An all-party parliamentary group ( APPG ) is a technical group in the Parliament of the United Kingdom that is composed of members of parliament from all political parties , but has no official status within Parliament.
132-542: All-party parliamentary groups are informal cross-party groups of members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and have no official status within Parliament. Larger APPGs generally have officers drawn from the major political parties from both houses. APPG members meet to discuss a particular issue of concern and explore relevant issues relating to their topic. APPGs regularly examine issues of policy relating to
264-468: A university constituency if a university graduate. Once elected, Members of Parliament normally continue to serve until the next dissolution of Parliament. But if a member dies or ceases to be qualified (see qualifications below), their seat falls vacant. It is also possible for the House of Commons to expel a member, a power exercised only in cases of serious misconduct or criminal activity. In each case,
396-616: A "benefit in kind" of amounting £31,501 (Rs 29.7 lakh) and £33,000 (Rs 31.2 lakh) on 18 February 2020 from the Government of Pakistan . In April 2022, the Commons Select Committee on Standards published its periodic inquiry into APPGs, focusing on the risk of improper access and influence by paid lobbyists, commercial entities or hostile state actors. The committee is still considering its recommendations for rule changes. In December 2022, POLITICO reported that over
528-420: A Hung Parliament, the party with the most seats has the opportunity to form a coalition with other parties, so their combined seat tally extends past the 326-seat majority. The House of Commons is the most powerful of the components of Parliament, particularly due to its sole right to determine taxation and the supply of money to the government. Additionally, the prime minister and leader of the government sits in
660-510: A bill may only delay its passage for a maximum of two parliamentary sessions over a year. After this, the bill may receive royal assent and become law without the Lords' consent. Like in the House of Commons, the House of Lords may scrutinise governments through asking questions to government ministers that sit in the Lords and through the operation of a small number of select committees . The Lords used to also exercise judicial power and acted as
792-525: A bill so as to insert a taxation or supply-related provision, but the House of Commons often waives its privileges and allows the Lords to make amendments with financial implications. Under a separate convention, known as the Salisbury Convention , the House of Lords does not seek to oppose legislation promised in the government's election manifesto . Hence, as the power of the House of Lords has been severely curtailed by statute and by practice,
924-477: A bill that seeks to extend a parliamentary term beyond five years requires the consent of the House of Lords. By a custom that prevailed even before the Parliament Acts, only the House of Commons may originate bills concerning taxation or supply . Furthermore, supply bills passed by the House of Commons are immune to amendments in the House of Lords. In addition, the House of Lords is barred from amending
1056-569: A citizen of either Britain, a British overseas territory , Ireland , or a member of the Commonwealth of Nations . British citizens living abroad are allowed to vote for 15 years after leaving. It is a criminal offence for a person to vote in the ballot of more than one seat which is vacant at any election. This has not always been the case: before 1948 plural voting was permitted as voters qualified by home ownership or residence and could vote under both entitlements simultaneously, as well as for
1188-733: A citizen of the United Kingdom, of a British overseas territory, of the Republic of Ireland , or of a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations . These restrictions were introduced by the British Nationality Act 1981 , but were previously far more stringent: under the Act of Settlement 1701 , only natural-born subjects were qualified. Members of the House of Lords may not serve in the House of Commons, or even vote in parliamentary elections; however, they are permitted to sit in
1320-482: A dozen MPs, peers, diplomatic and parliamentary officials had told them that MPs had used parliamentary trips abroad as an opportunity to use sex workers and for excessive drinking, particularly on trips by single-country APPGs. APPGs have less stringent rules than select committee visits. British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Like
1452-459: 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. The result of the 1918 general election in Ireland showed a landslide victory for
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#17327582700461584-496: A meeting which involves an inaugural election of officers. APPGs cease to exist when Parliament is dissolved for a general election, and must be reconstituted. The official register of APPGs is updated about every six weeks. The number of APPGs is very variable. For example, in 2015 there were more than 550 APPGs. On 2 January 2019, there were 692 APPGs. As of 24 February 2020, there were 355 APPGs. In March 2022, one MP chaired 24 APPGs, and 17 MPs chaired over 5 APPGs. On 13 May 2014,
1716-526: 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
1848-553: A new mechanism which remains in force) three days after becoming prime minister. The new session of Parliament was delayed to await the outcome of his by-election, which happened to be already under way due to a recent death. As anticipated, he won that election, which was for the highest-majority seat in Scotland among his party; otherwise he would have been constitutionally obliged to resign. Since 1990, almost all cabinet ministers, save for three whose offices are an intrinsic part of
1980-553: A new tax targeting wealthy landowners. This measure failed in the heavily Conservative House of Lords, and the government resigned. The resulting general election returned a hung parliament , but Asquith remained prime minister with the support of the smaller parties. Asquith then proposed that the powers of the Lords be severely curtailed. Following a further election in December 1910 , the Asquith Government secured
