Politics - Parliament Summary

What are the three parts of Parliament?

The House of Commons

The House of Lords

The monarch

What was the Bill of Rights?

In 1689, King William III agreed to Parliament’s Bill of Rights established the principle of parliamentary sovereignty.

What were the Parliamentary Acts of 1911 and 1949.

1911: the House of Lords could only delay, not veto, legislation that the House of Commons had passed.

1949: Lords’ delaying power reduced to 1 year.

What was the House of Lords Act 1999?

All (except 92) hereditary peers removed from the House of Lords. Because of this, most members of the Lords are life peers. The House of Lords may be more assertive in its dealings with the House of Commons.

In 2025, though, a new bill (House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill) was passed by the House of Commons, so all hereditary peers may cease to exist if the Lords accept the Commons reasons.

What is the House of Commons?

The democratically elected chamber of Parliament. Each MP represents the interests of their constituency & constituencies are allocated in a way that ensures that all parts of the UK has equal representation within the HoC. Also the majority of MPs represent a political party.

What do MPs in the House of Commons do?

MPs amend and create laws, challenge the government, etc.

Also, the party with most MPs elected after GE are the party in power.

4 Parts: the government, cabinet ministers, the speaker, the opposition.

What is the House of Lords?

People who are selected into Parliament for their knowledge and experience to look at laws in detail. In the HoL, there are different types of Peers

The Monarch

They do not have much political necessity, but they meet the PM once a week & formally agree every new law.