Parliament of the United Kingdom
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2023) |
Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | |
---|---|
Bicameral | |
Houses | |
History | |
Established | 1 January 1801 |
Preceded by | |
Succeeded by | Sir Keir Starmer , Labour since 4 April 2020 |
Structure | |
Seats | |
Lords political groups |
HM Government
|
Commons political groups | HM Government
|
Elections | |
Last Commons election | 12 December 2019 |
Next Commons election | On or before 28 January 2025 |
Meeting place | |
Palace of Westminster City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom 51°29′58″N 0°07′29″W / 51.49944°N 0.12472°W | |
Website | |
www |
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The House of Commons is the elected
The House of Lords is the
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is one of the oldest legislatures in the world and is characterised by the stability of its governing institutions and its capacity to absorb change.[11] The Westminster system shaped the political systems of the nations once ruled by the British Empire, and thus has been called the "mother of parliaments".[12][f]
History
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Treaty of Union by Acts of Union passed by the Parliament of England (established 1215) and the Parliament of Scotland (c. 1235), both Acts of Union stating, "That the United Kingdom of Great Britain be represented by one and the same Parliament to be styled The Parliament of Great Britain." At the start of the 19th century, Parliament was further enlarged by Acts of Union ratified by the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland, which abolished the latter and added 100 Irish MPs and 32 Lords to the former to create the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 formally amended the name to the "Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland",[14] five years after the secession of the Irish Free State.
Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The
Many small constituencies, known as pocket or
The supremacy of the British House of Commons was reaffirmed in the early 20th century. In 1909, the Commons passed the "People's Budget", which made numerous changes to the taxation system which were detrimental to wealthy landowners. The House of Lords, which consisted mostly of powerful landowners, rejected the Budget. On the basis of the Budget's popularity and the Lords' consequent unpopularity, the Liberal Party narrowly won two general elections in 1910.
Using the result as a mandate, the Liberal Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, introduced the Parliament Bill, which sought to restrict the powers of the House of Lords. (He did not reintroduce the land tax provision of the People's Budget.) When the Lords refused to pass the bill, Asquith countered with a promise extracted from the King in secret before the second general election of 1910 and requested the creation of several hundred Liberal peers, so as to erase the Conservative majority in the House of Lords. In the face of such a threat, the House of Lords narrowly passed the bill.
The Parliament Act 1911, as it became, prevented the Lords from blocking a money bill (a bill dealing with taxation), and allowed them to delay any other bill for a maximum of three sessions (reduced to two sessions in 1949), after which it could become law over their objections. However, regardless of the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the House of Lords has always retained the unrestricted power to veto any bill outright which attempts to extend the life of a parliament.[15]
Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The
In 1920, in parallel to the Dáil, the
The Irish republicans responded by declaring the elections to these home rule Parliaments,
In 1922, pursuant to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the revolutionary Irish Republic was replaced by the Irish Free State, recognised by the United Kingdom as a separate state (and thus, no longer represented in the Westminster Parliament), while Northern Ireland would remain British, and in 1927, parliament was renamed the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Further reforms to the House of Lords were made in the 20th century. The
The House of Lords Act 1999 removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, although it made an exception for 92 of them to be elected to life-terms by the other hereditary peers, with by-elections upon their death. The House of Lords is now a chamber that is subordinate to the House of Commons. Additionally, the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 led to abolition of the judicial functions of the House of Lords with the creation of the new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in October 2009.
Composition and powers
The legislative authority, the King-in-Parliament, has three separate elements: the Monarch, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. No individual may be a member of both Houses, and members of the House of Lords are legally barred from voting in elections for members of the House of Commons. Formerly, no-one could be a Member of Parliament (MP) while holding an office of profit under the Crown, thus maintaining the separation of powers, but the principle has been gradually eroded. Until 1919, Members of Parliament who were appointed to ministerial office lost their seats in the House of Commons and had to seek re-election; the rule was abolished in 1926. Holders of offices are ineligible to serve as a Member of Parliament under the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975.