2112-657: A non-binding statement released by parliament after the debate. This new technique was used to pass the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2019 in March, as well as the No. 2 Act in September, both relating to Brexit . 2019 was the year Labour and Co-operative MPs became the fourth-largest political group in the House of Commons. In 2020, new procedures for hybrid proceedings were introduced from 22 April. These mitigated
2244-529: A number of theories, including the suggestion that it was to coincide with market day; this would ease voting for those who had to travel into the towns to cast their ballot. A candidate for a seat must submit nomination papers signed by ten registered voters from that area, and pay £500, which is refunded if the candidate wins at least five per cent of the vote. Such a deposit seeks to discourage frivolity and very long ballot papers which would cause vote splitting (and arguably voter confusion). Each constituency
2376-437: A particular areas, discussing new developments, inviting stakeholders and government ministers to speak at their meetings, and holding inquiries into a pertinent matter. APPGs have no formal place in the legislature, but are an effective way of bringing together parliamentarians and interested stakeholders. Every APPG must hold at least two meetings during its reporting year, one of which must be an annual general meeting (AGM) or
2508-665: A party leader or as a private Member of Parliament. Customarily, members of the Government party/coalition and members of the Opposition alternate when asking questions. Members may also make inquiries in writing. In practice, this scrutiny can be fairly weak. Since the first-past-the-post electoral system is employed, the governing party often enjoys a large majority in the Commons, and ministers and departments practise defensive government, outsourcing key work to third parties. If
2640-475: A presumption that a Parliament will last for five years, unless two thirds of the House of Commons votes for an early general election, or the government loses the confidence of the House. This was repealed by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 , which restored the ability for the government to call an early election while keeping five year terms. Summary history of terms of the Parliament of
2772-568: 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
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#17327582700462904-478: A similar model. Other APPGs may have less stringent administrative needs, such as the UK parliament's All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group. In the Parliament of the United Kingdom , an associate parliamentary group is similar to an all-party parliamentary group except that it is made up of not only members of the House of Commons or Lords but can also include members from outside Parliament. In early 2016,
3036-492: A substantive, "the common body of the people of any place; the community or commonalty" in the singular; "the common people, the commonalty; the lower order, as distinguished from those of noble or knight or gentle rank", or "the burgers of a town; the body of free citizens, bearing common burdens, and exercising common rights; (hence) the third estate in the English constitution; the body of people, not ennobled, and represented by
3168-610: A tie. Both Houses normally conduct their business in public, and there are galleries where visitors may sit. Originally there was no fixed limit on the length of a Parliament, but the Triennial Act 1694 set the maximum duration at three years. As the frequent elections were deemed inconvenient, the Septennial Act 1715 extended the maximum to seven years, but the Parliament Act 1911 reduced it to five. During
3300-444: A two-thirds supermajority of the house. These provisions were first used by Theresa May to trigger the 2017 snap election . The Recall of MPs Act 2015 created a mechanism for recalling Members of Parliament. Under the act, proceedings are initiated only if an MP is found guilty of wrongdoing fulfilling certain criteria. A petition is successful if at least one in ten voters in the constituency sign. Successful petitions result in
3432-481: Is a maximum: prime ministers can choose to dissolve parliament at earlier times, with the permission of the monarch, and often have. This was a return to the historic system that had been replaced by the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 , which fixed the term at five years. As of 9 July 2024, five of the twelve last prime ministers have attained office as the immediate result of a general election;
3564-405: Is also called a seat (as it was in 1885 ), as it returns one member, using the first-past-the-post electoral system, under which the candidate with a plurality of votes wins, that is greatest number of votes. Minors (that is, anyone under the age of 18), members of the House of Lords, and prisoners are not qualified to become members of the House of Commons. To vote, one must be a UK resident and
3696-558: Is chosen by a single constituency by the First-Past-the-Post electoral system. There are 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom, each made up of an average of 65,925 voters. The First-Past-the-Post system means that every constituency elects one MP each (except the constituency of the Speaker, whose seat is uncontested). Each voter assigns one vote for one candidate, and the candidate with the most votes in each constituency
3828-486: 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
3960-410: Is dissolved , an action which is part of the royal prerogative . By convention the timing of the dissolution is chosen by the Prime Minister (see relationship with the Government above). Under the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 , if no early election is called, dissolution is automatic on the fifth year after its first meeting day. This Act effectively postponed the automatic date of
4092-403: Is elected as MP to represent their constituency. Members sit for a maximum of five years, although elections are generally called before that maximum limit is reached. A party needs to win 326 constituencies (known as "seats") to win a majority in the House of Commons. If no party achieves a majority, then a situation of no overall control occurs – commonly known as a "Hung Parliament". In case of
