Mandate - the authority to do something.

Core Functions

1. Produce legislation

To legislate

2. Represent the people

To represent

3. Scrutinise the government/executive (hold to account)

To scrutinise

4. Deliberate (discuss)

To deliberate

Legislation

Legislation in production is called a bill. It is either a proposal for a new law or a proposal to change an existing law. It may be introduced in either of the House of Commons or the House of Lords.

Once both Houses have agreed on the content of a bill, it is then presented to the reigning monarch for approval (royal assent, guaranteed otherwise uproar would ensue).

Once royal assent is given to a bill, it becomes an Act of Parliament and is legislation.

Different types of bills may be introduced by:

• the government
• individual MPs or Lords
• private individuals or organisations

Stages of Legislation

Perspective of House of Commons.

1. First reading
   1. Formal introduction/reading of the bill’s title by the relevant government minister
   2. There is no vote or debate at this stage
2. Second reading
   1. Main debate on the principles of the bills take place in the Commons chamber
   2. Government defeats at the second stage are very rare - the last time was in 1986, Sunday Trading Bill was defeated 296-282
3. Committee stage
   1. Bills are sent to public bill committees, the members of which then consider the bill line by life
      1. often suggesting amendments and sometimes calling expert witnesses to help inform debate
   2. The government always has a majority on the committee, major changes to bills are unlikely at this stage
   3. Each committee lasts only for the lifetime of the bill it is considering although the members are appointed by party whips
      1. A 2015 report by Democratic Audit found that nearly 2/3 of all MPs appointed to bill committees 2000 - 2010 brought some form of relevant experience or expertise
      2. 87% of amendments accepted by the government came from these specialised MPs

Note

The government always has a majority on the committee because it is composed of different MPs. Because the governing party has a majority, they also do in committees. One benefit of this is the ability to out-vote opposition amendments.

4. Report stage
   1. Amendments agreed in the committee stage are considered by the Commons and accepted, rejected or changed
   2. Opportunity for further amendments to be put to the vote
5. Third reading (final draft)
   1. Final debate on the amended version of the bill, no further changes are permitted at this stage
6. House of Lords stages
   1. Same stages may be repeated

The same process is used in both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

The Sailsbury Convention

The Sailsbury Convention is a constitutional principle in the UK, stating that the House of Lords should not oppose the second or third readings of government legislation promised in its election manifesto. It ensures that a government’s electoral mandate is respected.

The convention originates from the late 19th century when the Conservative Party controlled the House of Lords. It was initially based on the “Referendal Theory”,, which allowed the Lords to block Liberal legislation unless it had majority approval in a general election.

The 1945 Labour Party victory, seen as a strong popular mandate for reform, led to a shift in the convention…

Note

TODO: Finish off.

Parliament Acts

Note

TODO: Produce notes, this is just a wall of text.

Key Concepts

• Money bills - legislation concerning taxation and public expenditure.
• Delaying power: - the ability of the Lords to defer the passage of a bill, but not to block it completely.
• House of Lords - the upper house of Parliament, primarily composed of appointed members, including life peers, bishops and hereditary peers.

1. Parliament Act 1911

The Parliament Act 1911 was introduced to reduce the legislative power of the House of Lords, following a long-standing conflict between the two Houses. It was a response to the Lords rejecting the People’s Budget of 1909, which had been introduced by the Liberal government.

Key Provisions

• Restriction on the Lords’ power to delay legislation - the House of Lords could no longer reject bills passed by the House of Commons, only delay them for a maximum of two years
• Money Bills - the House of Lords was given no power to reject or delay money bills (related to national taxation or public expenditure). If the Lords rejected a money bill, the House of Commons could reintroduce the bill after one month, and it would automatically become law.
• General Bills - for non-money bills, if the Lords rejected a bill, the Commons could pass it in the next session after a one-year delay.

Impact

• The Act made it clear that the House of Commons had supremacy over the House of Lords in the legislative process. It was seen as a victory for the elected representatives over the appointed Lords.

2. The Parliament Act 1949

The Parliament Act of 1949 further reduced the power of the House of Lords, following the labour government’s dissatisfaction with the Lords’ resistance to its social reforms.

Key Provisions

• Reduction of delay on non-money bills The Act reduced the period for which the Lords could delay a bill from two years to just one year
• Consolidation of the 1911 Act It reaffirmed and made parliament the provisions of the 1911 Parliament Act, strengthening the House of Commons’ control over legislation.

Impact

• This Act represented a further step in the gradual process of curtailing the House of Lords’ power, making it more difficult for the Lords to block legislation.

Appointed MPs to Lords, for Cabinet

• David Cameron, 2023-2024
  • Previous prime minister
  • Became a member of the House of Lords in November 2023, as Sunak invited him to become Foreign Secretary.