issues and Windsor framework

parliament: house of commons - 2019 liaison

johnson acoided the meeting with liaison committee so he could concentrate on delivering Brexit

parliament: house of commons - backbench committee for business

controls agenda 35 days a year

parliament: House of Lords - 2018 proposed debate

lord steel promised a debate on the killing of palenstines in Gaza Strip by isralie forces

parliament: House of Lords - defeated

how defeated government 450 times between 1997-2010

parliament: House of Lords - id cards

how repeatedly advocated against compulsory id cards - played and scrapped by 2010 coalition

parliament: House of Lords - 2023 lords

2023 lords amended several parts of the strikes bill - eg removed clause that removed protections of unions

parliament: House of Lords - 2023 eu

2023, lords opposed retained eu law bill

parliament: prime minister and executive - individual ministerial responsibility

2023, Gavin Williamson sacked for bullying and Dominic Rabb sacked for bullying and Nadhim Zahawi sacked for tax evasion

2022, luella brakeman sacked because of personal emails but then rehired by rishi sunak 6 days layter

2021, matt Hancock finally resigned after affair and breaking covid rules but he did many other things like mislead parliament

parliament: prime minister and executive - collective ministerial responsibility

2010 coalition broke CMR; allowed Cameron in 2011 to call AV referendum ‘undemocratic’

2016 EU referendums strained CRM through disunity on leave or stay campaigns and it was suspended due to these campaigns

parliament: cabinet - may in 2018

2018, may did not consult cabinet over airstrikes

parliament: cabinet - 2018 night of the blunt stiletto

Jeremy hunt refused Mays attempt to demote him from the department of health and allowed him to expand his role - failed reshuffle; night of the blunt stiletto

parliament: cabinet - mays cabinet

appointed Johnson to her cabinet to bound him by CRM

parliament: cabinet - sunak appointments

appointed hunt as chancellor due to economic expertise, appointed sella to appease right wing of the party and appointed raab due to loyalties

parliament: prime minister - Camerons resignations 2016

showed pm cant control events

parliament: prime minister - 2013 syria

failed to persuade parliament to bomb syria

parliament: prime minister - sofa government

Blair and gordon brown had already decided to give interest raising power to the Bank of England

parliament: supreme court - balance of gender

2023, only 2 female justices

parliament: supreme court - 2017 miller case

ruled in favour of parlaiemtary sovereignty by ruling may could not leave the EU with prerogative powers but needed to consult parliament

parliament: supreme court - 2018 rule

declared the 2004 Civil Partnership act was incompatible with the HRA

parliament: executive and parliament - 

thatcher in 1983 won the falklands war and parliaments majority went up to 144

2005-2010; Blairs influence plummeted due to controversies surging the Iraq war in 2003

2019; may called a snap election - lost majority and had to rely on support from DUP

parliament: the eu - 2016 trade

43% of British trade was with the EU worth 241 billion

parliament: the eu - 2017 citizens

1\.3 million British citizens living in the EU

parliament: the eu - 2017 contribution

the uk made a net contribution of 8.9 billion to the EU

parliament: the eu - 2023 uk paid

paid 1.3 billion to eu in law dispute and eu courts can still rule on how uk applied eu pre-brexit

factors that affect sovereignty

1. eu
2. hra
3. devolution
4. Wales act 2017 and Scotland act 2016 recognised their permanence by ensuring a referendum was needed to remove the assemblies
5. royal pregorative - influence of the pm
6. referendums