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4224-676: Is eligible from 2015 to 2025 under the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 . Formerly, the Lords Spiritual included all of the senior clergymen of the Church of England—archbishops, bishops, abbots and mitred priors. The Lords Temporal consists of 92 hereditary peers and all life peers appointed under the Life Peerages Act 1958 (currently numbering around 700). Two hereditary peers sit ex officio by virtue of being
4356-656: Is held in the House of Lords Chamber. Before 2012, it took place in November or December, 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
4488-427: Is more serious. The House of Commons technically retains the power to impeach Ministers of the Crown (or any other subject, even if not a public officer) for their crimes. Impeachments are tried by the House of Lords, where a simple majority is necessary to convict. This power has fallen into disuse, however; the House of Commons exercises its checks on the government through other means, such as no confidence motions;
4620-470: Is stopping the political system from evolving within the UK and hampering modernisation. The Lords Spiritual of the Lords' currently consists of the archbishops of Canterbury and York , the bishops of London , Durham and Winchester (who sit by right regardless of seniority) and 21 other diocesan bishops of the Church of England , ranked in order of consecration , subject to women being preferred if one
4752-400: Is the elected lower chamber of Parliament, with elections to 650 single-member constituencies held at least every five years under the first-past-the-post system . By constitutional convention , all government ministers , including the prime minister, are members of the House of Commons (MPs), or less commonly the House of Lords, and are thereby accountable to the respective branches of
4884-476: The Oxford English Dictionary , the historical dictionary of the English language, can only attest to the word meaning advocated by Pollard from the 19th and 20th centuries onwards, whereas sources for the meaning given in the previous section date from the late Middle Ages, i.e. the time of the establishment of the House of Commons. The current Commons' layout is influenced by the use of
5016-510: The Acts of Union 1800 brought about the abolition of the Parliament of Ireland and enlarged the Commons at Westminster with 100 Irish members, creating the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Middle English word common or commune , which is derived from the Anglo-Norman commune , meant "of general, public, or non-private nature" as an adjective and, as
5148-463: The Church of England . Before the establishment of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009, the House of Lords performed judicial functions through the law lords . 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. The Westminster system shaped
5280-854: The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act . Since 1950, every constituency has been represented by a single Member of Parliament. There remains a technical distinction between county and borough constituencies ; its only effects are on the amount of money candidates are allowed to spend during campaigns and the rank of the local authority co-opted Returning Officer who presides over the count. Geographic boundaries are determined by four permanent and independent Boundary Commissions , one each for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland . The commissions conduct general reviews of electoral boundaries once every 8 to 12 years, and interim reviews. In drawing boundaries, they are required to prefer local government boundaries, but may deviate from these to prevent great disparities in electorate; such disparities are given
5412-534: The Earl Marshal or the Lord Great Chamberlain . Each of the other 90 are elected for life upon a seat becoming vacant. 15 members are elected by the whole House whilst the other 75 are elected by all the hereditary peers , including those not sitting in the Lords. Currently, a standing rule divides these seats between the parties with a replacement peer from one party subject to an election only by peers of that party. Formerly, all hereditary peers were members of
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5544-551: The English Civil War . 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. On Black Rod's approach, the doors are slammed shut against them, symbolising the rights of parliament and its independence from
5676-531: The House of Commons of Great Britain after the political union with Scotland , and from 1801 it also became the House of Commons for Ireland after the political union of Great Britain and Ireland . In 1922, the body became the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland after the independence of the Irish Free State . Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 ,
5808-607: The Irish republican party Sinn Féin , who vowed in their manifesto to establish an independent Irish Republic . Accordingly, Sinn Féin MPs, though ostensibly elected to sit in the House of Commons, refused to take their seats in Westminster, and instead assembled in 1919 to proclaim Irish independence and form a revolutionary unicameral parliament for the independent Irish Republic, called Dáil Éireann . In 1920, in parallel to
5940-412: The Parliament Act 1949 ). Since the passage of these Acts, the House of Commons has become the dominant branch of Parliament. Since the 17th century, government ministers were paid, while other MPs were not. Most of the men elected to the Commons had private incomes, while a few relied on financial support from a wealthy patron. Early Labour MPs were often provided with a salary by a trade union, but this
6072-529: The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists launched an inquiry into concerns that APPGs were being used to bypass lobbying registration rules, following reports that lobbyists were acting as APPG secretariats and so gaining access to legislators. As sponsorship for trip to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir between 18 and 22 February 2020, the APPG on Kashmir (APPGK), chaired by Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, received