The Monarch also appoints the Prime Minister, who then forms a government from members of the Houses of Parliament. This must be someone who could command a majority in a confidence vote in the House of Commons. In the past the monarch has occasionally had to make a judgement, as in the appointment of Alec Douglas-Home in 1963 when it was thought that the incumbent Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, had become ill with terminal cancer. However, today the outgoing Prime Minister advises the monarch who should be offered the position.
The House of Lords is known formally as "The Right Honourable The Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled", the Lords Spiritual being bishops of the Church of England and the Lords Temporal being Peers of the Realm. The Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal are considered separate "estates", but they sit, debate and vote together.
Since the
The Lords Spiritual formerly included all of the senior clergymen of the Church of England—archbishops, bishops, abbots and mitred priors. Upon the
The Lords Temporal are life peers created under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 and the Life Peerages Act 1958, in addition to 92 hereditary peers under the House of Lords Act 1999. Formerly, the Lords Temporal were exclusively hereditary peers. The right of some hereditary peers to sit in Parliament was not automatic: after Scotland and England united into Great Britain in 1707, it was provided that all peers whose dignities had been created by English kings could sit in Parliament, but those whose dignities had been created by Scottish kings were to elect a limited number of "Scottish representative peers." A similar arrangement was made in respect of Ireland when it was united with Great Britain in 1801, but when southern Ireland left the United Kingdom in 1922 the election of Irish representative peers ceased. By the Peerage Act 1963, the election of Scottish representative peers also ended, and all Scottish peers were granted the right to sit in Parliament. Under the House of Lords Act 1999, only life peerages (that is to say, peerage dignities which cannot be inherited) automatically entitle their holders to seats in the House of Lords. Of the hereditary peers, only 92—the Earl Marshal, the Lord Great Chamberlain and the 90 elected by other peers—retain their seats in the House.
As of 2019, the House consists of 650 members; this total includes the Speaker, who by convention renounces partisan affiliation and does not take part in debates or votes, as well as three Deputy Speakers, who also do not participate in debates or votes but formally retain their party membership. Each Member of Parliament (MP) is chosen by a single constituency by the
All legislation must be passed by the House of Commons to become law and it controls taxation and the supply of money to the government. Government ministers (including the Prime Minister) must regularly answer questions in the House of Commons and there are a number of
State Opening of Parliament
The State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber. Before 2012, it took place in November or December,[17] or, in a general election year, when the new Parliament first assembled. From 2012 onwards, the ceremony has taken place in May or June.
Upon the signal of the Monarch, the Lord Great Chamberlain raises their wand of office to signal to Black Rod, who is charged with summoning the House of Commons and has been waiting in the Commons lobby. Black Rod turns and, under the escort of the Door-keeper of the House of Lords and an inspector of police, approaches the doors to the Chamber of the Commons. In 1642, King Charles I stormed into the House of Commons in an unsuccessful attempt to arrest the Five Members, who included the celebrated English patriot and leading Parliamentarian John Hampden. This action sparked the English Civil War.[18][19] The wars established the constitutional rights of Parliament, a concept legally established in the Glorious Revolution in 1688 and the subsequent Bill of Rights 1689. Since then, no British monarch has entered the House of Commons when it is in session.[20] On Black Rod's approach, the doors are slammed shut against them, symbolising the rights of parliament and its independence from the monarch.[20] They then strike, with the end of their ceremonial staff (the Black Rod), three times on the closed doors of the Commons Chamber. They are then admitted, and announce the command of the monarch for the attendance of the Commons.[20]
The monarch reads a speech, known as the
After the monarch leaves, each Chamber proceeds to the consideration of an "Address in Reply to His Majesty's Gracious Speech." But, first, each House considers a bill pro forma to symbolise their right to deliberate independently of the monarch. In the House of Lords, the bill is called the Select Vestries Bill, while the Commons equivalent is the Outlawries Bill. The Bills are considered for the sake of form only, and do not make any actual progress.
Legislative procedure
- See also the Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom
Both houses of the British Parliament are presided over by a speaker, the Speaker of the House for the Commons and the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords.
For the Commons, the approval of the Sovereign is required before the election of the Speaker becomes valid, but it is, by modern convention, always granted. The Speaker's place may be taken by the Chairman of Ways and Means, the First Deputy Chairman, or the Second Deputy Chairman. (The titles of those three officials refer to the Committee of Ways and Means, a body which no longer exists.)
