Key topic: Parliament (4)

DO NOWBased on current election forecasts, the only ‘minimal winning coalition’ possible in May, 2015 is Labour-SNP-LibDem. What ideological and policy challenges would such a coalition face?

Learning objectives• To consolidate our understanding of the functions of

parliament• To explain the impact of coalition government on

parliament• To relate these to other key topics studied to-date

Key concepts and required readingDates Topic Key concepts Required reading

Apr 21-28

Parliament • Parliamentary sovereignty in theory and practice

• The composition and main roles and functions of Parliament: representation, legislation, scrutiny.

• The relative powers of the House of Commons and House of Lords.

• The influence of backbenchers, frontbenchers, whips and the Opposition.

• The influence of coalition government on parliament.

• ‘Parliament: What does it do and how effectively does it do it?' Politics Review November 2013

• ‘The House of Commons: A rejuvenated institution?' Politics Review November 2014

• ‘The Coalition in Parliament’ B. Yong in Hazell and Yong The Politics of Coalition (2015)

• McNaughton & Magee UK Government & Politics Annual Update – 2015 (2015), Ch.4

• Heywood, Essentials of UK Politics (2011) Ch.7 ‘Parliament‘

• Watts, British Government & Politics (2012) Ch.3. 'The legislature‘

• Grant, The UK Parliament (2009) Ch.1 & Conclusion

• Heffernan, Cowley & Hay, Developments in British Politics (2011) Ch.4 'Changing parliamentary landscapes‘

Parliamentary traditionAny attempt to drag parliament into the 20th century, let alone the 21st, is treated by a certain cadre of MPs as a heresy akin to taking a leak on the Bayeux Tapestry. Woven into the very fabric of Westminster are assumptions about who the building – and, by extension, our democracy – is intended to serve. Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg takes to Parliament’s regulations like an impeccably suited duck to water, while other backbenchers who had been, say, bricklayers or heads of charities cheerfully admitted that they found the whole thing completely barmy. All the by-laws, the prayer cards to mark your seat, the juvenile heckling in the chamber . . . that comforts a certain type of person, because it reminds them of public school, the Oxford Union, the Travellers Club. Some Commons traditions are definitely worth preserving: every time on Queen’s Speech day that Black Rod is turned away from the House, it reminds us that we have a democracy only because our ancestors fought to disobey the monarch.

Adapted from editorial The New Statesman (2014)

• Define the term Commons traditions as used in the extract. (5)• Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider how far the legitimacy of parliament is affected

by its lack of descriptive representation. (10) • ‘The House of Lords is now a more effective forum for scrutiny of the executive than the House of

Commons.’ Discuss.

Topic 2 Parliament

Parliamentary reformThis week’s failed attempt by Conservatives to mount a coup against John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, is a reminder of how partisan and squalid British politics can sometimes be. When the House reconvenes after polling day, Mr Bercow, like all previous Speakers, will need to be reconfirmed by MPs. Mr Cameron’s government tabled a surprise Commons motion demanding the Speaker be chosen by secret ballot. There is a perfectly good case for such a reform. Ballots in parliamentary and local elections have been secret since 1872 and the Commons’ own procedure committee called for the matter to be debated two years ago.

However, the debacle over the Speaker’s election highlights one of the key failures of the political parties since 2010: their inability to reach agreement on constitutional and procedural reform. On a wide range of difficult but urgent issues — the rules on party funding, voting rights for Scottish MPs at Westminster, the review of parliamentary boundaries to catch up with demographic change — the party leaders have remained stuck in their trenches, failing to reach out and find common ground. On Monday, parliament rises for the election. When it returns, the government may well be a minority administration, an outcome that would test the procedures of the Commons to the limit. This week’s shenanigans do not augur well for what could be a highly charged period in politics.

Adapted from editorial The Financial Times (2015)

• Define the term Commons motion as used in the extract. (5)• Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider how far reform has proceeded over the life of

the last parliament. (10) • Discuss the extent to which party controls limit parliament’s ability to perform its main functions. (25)

Topic 2 Parliament