6204-507: The Second World War , the term was temporarily extended to ten years by Acts of Parliament. Since the end of the war the maximum has remained five years. Modern Parliaments, however, rarely continued for the maximum duration; normally, they were dissolved earlier. For instance, the 52nd , which assembled in 1997, was dissolved after four years. The Septennial Act was repealed by the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 , which established
6336-447: The UK's supreme legislative court . Appeals were not heard by the whole body, but a committee of senior judges that were appointed to the Lords to act for this purpose. This power was lost when it was transferred to the newly created Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009. Many members of the general public have questioned the need for The House of Lords in today's society. They say it
6468-574: The coronavirus pandemic with measures including a limit of 50 MPs in the chamber, physical distancing and remote participation using video conferencing . Hybrid proceedings were abolished in August 2021. Later in December 2020, the Conservative government published a draft Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (Repeal) Bill, later retitled the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill when it
6600-549: The upper house , the House of Lords , it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs), who are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved . The House of Commons of England began to evolve in the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1707 it became
6732-490: The " alternative vote " (AV) method. The proposal to introduce AV was rejected by 67.9% of voters on a national turnout of 42%. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 was passed by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition , transferring the power to call an early election from the Prime Minister to Parliament, and setting out the procedure for this. Under the act, calling an early election required
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#17327582700466864-497: The 19th century still retained their ancient right of electing two members, in addition to other boroughs that had never been important, such as Gatton . Among the most notorious of these " rotten boroughs " were Old Sarum , which had only six voters for two MPs, and Dunwich , which had largely collapsed into the sea from coastal erosion . At the same time, large cities such as Manchester received no separate representation (although their eligible residents were entitled to vote in
6996-414: The 19th century—the House of Lords was superior to the House of Commons both in theory and in practice. Members of the House of Commons (MPs) were elected in an antiquated electoral system , under which constituencies of vastly different sizes existed. Thus, the borough of Old Sarum , with seven voters, could elect two members, as could the borough of Dunwich , which had almost completely disappeared into
7128-416: The Commons (as opposed to the unelected Lords) and their direct accountability to that House, together with empowerment and transparency, ensures ministerial accountability. Responsible government is an international constitutional paradigm. The prime minister chooses the ministers, and may decide to remove them at any time, although the appointments and dismissals are formally made by the Sovereign, acting on
7260-581: 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
7392-586: The Commons—or "Content!" and "Not-Content!" in the Lords—and the presiding officer declares the result. The pronouncement of either Speaker may be challenged, and a recorded vote (known as a division ) demanded. (The Speaker of the House of Commons may choose to overrule a frivolous request for a division, but the Lord Speaker does not have that power.) In each House, a division requires members to file into one of
7524-517: 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
7656-472: The Dáil, the Government of Ireland Act 1920 created home rule parliaments of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland and reduced the representation of both parts at Westminster. The number of Northern Ireland seats was increased again after the introduction of direct rule in 1973. The Irish republicans responded by declaring the elections to these home rule Parliaments, held on the same day in 1921 , to be
7788-557: The House of Commons gave the Commons Select Committee on Standards the power to update the rules for APPGs, which periodically conducts an inquiry to review the rules. APPGs are either country-based, such as the APPGs on Chile or Zimbabwe, or subject-based, such as the APPG on breast cancer , with the topics reflecting parliamentarians' concerns. As of June 2022, examples of subject-based APPGs include: APPGs allow campaign groups, charities, and other non-governmental organisations active in
7920-511: The House of Commons is clearly the more powerful chamber of Parliament. The British parliament of today largely descends, in practice, from the Parliament of England , although the 1706 Treaty of Union , and the Acts of Union that ratified the Treaty, created a new Parliament of Great Britain to replace the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland , with the addition of 45 MPs and sixteen Scottish representative peers . Later still
8052-449: The House of Commons or the House of Lords. A handful have been appointed from outside Parliament, but in most cases they then entered Parliament in a by-election or by receiving a peerage (being made a peer). Since 1902, all but one prime ministers have been members of the Commons at time of appointment; the sole exception was during the long summer recess in 1963: Alec Douglas-Home , then the 14th Earl of Home, disclaimed his peerage (under
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#17327582700468184-401: The House of Lords by creating pro-Reform peers. To avoid this, the Lords relented and passed the bill in 1832. The Reform Act 1832 , also known as the "Great Reform Act", abolished the rotten boroughs, established uniform voting requirements for the boroughs, and granted representation to populous cities, but still retained some anomalies. In the ensuing years, the Commons grew more assertive,