Prior to July 2006, the House of Lords was presided over by a
Both Houses may decide questions by
Both Houses normally conduct their business in public, and there are galleries where visitors may sit.
Duration
Originally there was no fixed limit on the length of a Parliament, but the
Summary history of terms of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Year | Term (years) | Act | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1707 | 3 (maximum) | Ratification of the Acts of Union | Formation of Parliament of Great Britain. |
1715 | 7 (maximum) | Septennial Act 1715 | Maximum 7-year duration of Parliament. Parliament to be dissolved before the seventh anniversary of its first sitting. |
1801 | 7 (maximum) | Acts of Union 1800 | Formation of Parliament of United Kingdom .
|
1911 | 5 (maximum) | Parliament Act 1911 | Maximum 5-year duration of Parliament. Parliament to be dissolved before the fifth anniversary of its first sitting. |
Second World War |
10 | Various Acts of Parliament | Maximum 5-year duration of Parliament extended by the Prolongation of Parliament Act 1940, Prolongation of Parliament Act 1941, Prolongation of Parliament Act 1942, Prolongation of Parliament Act 1943 and Prolongation of Parliament Act 1944; each Act of Parliament extended the maximum duration of Parliament for another year. |
Post-WW2 | 5 (maximum) | Parliament Act 1911 | Maximum 5-year duration of Parliament. Parliament to be dissolved before the fifth anniversary of its first sitting. |
2011 | 5 | Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 | Five-year interval between ordinary general elections. General elections were scheduled to take place on the first Thursday in May in every fifth year or the first Thursday in May on the fourth year if the previous election took place before the first Thursday in May, unless one of two situations arises, mentioned below. |
2022 | 5 (maximum) | Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act |
Parliament automatically dissolves at the beginning of the day, which is the fifth anniversary of the day on which it first met unless dissolved earlier. |
Following a general election, a new Parliamentary session begins. Parliament is formally summoned 40 days in advance by the Sovereign, who is the source of parliamentary authority. On the day indicated by the Sovereign's proclamation, the two Houses assemble in their respective chambers. The Commons are then summoned to the House of Lords, where Lords Commissioners (representatives of the Sovereign) instruct them to elect a Speaker. The Commons perform the election; on the next day, they return to the House of Lords, where the Lords Commissioners confirm the election and grant the new Speaker the royal approval in the Sovereign's name.
The business of Parliament for the next few days of its session involves the taking of the
By custom, before considering the Government's legislative agenda, a bill is introduced pro forma in each House—the Select Vestries Bill in the House of Lords and the Outlawries Bill in the House of Commons. These bills do not become laws; they are ceremonial indications of the power of each House to debate independently of the Crown. After the pro forma bill is introduced, each House debates the content of the Speech from the Throne for several days. Once each House formally sends its reply to the Speech, legislative business may commence, appointing committees, electing officers, passing resolutions and considering legislation.
A session of Parliament is brought to an end by a prorogation. There is a ceremony similar to the State Opening, but much less well known to the general public. Normally, the Sovereign does not personally attend the prorogation ceremony in the House of Lords and is represented by Lords Commissioners. The next session of Parliament begins under the procedures described above, but it is not necessary to conduct another election of a Speaker or take the oaths of allegiance afresh at the beginning of such subsequent sessions. Instead, the State Opening of Parliament proceeds directly. To avoid the delay of opening a new session in the event of an emergency during the long summer recess, Parliament is no longer prorogued beforehand, but only after the Houses have reconvened in the autumn; the State Opening follows a few days later.
Each Parliament comes to an end, after a number of sessions, in anticipation of a general election. Parliament is dissolved by virtue of the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 and previously the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. Prior to that, dissolution was effected by the Sovereign, always on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister could seek dissolution at a time politically advantageous to their party. If the Prime Minister loses the support of the House of Commons, Parliament will dissolve and a new election will be held. Parliaments can also be dissolved if two-thirds of the House of Commons votes for an early election.
