Politics UK

Eleventh Edition

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Chapter 15

The House of Commons at work

Chapter Summary

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of how the UK House of Commons functions, particularly focusing on its legislative and scrutiny roles. The House of Commons is an institution at the heart of the British political system. It forms a body of elected Members, the number varying over time, through the territorial basis of representation – the constituency – being long established. The principal role of the House of Commons is one of scrutinising government. Various means are available to MPs to undertake this role. They have expanded in recent decades, not least with the intro-duction of departmental select committees, and greater use is made of them than ever be-fore. In combination, they make for an active House, with MPs using both formal and in-formal mechanisms for calling government to account.

Learning Objectives

  • To explain the importance of the House of Commons in terms of its history and its functions.
  • To detail the size and structure of the House.
  • To consider the nature of the membership of the House.
  • To identify and assess the means available to Members of Parliament to fulfil the functions ascribed to the House.

Quizzes

Test your knowledge with the Chapter 15 quizzes!

Quiz

Discussion Questions

  1. How has the balance of power between the House of Commons and the executive evolved over time? Does the House of Commons still effectively hold the government accountable, or is executive dominance too strong?
  2. To what extent does party discipline affect the ability of MPs to act independently in Parliament? Should there be reforms to strengthen MPs’ independence from party leadership?

UK Parliament – The official site for UK Parliament, providing information on laws, debates, and MPs. (www.parliament.uk)

Bills Before Parliament – A resource tracking the progress of legislation in the UK Parliament. (https://bills.parliament.uk)

Parliamentary Committees – An overview of select and public committees in Parliament. (https://committees.parliament.uk)

Guide to Parliamentary Select Committees – A resource explaining the function and purpose of select committees. (www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/select/)

Parliamentary Education Service – An educational resource explaining how Parliament works. (https://learning.parliament.uk/en)

Hansard – The official record of debates in the UK Parliament. (https://hansard.parliament.uk/)

Hansard Society – A charity promoting knowledge and engagement with parliamentary democracy. (www.hansardsociety.org.uk)

Flashcards

Refresh your knowledge of key terms with this chapter’s flashcards.

Adversarial Politics

a theory popularised by (among others) Professor S.E. Finer in the 1970s which portrayed politics at Westminster as a gladiatorial combat between Labour and the Conservatives with disastrous consequences for the national interest.

Backbencher

the name given to all MPs who are not members of the government or the Opposition Front Bench.

Chancellor of the Exchequer

the political head of the Treasury and, with the Prime Minister, the most important elected politician concerned with economic policy.

Committee of the Whole House

a sitting of the House of Commons presided over by the Chairman of Ways and Means (Deputy Speaker) which hears the Budget speech and debates the committee stage of important bills, especially those affecting the constitution. It deals with matters where, in principle, any member should be allowed to participate.

Democratic

a form of decision-making in which the wishes of the adult population are claimed to be of decisive importance.

Divine Right

the belief that monarchs derive their power and position from God and that Parliament is dependent on the will of the monarch.

Front Bench

the leaders of the main parties in Parliament, derived from the fact that the leadership groups sit on the front benches of parliamentary seats in the chamber.

Frontbencher

the name given collectively to members of the government who sit on the front bench on their side of the House, and to members of the Shadow Cabinet, who sit opposite.

Legitimacy

the right to govern.

Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP)

enfolding Labour’s MPs and peers.

Standing Committee

usually a small group of MPs reflecting party strength in the Commons which takes the committee stage of bills that have received their second reading. They scrutinise the bills and can propose amendments to the House.

Whip

this term has three meanings: (a) parliamentary business managers found in all parties, responsible for maintaining party discipline and ensuring a maximum turnout in the division lobbies; (b) the summons to vote for an MP’s party, with the issue’s importance indicated by a one-, two- or three-line whip, sent out weekly to members of the parliamentary party; (c) membership of an MP’s party – withdrawal of the whip means that the MP concerned is no longer recognised as a member in good standing.

Public Bills

bills that must relate to a matter of public (general) interest and be introduced by an MP or a peer. Any bill proposed by the government, regardless of its content or intent, is a public bill.