8316-534: The House of Lords, have belonged to the Commons. Few major cabinet positions (except Lord Privy Seal , Lord Chancellor and Leader of the House of Lords ) have been filled by a peer in recent times. Notable exceptions are Sir Alec Douglas-Home ; who served as Foreign Secretary from 1960 to 1963; Peter Carington, 6th Lord Carrington , who also served as Foreign Secretary from 1979 to 1982; David Cameron , former Prime Minister who served as Foreign Secretary from 2023 to 2024; David Young, Lord Young of Graffham , who
8448-724: 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. 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
8580-424: The House of Lords. The Lords may not delay a money bill (a bill that, in the view of the Speaker of the House of Commons, solely concerns national taxation or public funds) for more than one month. Moreover, the Lords may not delay most other public bills for more than two parliamentary sessions, or one calendar year. These provisions, however, only apply to public bills that originate in the House of Commons. Moreover,
8712-418: The House, having acquiring this position by virtue of having the confidence of the other members. This also means that the House is also the primary location in which the government faces scrutiny, as expressed through Question Time and the work of various select committees . The State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It
8844-596: 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 passage of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 , the legislative powers of the House of Lords have been diminished of that of the House of Commons. Whilst the Lords debates and votes on all bills (except money bills ), their refusal to pass
8976-539: The Lords for their seats, MPs grew more assertive. 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
9108-659: 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
9240-454: The Lords' power to reject legislation was reduced to a delaying power. The government is solely responsible to the House of Commons and the prime minister stays in office only as long as they retain the confidence of a majority of the Commons. Although the House of Commons does not formally elect the prime minister, by convention and in practice, the prime minister is answerable to the House, and therefore must maintain its support. In this way,
9372-635: The Lords, until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999 limited their numbers to 92. Life peers are appointed by the monarch, on the advice of the prime minister. Typically, these are members of the party of the prime minister, however some peers from other parties are also generally appointed. 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)
9504-528: The Lower House of Parliament" in the plural. The word has survived to this day in the original Anglo-Norman phrase soit baillé aux communes , with which a bill is transmitted from the House of Lords to the House of Commons. The historian Albert Pollard held a somewhat different view on the word's origins in 1920. He agreed that commons could be derived from Anglo-Norman communes , but that it referred to "civil associations" or "the counties". However,
9636-448: The MP vacating the seat, triggering a by-election. In 2019, MPs used "standing order 24" (a parliamentary procedure that triggers emergency debates) as a means of gaining control of the parliamentary order paper for the following day, and passing legislation without the incumbent government's consent. This unusual process was achieved through tabling amendments to the "motion in neutral terms",
9768-476: The Monarch, the House of Lords , and the House of Commons . As a result, a bill must be passed by both houses (or just the House of Commons under the Parliament Act 1911 ) and receive royal assent for it to become law. Executive powers (including those granted by legislation or forming part of the prerogative) are not formally exercised by Parliament. However, these powers are in practice exercised on
9900-664: 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
10032-541: 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 oaths of allegiance . Once a majority of the members have taken
10164-514: The Speaker that the member was suffering from a mental disorder. However, this disqualification was removed by the Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013 . There also exists a common law precedent from the 18th century that the deaf-mute are ineligible to sit in the Lower House; this precedent, however, has not been tested in recent years. Anyone found guilty of high treason may not sit in Parliament until she or he has either completed
10296-568: The Speakership). Most members also claim for various office expenses (staff costs, postage, travelling, etc.) and, in the case of members for seats outside London, for the costs of maintaining a home in the capital. There are numerous qualifications that apply to Members of Parliament. One must be aged at least 18 (the minimum age was 21 until s.17 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 came into force), and must be
10428-531: 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
10560-442: 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,
10692-769: The United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom , and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories . It meets at the Palace of Westminster in London . Parliament possesses legislative supremacy and thereby holds ultimate power over all other political bodies in
10824-488: The United Kingdom 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
10956-571: The United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories. While Parliament is bicameral , it has three parts: the sovereign , the House of Lords , and the House of Commons . The three parts acting together to legislate may be described as the King-in-Parliament . The Crown normally acts on the advice of the prime minister , and the powers of the House of Lords are limited to only delaying legislation. The House of Commons
11088-508: 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
11220-552: The advice of government ministers , who much be drawn from and be accountable to the Parliament. Whilst the monarch is a constitutive element of parliament, they do not debate bills or otherwise contribute to political debate. Their royal assent is required for a bill to become law; however this has not been refused since 1708 and is largely formal. The House of Lords is known formally as "The Right Honourable The Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled",