Formerly, the demise of the Sovereign automatically brought a Parliament to an end, the Crown being seen as the caput, principium, et finis (beginning, basis and end) of the body, but this is no longer the case. The first change was during the reign of William and Mary, when it was seen to be inconvenient to have no Parliament at a time when succession to the Crown could be disputed, and an Act was passed that provided that a Parliament was to continue for six months after the death of a Sovereign, unless dissolved earlier. Under the
After each Parliament concludes, the Crown issues writs to hold a general election and elect new members of the House of Commons, though membership of the House of Lords does not change.
Legislative functions
Laws can be made by Acts of the United Kingdom Parliament. While Acts can apply to the whole of the United Kingdom including Scotland, due to the continuing separation of Scots law many Acts do not apply to Scotland and may be matched either by equivalent Acts that apply to Scotland alone or, since 1999, by legislation set by the Scottish Parliament relating to devolved matters.
This has led to a paradox known as the
Laws, in draft form known as bills, may be introduced by any member of either House. A bill introduced by a Minister is known as a "Government Bill"; one introduced by another member is called a "
Private Members' Bills make up the majority of bills, but are far less likely to be passed than government bills. There are three methods for an MP to introduce a Private Member's Bill. The Private Members' Ballot (once per Session) put names into a ballot, and those who win are given time to propose a bill. The Ten Minute Rule is another method, where MPs are granted ten minutes to outline the case for a new piece of legislation. Standing Order 57 is the third method, which allows a bill to be introduced without debate if a day's notice is given to the Table Office. Filibustering is a danger, as an opponent of a bill can waste much of the limited time allotted to it. Private Members' Bills have no chance of success if the current government opposes them, but they are used in moral issues: the bills to decriminalise homosexuality and abortion were Private Members' Bills, for example. Governments can sometimes attempt to use Private Members' Bills to pass things it would rather not be associated with. "Handout bills" are bills which a government hands to MPs who win Private Members' Ballots.
Each Bill goes through several stages in each House. The first stage, called the
Following the second reading, the bill is sent to a committee. In the House of Lords, the
Once the House has considered the bill, the third reading follows. In the House of Commons, no further amendments may be made, and the passage of the motion "That the Bill be now read a third time" is passage of the whole bill. In the House of Lords further amendments to the bill may be moved. After the passage of the third reading motion, the House of Lords must vote on the motion "That the Bill do now pass." Following its passage in one House, the bill is sent to the other House. If passed in identical form by both Houses, it may be presented for the Sovereign's Assent. If one House passes amendments that the other will not agree to, and the two Houses cannot resolve their disagreements, the bill will normally fail.
Since the passage of the Parliament Act 1911 the power of the House of Lords to reject bills passed by the House of Commons has been restricted, with further restrictions were placed by the Parliament Act 1949. If the House of Commons passes a public bill in two successive sessions, and the House of Lords rejects it both times, the Commons may direct that the bill be presented to the Sovereign for his or her Assent, disregarding the rejection of the Bill in the House of Lords. In each case, the bill must be passed by the House of Commons at least one calendar month before the end of the session. The provision does not apply to Private bills or to Public bills if they originated in the House of Lords or if they seek to extend the duration of a Parliament beyond five years. A special procedure applies in relation to bills classified by the Speaker of the House of Commons as "Money Bills". A Money Bill concerns solely national taxation or public funds; the Speaker's certificate is deemed conclusive under all circumstances. If the House of Lords fails to pass a Money Bill within one month of its passage in the House of Commons, the Lower House may direct that the Bill be submitted for the Sovereign's Assent immediately.[21]
Even before the passage of the Parliament Acts, the Commons possessed pre-eminence in cases of financial matters. By ancient custom, the House of Lords may not introduce a bill relating to taxation or
The last stage of a bill involves the granting of
Thus, every bill obtains the assent of all three components of Parliament before it becomes law (except where the House of Lords is over-ridden under the
Judicial functions
Prior to the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009, Parliament was the highest court in the realm for most purposes, but the Privy Council had jurisdiction in some cases (for instance, appeals from ecclesiastical courts). The jurisdiction of Parliament arose from the ancient custom of petitioning the Houses to redress grievances and to do justice. The House of Commons ceased considering petitions to reverse the judgements of lower courts in 1399, effectively leaving the House of Lords as the court of last resort. In modern times, the judicial functions of the House of Lords were performed not by the whole House, but by the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (judges granted life peerage dignities under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876) and by Lords of Appeal (other peers with experience in the judiciary). However, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, these judicial functions were transferred to the newly created Supreme Court in 2009, and the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary became the first Justices of the Supreme Court. Peers who hold high judicial office are no longer allowed to vote or speak in the Lords until they retire as justices.
