what is a private bill?
if a local authority or church etc wants to take some action that the law currently forbids it from doing, they can apply for a private bill, which will allow it to pass
who are private bills considered by?
committees
what are private member bills?
presented by a group of MPs or peers
how do private member bills work?
- MPs enter their names in for the ballot
- 20 names are drawn
- they are guaranteed at least one reading
what is a downside of private member bills?
they have little chance of being turned into a bill as it is difficult to ask MPs to turn up for a debate, and there is a quorum (minimum number needed for the bill to progress)
what are public bills?
- presented by government and are expected to pass without too much obstruction
- up to a year before they are announced, they are preceded by a white paper
- during the white paper stage, any potential problems are identified and sometimes the bill is dropped if there are serious concerns
white paper
a document outlining the main intentions of a public bill. it is presented to parliament for up to a year before it is converted into the bill, an any problems are identified
the legislative process
first reading
second reading
committee stage
report stage
third reading
the house of lords stage
royal assent
first reading
formal introduction of the bill, a vote is done to enter it into the legislative process
second reading
the proposer of the bill has to present more details and be subject to questions
a vote is then taken
many private members bills don’t go further than this
committee stage
the bill passes to a public bill committee, where the bill is debated and amendments are made to make the meaning clearer
report stage
the public bill committee reports back to the HOC and the whole chamber votes on the proposed amendments. after this is done, the bill is ready for final approval
third reading
the final version of the bill is presented and debated in the HOC, followed by a vote by the whole chamber
if successful, it is passed to the HOL, if unsuccessful, it may return to the committee stage or be dropped entirely
the house of lords stage
the bill is introduced to the house of lords as a first reading then it continues through the whole process in the same way it did in the commons
if they do decide to amend legislation, for approval or rejection and can be sent back and fourth between the two houses
after all this, the lords vote and approves the final text
parliamentary ping pong
during the HOL stage, when the bill is passed back and fourth between the 2 chambers
royal assent
once both chambers of parliament have passed the bill, it is sent to the monarch, where it is signed into law
when was the last time a monarch has refused to sign a bill into law?
1708 by Queen Anne
what is parliamentary privilege?
the right of MPs or lords to make certain statements within parliament without being subject to outside influence.
this gives them freedom of speech
members of parliament no longer fear being arrested if their words were seen to be threatening to the monarch or state
list 3 roles of backbenchers
- take part in debates on legislation
- scruitinise proposed legislation during the committee stage
- hold regular surgeries so constituents can raise issues with them in person
how significant are MPs in Parliament? (3 arguments saying they are not)
- backbench MPs are powerless compared to front benchers, they have little to no influence on legislation
- parliamentary debates have low attendance, meaning MPs lack interest in public policy
- parliament has very long recesses, meaning the executive can work unchecked for long periods of time
how significant are MPs in Parliament? (1 argument saying they are)
- if the MPs are under a minority government, and they disagree with the PM, it will make passing legislation very difficult, as whips need to offer incentives etc, Theresa May struggled in 2017 with Brexit
how did Mhairi Black have a significant role in UK parliament?
she made an instant impact, as she specialised in issues concerning welfare and inequality, and she was a prominent spokesperson for LGBTQ+, thanks to her work, she moved to be a frontbench MP for the SNP in 2019
4 reasons MPs vote with the party whip
- they agree with gov policy
- they have loyalty to the party
- there is the promise of reward, like promotion (backbench MPs being promoted to front bench)
- threat of punishment (need to resign or being sacked)
when has a vote of no confidence been successful?
Jim Callaghan: HOC called a vote of no confidence and defeated him, which lead to Margaret Thatcher winning general election
