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Summary AQA Politics - Parliament Essay Plans
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These essay plans include the main points and examples needed to answer nearly every question on the UK Parliament. Best supplemented with case study booklet.
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3 types of legislation in Parliament1. Private members bills
These are bills that are introduced by backbenchers.
- These can be introduced through writing, as a ten-minute rule on a Tuesday or
Wednesday when they can talk about it for 10 minutes, or as a Private Members
Ballot, available to 30 bills in one parliamentary session
e.g In 2021 the Pets (microchips) Bill was considered after being introduced by
Conservative MP James Daly, who’s bill would’ve made it a legal requirement to
check a pet for a microchip and contact its owner before it was put down
However as these bills were not passed by government, they often lack government
support so rarely get passed
e.g In 2021 Labour MP Carolyn Harris put forward a Ballot Bill which would give
greater support services for people going through menopause. This bill wouldn’t
pass without government support, so the best she could do was withdraw the bill in
exchange for the government agreeing to reduce the cost of Hormone Replacement
Therapy Processes
2. Public Bills
These are bills which are almost always introduced by the government, and affect
the population as a whole
e.g Coronavirus Act (2020) laid out the powers that the government had to deal with
the Coronavirus Pandemic. For example, it allowed them to place regions of the
country in a lockdown.
Now, an increase in controversial public bills has seen unprecedented levels of
rebellion, seeing many of these bills struggle to pass
e.g In 2021, Johnson introduced a bill regarding ‘Plan B’ measures for tackling the
pandemic. This included things like mandatory Covid passports, however 96
Conservative MPs voted against the bill, above their 79-seat majority at the time.
This was then only passed thanks to Labour support.
3. Hybrid Bills
These are bills of both a public and private nature, meaning they will affect the
general population, but also have a significant impact on a certain group of people.
e.g The High Speed Rail Bill (Crewe to Manchester) is currently being reviewed by
parliament, and provides provisions for a railway between a junction of High Speed 2
south of Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly Station
However, these bills face a larger Parliamentary process than Public Bills, as a longer
period is required to allow for adequate petitioning, where people raise formal letters
of complaint
e.g Cheshire West and Chester Council has submitted two Petitions against the HS2
Phase 2b: High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill 2022 and an Additional Provision
(AP1). Petitioning against the Bill is the process to make sure the voices of residents
are fully heard at national Government level.
, Backbench MPs can scrutinise government
1. PMBs can raise issues that would have gone overlooked
Private members bills are introduced by backbenchers and represent a piece of
legislation that is usually important to the MPs constituency, or a member of the
constituency.
e.g. in 2021 the Pets (microchips) Bill was considered after being introduced by
Conservative MP James Daly, who’s bill would’ve made it a legal requirement to
check a pet for a microchip and contact its owner before it was put down
However, as these bills were not passed by government, they often lack government
support so rarely get passed, preventing individual MPs from making an impact.
e.g. In 2021 Labour MP Carolyn Harris put forward a Ballot Bill which would give
greater support services for people going through menopause. This bill wouldn’t
pass without government support, so the best she could do was withdraw the bill in
exchange for the government agreeing to reduce the cost of Hormone Replacement
Therapy Processes.
2. Backbench rebellions from within government
The backbenchers of the party in government can rebel against their own party as a
check against the power of the executive.
e.g. In March 2016, 27 Tory MPs rebelled against the government, ensuring a 317-
286 defeat of the proposals to allow English and Welsh councils to extend Sunday
trading opening hours.
e.g. In 2012, the government chose to drop the House of Lords Reform Bill out of
fear of defeat by Tory backbenchers voting against the proposals which shows the
extent of power exerted by the backbenchers.
3. Backbench groups
Backbenchers can form their own powerful bodies which serve as an effective check
on government power and have an impact on their parties.
e.g. 1922 Committee. This is a backbench Conservative group, named after a group
of Cons backbenchers who voted to end the coalition with the Liberals in 1922. They
meet weekly with frontbenchers and so is a direct way for backbenchers to voice
concern and exert influence over party leaders and ministers.
e.g. The Backbench Business Committee. A new committee set up in June 2010. It
coordinated MPs in organising the debates in Parliament for one day per week. This
allows more issues that backbenchers are concerned about to be discussed in the HoC.
, 3 arguments in favour of a wholly
elected second chamber
1. Increasing democratic legitimacy and enhancing representation
● An elected House of Lords would be more democratic, and therefore more descriptively
representative
🡺 Of Western industrial nations, only the UK and Canada have unelected, appointed second
chambers
- The Lords is not only undemocratic, but also unrepresentative
🡺 As of March 2017, there were 207 female Peers in the House of Lords, 25% of the 804
sitting total. A report released by Parliament in June 2016, claims that 6.4% of the Lords
were ethnic minorities compared with 13% of the population
● However, the House of Commons does not fare much better although elected
- This suggests that an elected House of Lords might not necessarily be more descriptively
representative
🡺 The percentage of women in the House of Lords is only slightly lower than the House of
Commons. 191 women were elected in the 2015 general election, making up 29% of the
House of Commons, a record high. Ethnic minorities make up the same percentage of
members in the Lords as in the Commons, which had 41 ethnic minority MPs in 2015.
2. Limiting growth of the Upper House
● The regular appointment of new life peers has led to the House becoming unmanageably
large
- Since the Life Peerages Act 1958, individuals have been appointed as life peers to the House
of Lords on a regular basis
🡺 There are currently for members of the House of Lords, what only around 400 actual seats in
the Lords chamber. The Lords is currently the second largest upper house in the world, and
it is the only upper house in any bicameral legislature to be larger then it's lower house. As
the Prime Minister has the power of patronage, and there is no limit on the number of pairs,
the upper house is likely to keep growing.
● However, it is possible that by holding elections, the Lords would lose its current variety of
expertise
- It is possible that the scientists, academics and business people who have been appointed to
the House of Lords as life pays would not want to run for election. this could result in
elections being dominated by career politicians: the House of Commons already has an
abundance of people who studied politics, before working for politicians and then becoming
politicians themselves.
- Between 2011 and 2014 Robert Rogers was the clerk of the House of Commons, Making him
the senior constitutional expert in the UK. Thus, upon his retirement he was appointed to
the House of Lords. An elected upper chamber would have stop this from happening.
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