In the late 19th century, Acts allowed for the appointment of Scottish Lords of Appeal in Ordinary and ended appeal in Scottish criminal matters to the House of Lords, so that the High Court of Justiciary became the highest criminal court in Scotland. There is an argument that the provisions of Article XIX of the Union with England Act 1707 prevent any Court outside Scotland from hearing any appeal in criminal cases: "And that the said Courts or any other of the like nature after the Unions shall have no power to Cognosce Review or Alter the Acts or Sentences of the Judicatures within Scotland or stop the Execution of the same." The House of Lords judicial committee usually had a minimum of two Scottish Judges to ensure that some experience of Scots law was brought to bear on Scottish appeals in civil cases, from the Court of Session. The Supreme Court now usually has at least two Scottish judges, together with at least one from Northern Ireland.[22] As Wales is developing its own judicature, it is likely that the same principle will be applied.
Certain other judicial functions have historically been performed by the House of Lords. Until 1948, it was the body in which peers had to be tried for
Relationship with the UK Government
The British Government is answerable to the House of Commons. However, neither the Prime Minister nor members of the Government are elected by the House of Commons. Instead, the King requests the person most likely to command the support of a majority in the House, normally the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, to form a government. So that they may be accountable to the Lower House, the Prime Minister and most members of the Cabinet are, by convention, members of the House of Commons. The last Prime Minister to be a member of the House of Lords was Alec Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home, who became Prime Minister in 1963. To adhere to the convention under which he was responsible to the Lower House, he disclaimed his peerage and procured election to the House of Commons within days of becoming Prime Minister.
Governments have a tendency to dominate the legislative functions of Parliament, by using their in-built majority in the House of Commons, and sometimes using their patronage power to appoint supportive peers in the Lords. In practice, governments can pass any legislation (within reason) in the Commons they wish, unless there is major dissent by MPs in the governing party. But even in these situations, it is highly unlikely a bill will be defeated, though dissenting MPs may be able to extract concessions from the government. In 1976, Quintin Hogg, Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone created a now widely used name for this behaviour, in an academic paper called "elective dictatorship".
Parliament controls the executive by passing or rejecting its Bills and by forcing Ministers of the Crown to answer for their actions, either at
Although the House of Lords may scrutinise the executive through Question Time and through its committees, it cannot bring down the Government. A ministry must always retain the confidence and support of the House of Commons. The Lower House may indicate its lack of support by rejecting a
Many votes are considered votes of confidence, although not including the language mentioned above. Important bills that form part of the Government's agenda (as stated in the Speech from the Throne) are generally considered matters of confidence. The defeat of such a bill by the House of Commons indicates that a Government no longer has the confidence of that House. The same effect is achieved if the House of Commons "withdraws Supply," that is, rejects the budget.
Where a Government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, in other words has lost the ability to secure the basic requirement of the authority of the House of Commons to tax and to spend Government money, the Prime Minister is obliged either to resign, or seek the dissolution of Parliament and a new general election. Otherwise the machinery of government grinds to a halt within days. The third choice – to mount a coup d'état or an anti-democratic revolution – is hardly to be contemplated in the present age. Though all three situations have arisen in recent years even in developed economies, international relations have allowed a disaster to be avoided.
Where a Prime Minister has ceased to retain the necessary majority and requests a dissolution, the Sovereign can in theory reject his or her request, forcing a resignation and allowing the Leader of the Opposition to be asked to form a new government. This power is used extremely rarely. The conditions that should be met to allow such a refusal are known as the Lascelles Principles. These conditions and principles are constitutional conventions arising from the Sovereign's reserve powers as well as longstanding tradition and practice, not laid down in law.
In practice, the House of Commons' scrutiny of the Government is very weak.