11352-491: 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
11484-683: The basis of membership for a new Dáil Éireann. While the elections in Northern Ireland were both contested and won by Unionist parties, in Southern Ireland, all 128 candidates for the Southern Irish seats were returned unopposed. Of these, 124 were won by Sinn Féin and four by independent Unionists representing Dublin University (Trinity College). Since only four MPs sat in the home rule Southern Irish parliament, with
11616-710: The chamber during debates (unlike the King, who cannot enter the chamber). A person may not sit in the Commons if they are the subject of a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order (applicable in England and Wales only), or if they are adjudged bankrupt (in Northern Ireland), or if their estate is sequestered (in Scotland). Previously, MPs detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 for six months or more would have their seat vacated if two specialists reported to
11748-452: The coming year. The speech reflects the legislative agenda for which the Government intends to seek the agreement of both Houses of Parliament. 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
11880-449: The corresponding county seat). Also notable were the pocket boroughs , small constituencies controlled by wealthy landowners and aristocrats, whose "nominees" were invariably elected. The Commons attempted to address these anomalies by passing a Reform Bill in 1831. At first, the House of Lords proved unwilling to pass the bill, but it was forced to relent when the prime minister, Charles, 2nd Earl Grey , advised King William IV to flood
12012-483: The creation of the new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in October 2009. Under the UK's constitution , Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the state. Whilst the privy council can also issue legislation through orders-in-council , this power may be limited by Parliament like all other exercises of the royal prerogative . The legislative authority, the King-in-Parliament , has three separate elements:
12144-595: The field to become involved in discussions and influence politicians. Often a relevant charity or other organisation will provide a secretariat for the APPG, helping to arrange meetings and keeping track of its members. Examples of this include: Other ways of administering APPGs include borrowing capacity from an MP or peer's office, or by employing staff independently. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, for example, employs two members of staff paid for through subscriptions from its stakeholders. The APPG on Agriculture and Food for Development uses
12276-458: The fixed election date of the first Thursday in May five years after the previous election, which occurred (as a special case) on 7 May 2015 . As an ordinary Act, it was also possible for parliament to bypass it with a special purpose Act of Parliament passed by simple majorities in both houses, which occurred in 2019 . All general elections in the UK since 1935 have been held on a Thursday. The origins of this convention are unknown but there are
12408-601: The following year replaced almost all multi-member constituencies with single-member constituencies. In 1908, the Liberal Government under H. H. Asquith introduced a number of social welfare programmes, which, together with an expensive arms race , forced the Government to seek higher taxes. In 1909, the Chancellor of the Exchequer , David Lloyd George , introduced the "People's Budget", which proposed
12540-660: The formal term malapportionment . The proposals of the Boundary Commissions are subject to parliamentary approval, but may not be amended. After their next Periodic Reviews, the Boundary Commissions will be absorbed into the Electoral Commission , which was established in 2000. As of 2024, the UK is divided into 650 constituencies , with 543 in England, 32 in Wales, 57 in Scotland, and 18 in Northern Ireland. General elections occur whenever Parliament
12672-461: The government by rejecting a motion of confidence or by passing a motion of no confidence. Confidence and no confidence motions are phrased explicitly: for instance, "That this House has no confidence in His Majesty's Government." Many other motions were until recent decades considered confidence issues, even though not explicitly phrased as such: in particular, important bills that were part of
12804-407: The government has a large majority, it has no need or incentive to compromise with other parties. Major modern British political parties tend to be so tightly orchestrated that their MPs often have little scope for free action. A large minority of ruling party MPs are paid members of the Government. Since 1900 the Government has lost confidence motions thrice—twice in 1924, and once in 1979. However,
12936-449: The government's agenda. The annual Budget is still considered a matter of confidence. When a government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, the prime minister is expected either to resign, making way for another MP who can command confidence, or request the monarch to dissolve Parliament, thereby precipitating a general election. Since the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 Parliament sits for up to five years. This
13068-511: The house between the government and opposition benches is 13 feet (3.96 m), said to be equivalent to two swords' length, though this is likely to be purely symbolic given weapons have been banned in the chamber for hundreds of years. The House of Commons underwent an important period of reform during the 19th century. Over the years, several anomalies had developed in borough representation. The constituency boundaries had not been changed since 1660, so many towns whose importance had declined by
13200-467: The influence of the House of Lords having been reduced by the Reform Bill crisis, and the power of the patrons reduced. The Lords became more reluctant to reject bills that the Commons had passed with large majorities, and it became an accepted political principle that the confidence of the House of Commons alone was necessary for a government to remain in office. Many more reforms were introduced in
