Legislative process
- First reading: Bill title read in the House by relevant government minister
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Second reading: Main depate on principles of bill take place.
- Government defeats are rare, last time was Shops Bill 1986, 72 Con backbenchers rebelled against Thatcher’s three line whip
- Committee stage: Sent to public bill committees for suggesting amendments and calling expert witnesses
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Report stage: Amendments agreed in committee considered by the House
- Further amendments can be put to vote
- Third reading: Final debate on the amended bill, no changes can be made
- Sent to the other house to go through same process
- Royal assent
Role of parliament
Committees
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Backbench Business Committee
- Allows backbenchers to decide for themselves the topic of debate for one day a week
- Put in by Cameron’s coalition government
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Public Bill Committees
- Scrutinise legislation
- Only last for the lifetime of a bill
- Government always has a majority
- Can take evidence from public and pressure groups
- Lords Committees
- Select Committees
Role of the opposition
Role of Parliament and the Execcutive
Theories of representation
Delegate theory
- MPs should be primarily bound by the views of their constituents on every matter
- MP directly delivers what the majority of voters want
Mandate theory
- The most prevalent in modern UK politics
- Suggests that MPs are primarily in their position to represent and carry out their party’s policies and manifesto promises
Burkean trustee theory
“Your Representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
—Edmund Burke MP
Key concepts and terminology:
- delegates and trustees
- Burkean theories of representation
- delegate theories
- mandate theories
- trustees
- parliamentary privilege
- opposition
- legislation
- debate
- redress of grievances
- campaign
- referendum.