Parliamentary questions
In the United Kingdom, question time in the House of Commons lasts for an hour each day from Monday to Thursday (2:30 to 3:30 pm on Mondays, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 9:30 to 10:30 am on Thursdays). Each Government department has its place in a rota which repeats every five weeks. The exception to this sequence are the Business Questions (Questions to the
In addition to government departments, there are also questions to the Church commissioners.
In the House of Lords, a half-hour is set aside each afternoon at the start of the day's proceedings for Lords' oral questions. A peer submits a question in advance, which then appears on the Order Paper for the day's proceedings.[27] The peer shall say: "My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper." The Minister responsible then answers the question. The peer is then allowed to ask a supplementary question and other peers ask further questions on the theme of the original put down on the order paper. (For instance, if the question regards immigration, peers can ask the Minister any question related to immigration during the allowed period.)[27]
Parliamentary sovereignty
Several different views have been taken of Parliament's sovereignty. According to the jurist Sir William Blackstone, "It has sovereign and uncontrollable authority in making, confirming, enlarging, restraining, abrogating, repealing, reviving, and expounding of laws, concerning matters of all possible denominations, ecclesiastical, or temporal, civil, military, maritime, or criminal… it can, in short, do every thing that is not naturally impossible."
A different view has been taken by the Scottish judge
Thus, the question of Parliamentary sovereignty appears to remain unresolved. Parliament has not passed any Act defining its own sovereignty. The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 states "It is recognised that the Parliament of the United Kingdom is sovereign" without qualification or definition.[28] A related possible limitation on Parliament relates to the Scottish legal system and Presbyterian faith, preservation of which were Scottish preconditions to the creation of the unified Parliament. Since the Parliament of the United Kingdom was set up in reliance on these promises, it may be that it has no power to make laws that break them.
Parliament's power has often been limited by its own Acts, whilst retaining the power to overturn those decisions should it decide to
Acts passed in
Parliament has also created national devolved parliaments and an assembly with differing degrees of legislative authority in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not in England, which continues to be governed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Parliament still has the power over areas for which responsibility lies with the devolved institutions, but would ordinarily gain the agreement of those institutions to act on their behalf. Similarly, it has granted the power to make regulations to Ministers of the Crown, and the power to enact religious legislation to the General Synod of the Church of England. (Measures of the General Synod and, in some cases proposed statutory instruments made by ministers, must be approved by both Houses before they become law.)
In every case aforementioned, authority has been conceded by Act of Parliament and may be taken back in the same manner. It is entirely within the authority of Parliament, for example, to abolish the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, or — as happened in 2020 — to leave the EU. However, Parliament also revoked its legislative competence over Australia and Canada with the
One well-recognised consequence of Parliament's sovereignty is that it cannot bind future Parliaments; that is, no Act of Parliament may be made secure from amendment or repeal by a future Parliament. For example, although the
Privileges
Each House of Parliament possesses and guards various ancient privileges. The House of Lords relies on inherent right. In the case of the House of Commons, the Speaker goes to the Lords' Chamber at the beginning of each new Parliament and requests representatives of the Sovereign to confirm the Lower House's "undoubted" privileges and rights. The ceremony observed by the House of Commons dates to the reign of King Henry VIII. Each House is the guardian of its privileges, and may punish breaches thereof. The extent of parliamentary privilege is based on law and custom. Sir William Blackstone states that these privileges are "very large and indefinite," and cannot be defined except by the Houses of Parliament themselves.
The foremost privilege claimed by both Houses is that of
Both Houses possess the power to punish breaches of their privilege. Contempt of Parliament—for example, disobedience of a
Until at least 2015, members of the House of Commons also had the privilege of a separate seating area in the Palace of Westminster canteen, protected by a false partition labelled "MPs only beyond this point," so that they did not have to sit with canteen staff who were taking a break. This provoked mockery from a newly elected 20-year-old MP who described it as "ridiculous" snobbery.[34]
Emblem
The quasi-official emblem of the
The portcullis probably first came to be associated with the Palace of Westminster through its use as decoration in the rebuilding of the Palace after the fire of 1512. However, at the time it was only one of many symbols. The widespread use of the portcullis throughout the Palace dates from the 19th century, when Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin used it extensively as a decorative feature in their designs for the new Palace built following the disastrous 1834 fire.