13332-571: The judiciary as a whole), though the Lords remain largely self-governing. Decisions on points of order and on the disciplining of unruly members are made by the whole body, but by the Speaker alone in the Lower House. Speeches in the House of Lords are addressed to the House as a whole (using the words "My Lords"), but those in the House of Commons are addressed to the Speaker alone (using "Mr Speaker" or "Madam Speaker"). Speeches may be made to both Houses simultaneously . Both Houses may decide questions by voice vote ; members shout out "Aye!" and "No!" in
13464-408: The last impeachment was that of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville in 1806. Bills may be introduced in either house, though bills of importance generally originate in the House of Commons. The supremacy of the Commons in legislative matters is assured by the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 , under which certain types of bills may be presented to the sovereign for royal assent without the consent of
13596-552: The latter half of the 19th century. The Reform Act 1867 lowered property requirements for voting in the boroughs, reduced the representation of the less populous boroughs, and granted parliamentary seats to several growing industrial towns. The electorate was further expanded by the Representation of the People Act 1884 , under which property qualifications in the counties were lowered. The Redistribution of Seats Act of
13728-512: The legislature. Most Cabinet ministers are from the Commons, while junior ministers can be from either house. The House of Lords is the upper chamber of Parliament, comprising two types of members. The most numerous are the Lords Temporal , consisting mainly of life peers appointed by the sovereign on the advice of the prime minister, plus up to 92 hereditary peers . The less numerous Lords Spiritual consist of up to 26 bishops of
13860-702: The monarch. 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. The monarch reads a speech, known as the Speech from the Throne , which is prepared by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet , outlining the Government's agenda for
13992-479: The name to the "Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", five years after the secession of the Irish Free State . The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created on 1 January 1801, by the merger of the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland under the Acts of Union 1800 . The principle of ministerial responsibility to the lower house (Commons) did not develop until
14124-399: The next election after 2019 by more than half a year, from 2 May 2024 to Tuesday 28 January 2025; but the election was ultimately called for 4 July 2024 . The current regime around dissolution is substantially the same as that established by the Septennial Act 1715 (as amended by the Parliament Act 1911 ), under which that automatic dissolution instead occurred five years after issuance of
14256-629: The oath in each House, the State Opening of Parliament may take place. The Lords take their seats in the House of Lords Chamber, the Commons appear at the Bar (at the entrance to the Chamber), and the Sovereign takes the seat on the throne. The Sovereign then reads the Speech from the Throne —the content of which is determined by the Ministers of the Crown—outlining the Government's legislative agenda for
14388-458: The original St. Stephen's Chapel in the Palace of Westminster . The rectangular shape is derived from the shape of the chapel. Benches were arranged using the configuration of the chapel's choir stalls whereby they were facing across from one another. This arrangement facilitated an adversarial atmosphere representative of the British parliamentary approach. The distance across the floor of
14520-404: The others have gained office upon the resignation of a prime minister of their own party. A prime minister will resign after party defeat at an election, if unable to form a coalition , or obtain a confidence and supply arrangement, and may be forced to resign after a successful motion of no confidence (either from the House as a whole, or from their own parliamentary party ). In such cases,
14652-457: The passage of a bill to curtail the powers of the House of Lords after threatening to flood the house with 500 new Liberal peers to ensure the passage of the bill. Thus the Parliament Act 1911 came into effect, destroying the legislative equality of the two Houses of Parliament. The House of Lords was permitted only to delay most legislation, for a maximum of three parliamentary sessions or two calendar years (reduced to two sessions or one year by
14784-518: The political systems of the nations once ruled by the British Empire , and thus has been called the " mother of parliaments ". 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
14916-441: The position of the parties in the House is an overriding importance. Thus, whenever the office of prime minister falls vacant, the monarch appoints the person who has the support of the house, or who is most likely to command the support of the house—normally the leader of the largest party in the house—while the leader of the second-largest party becomes the leader of the Opposition . The Commons may indicate its lack of support for
15048-411: The premiership goes to whomever can command a majority in the House, unless there is a hung parliament and a coalition is formed; the new prime minister will by convention be the new leader of the outgoing premier's party. It has become the practice to write the constitutions of major UK political parties to provide a set way to appoint a new party leader. By convention, ministers are members of either
15180-460: The prime minister's advice. The House of Commons formally scrutinises the Government through its Committees and Prime Minister's Questions , when members ask questions of the prime minister; the house gives other opportunities to question other cabinet ministers. Prime Minister's Questions occur weekly, normally for half an hour each Wednesday. Questions must relate to the responding minister's official government activities, not to their activities as
15312-646: The remaining 124 being in the Republic's Second Dáil , the home rule parliament was adjourned sine die without ever having operated. 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