The crowned portcullis came to be accepted during the early 20th century as the emblem of both houses of parliament. This was simply a result of custom and usage rather than a specific decision. The emblem now appears on all official stationery, publications and papers, and is stamped on various items in use in the Palace of Westminster, such as cutlery, silverware and china.[35] Various shades of red (for the House of Lords) and green (for the House of Commons) are used for visual identification of the houses.
Broadcast media
All public events are broadcast live and on-demand via parliamentlive.tv, which maintains an archive dating back to 4 December 2007.[36] There is also a related official YouTube channel.[37] They are also broadcast live by the independent Euronews English channel.[38] In the UK the BBC has its own dedicated parliament channel, BBC Parliament, which broadcasts 24 hours a day and is also available on BBC iPlayer. It shows live coverage from the House of Commons, House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Senedd.
See also
- Act of Parliament
- Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom relating to the European Communities and the European Union
- History of democracy
- The History of Parliament
- List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
- List of British governments
- List of legislatures in the United Kingdom
- List of parliaments of the United Kingdom
- Parliament in the Making, a programme of anniversary events in 2015
- Parliament of the United Kingdom relocation
- Parliamentary agent
- Parliamentary Brief
- Parliamentary Information and Communication Technology Service
- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
- Parliamentary records of the United Kingdom
- Records of members of parliament of the United Kingdom
- TheyWorkForYou
- United Kingdom Parliament constituencies
- UK Parliament Week
Lists of MPs elected
- List of MPs elected in the 1966 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 1970 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the February 1974 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the October 1974 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 1979 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 1983 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 1987 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 1992 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 1997 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 2001 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 2005 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 2010 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 2015 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 2017 United Kingdom general election
- List of MPs elected in the 2019 United Kingdom general election
Notes
- ^ The Lords Spiritual sit on the Government benches and are so depicted in the diagram above.
- ^ Members of the Commons can be elected as independents or leave the party of which they were elected to Parliament as a member. MPs suspended from their parliamentary party are also listed as independent. None of the current independent MPs were elected as independents, nor were any independent MPs elected at the last UK general election in 2019.
- ^ The number of members of the House of Lords is not fixed. This figure (correct as of 14 March 2024[update]) excludes 34 peers who are on leave of absence or otherwise disqualified or suspended from sitting.
- ^ Alternatively known as the British Parliament, the UK Parliament, or the Westminster Parliament, and also domestically referred to simply as Parliament or metonymically as Westminster
- ^ Parliament is supreme only due to constitutional convention. There are other bodies in the United Kingdom that can enact legislation, such as the Privy Council. Also, the monarch can assemble a new body at any time and grant it the power to legislate, among other things. However, Parliament can amend or abolish these bodies at any time with the consent of the monarch, and the monarch has always consented to acts of parliament since Queen Anne withheld her assent from the Scottish Militia Bill on 11 March 1708.
- ^ However, John Bright – who coined the epithet – used it in reference to the political culture of England rather than just the parliamentary system.[13]
References
Footnotes
- ^ "Lords membership". MPs and Lords. UK Parliament.
- ^ "State of the parties". MPs and Lords. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ^ Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865
- ^ Statute of Westminster 1931
- ^ "Primacy of the Commons, role of the Lords, and Lords reform". 3 November 2006. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
22. Our remit requires us to accept "the primacy of the House of Commons". It is worth considering what this means in the context of legislation, and of the conventions operating between the two Houses. 23. Constitutional and Administrative Law by O. Hood Phillips and Jackson declares it to be a constitutional convention that "In cases of conflict the Lords should ultimately yield to the Commons."[34] It goes on to observe that this convention was backed until 1911 by the possibility of packing the Lords with government supporters, and has been underpinned since then by the Parliament Acts.
- ^ "What is the role of Parliament?". How Parliament works. UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "Queen in Parliament". The Monarchy Today: Queen and State. The British Monarchy. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "How Parliament works". About Parliament. UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Work of the House of Lords". www.parliament.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Lords Spiritual and Temporal". Glossary. UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ Mc Manamon, Anthony (2012). The House of Lords and the British political tradition (Ph.D. thesis). University of Birmingham.
- ^ Jenkin, Clive. "Debate: 30 June 2004: Column 318". House of Commons debates. Hansard. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "Messers. Bright And Scholefield at Birmingham". The Times. 19 January 1865. p. 9.
- ^ Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927
- ^ "The Parliament Acts". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ "Dáil elections since 1918". ARK Northern Ireland. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
- ^ "State Opening of Parliament". House of Lords Information Office. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Bagley, John Joseph; Lewis, A. S. (1977). Lancashire at War: Cavaliers and Roundheads, 1642–51 : a Series of Talks Broadcast from BBC Radio Blackburn. Dalesman. p. 15.
- ^ a b c "Democracy Live: Black Rod". BBC News. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
- ^ a b May & Chisholm 1911.
- ^ "The Appellate Jurisdiction of the House of Lords (Updated November 2009)" (PDF). UK Parliament.
- ^ Democratic Audit UK (20 September 2018). "How democratic is the House of Commons? How effectively does it control the UK government and represent citizens? How effective are the Commons' two committee systems at scrutinising government policy-making?". Democratic Audit. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ "First Past the Post". www.electoral-reform.org.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ "Chapter 6: Political Parties and Interest Groups | CAMPAIGNS & ELECTIONS: Rules, Reality, Strategy, Choice: W. W. Norton StudySpace". wwnorton.com. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ Vos, Pierre de (15 August 2017). "Can political parties expell [sic] MPs who disobey orders? » Constitutionally Speaking". Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d House of Commons Information Office (June 2005). "Parliamentary Questions: House of Commons Information Office Factsheet P1" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2006.
- ^ European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 section 38
- Australia Actsbut it wouldn't make one iota of difference because what has happened now is that all power has passed [to Australia], and even if the British legally under their constitution, under their powers, could say that they reclaimed power, that would be irrelevant for us because all power is now vested here. Our courts would always recognise that all power is now vested here. The United Kingdom power is now completely irrelevant to us, but it was necessary to have that act of transferring it across.
- ^ "United Kingdom; Member of Parliament". PARLINE database on national parliaments. Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-406-97094-7.
- ^ "Parliament (United Kingdom government)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
- ^ Human Rights Act 1998, section 6(3).
- London Evening Standard. p. 16.
- ^ "The Portcullis (factsheet)" (PDF). House of Commons Information Office. November 2007.
- ^ "Parliamentlive.tv Help Pages".
- ^ "UK Parliament YouTube channel". YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019., without subtitles
- ^ "Live videos related to the UK Parliament". YouTube. Euronews. Archived from the original on 10 March 2019.
Sources
- Blackstone, Sir William (1765). Commentaries on the Laws of England. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Brown, K. M.; Tanner, R. J. (2004). The History of the Scottish Parliament. Vol. 1: Parliament and Politics, 1235–1560. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. OCLC 56453651.
- "Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 2007.
- May, Thomas Erskine(1896). Constitutional History of England Since the Accession of George the Third (11th ed.). London: Longmans, Green and Co.
- May, Erskine; Chisholm, Hugh (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Kelly, Richard; Maer, Lucinda (25 February 2016). The Parliament Acts. House of Commons Library. Briefing Paper Number 00675.
- Rait, R. (1924). The Parliaments of Scotland. Glasgow.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Tanner, R. J. (October 2000). "The Lords of the Articles before 1540: A Reassessment". Scottish Historical Review. LXXIX (208, Part 2): 189–212. JSTOR 25530973.
- Wasson, E. A. (2000). Born to Rule: British Political Elites. Stroud.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Wasson, E. A. (2017). The British and Irish Ruling Class 1660–1945. Berlin.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
External links
- Official website
- Public Policy Hub – Parliament and law making
- Hansard from 1803 to 2005
- Parliament Live TV
- "A–Z of Parliament" – The British Broadcasting Corporation (2005).
- Topic: Politics – The Guardian
- Topic: House of Lords – The Guardian
- Parliamentary procedure site at Leeds University
- British House of Commons people (C-SPAN)
- Works by or about Parliament of the United Kingdom at Internet Archive
- Works by Parliament of the United Kingdom at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)