15444-412: The same election), including University constituencies , were abolished. In May and June 2009 revelations of MPs' expenses claims caused a major scandal and loss of confidence by the public in the integrity of MPs, as well as causing the first forced resignation of the Speaker in 300 years. In 2011, a referendum was held, asking whether to replace the present " first-past-the-post " system with
15576-457: The sea due to land erosion. Many small constituencies, known as pocket or rotten boroughs , were controlled by members of the House of Lords ( peers ), who could ensure the election of their relatives or supporters. During the reforms of the 19th century, beginning with the Reform Act 1832 , the electoral system for the House of Commons was progressively regularised. No longer dependent on
15708-536: The term of imprisonment or received a full pardon from the Crown. Moreover, anyone serving a prison sentence of one year or more is ineligible, per Representation of the People Act 1981 . Finally, members of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) and Northern Ireland Assembly are disqualified since 2014. Article 159, Section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 formerly disqualified for ten years those found guilty of certain election-related offences, until this section
15840-521: The threat of rebellions by their own party's backbench MPs often forces governments to make concessions (under the Cameron–Clegg coalition , over foundation hospitals and under Labour over top-up fees and compensation for failed company pension schemes ). Occasionally Government bills are defeated by backbench rebellions ( Terrorism Act 2006 ). However, the scrutiny provided by the Select committees
15972-450: The two lobbies alongside the Chamber; their names are recorded by clerks, and their votes are counted as they exit the lobbies to re-enter the Chamber. The Speaker of the House of Commons is expected to be non-partisan, and does not cast a vote except in the case of a tie; the Lord Speaker, however, votes along with the other Lords. Speaker Denison's rule is a convention which concerns how the Speaker should vote should he be required to break
16104-428: The upcoming year. Thereafter, each House proceeds to the transaction of legislative business. 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
16236-456: The vacancy is filled by a by-election in the constituency, with the same electoral system as in general elections. The term "Member of Parliament" by modern convention means a member of the House of Commons. These members may, and almost invariably do, use the post-nominal letters "MP". The annual salary of each member is £86,584 effective from 1 April 2023. Members may also receive additional salaries for other offices they hold (for instance,
16368-423: The writ of summons, a slightly longer period. Between 2011 and 2022, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 was in force, under which control of the timing of elections instead lay with the House of Commons, which could pass a motion of no confidence or (as occurred in 2017 ) of early election with a two-thirds majority; absent such motions, Parliament would automatically dissolve 17 working days (about 4 weeks) before
16500-489: Was an Irish Sinn Féin candidate, Constance Markievicz , who therefore became the first woman to be an MP. However, owing to Sinn Féin's policy of abstention from Westminster, she never took her seat. Women were given equal voting status as men in 1928, and with effect from the General Election in 1950 , various forms of plural voting (i.e. some individuals had the right to vote in more than one constituency in
16632-473: Was appointed Employment Secretary in 1985; Lord Mandelson , who served as Business Secretary; Lord Adonis, who served as Transport Secretary; Baroness Amos, who served as International Development Secretary; Baroness Morgan of Cotes , who served as Culture Secretary ; and Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park , who served as Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Minister of State for International Development . The elected status of members of
16764-455: Was declared illegal by a House of Lords judgement of 1909. Consequently, a resolution was passed in the House of Commons in 1911 introducing salaries for MPs. In 1918, women over 30 who owned property were given the right to vote, as were men over 21 who did not own property, quickly followed by the passage of a law enabling women to be eligible for election as members of parliament at the younger age of 21. The only woman to be elected that year
16896-492: Was introduced to the Commons in May 2021, which would repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act in its entirety, restore the monarch's prerogative powers to dissolve Parliament at the prime minister's request, and ensure that a parliamentary term automatically ends five years after Parliament's first meeting and polling day being 25 working days later. The bill was given royal assent on 24 March 2022, becoming
17028-449: Was presided over by a Lord Chancellor (a Cabinet member), whose influence as Speaker was very limited (whilst the powers belonging to the Speaker of the House of Commons are vast). However, as part of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 , the position of Speaker of the House of Lords (as it is termed in the Act) was separated from the office of Lord Chancellor (the office which has control over
17160-422: 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 Life Peerages Act 1958 authorised the regular creation of life peerage dignities. By the 1960s, the regular creation of hereditary peerage dignities had ceased; thereafter, almost all new peers were life peers only. The House of Lords Act 1999 removed
17292-447: Was repealed in 2001. Several other disqualifications are codified in the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 : holders of high judicial offices , civil servants, members of the regular armed forces, members of foreign legislatures (excluding the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth countries), and holders of several Crown offices. Ministers, even though they are paid officers of the Crown, are not disqualified. Parliament of
17424-401: 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 Representation of the People Act 1867 Parliament can now continue for as long as it would otherwise have done in the event of the death of
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