107-507: Frank Ernest Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead , CH , PC , DL (16 July 1942 – 23 April 2024) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Birkenhead for 40 years, from 1979 to 2019, serving as a Labour MP until 2018 and thereafter sitting as an independent . In 2019, he formed the Birkenhead Social Justice Party and stood unsuccessfully as its sole candidate in
214-532: A no-deal Brexit . In August 2019, Field stated that he would stand in the next general election as a candidate for a newly-formed Birkenhead Social Justice Party . The party stated that it would stand on a social justice, localist and pro-Brexit platform. In the December 2019 general election, he was beaten by the Labour Party candidate Mick Whitley , who polled 24,990 votes, compared to Field's 7,285,
321-420: 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
428-562: 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
535-446: A close and that she should back John Major to take over the role. His reason for doing so was that he felt her Conservative colleagues would not tell her straight that she could not win a leadership contest. Following this meeting, he was smuggled out of Downing Street's back door. Two days later Thatcher supported John Major for the post and Major became prime minister. Following the 1997 election, with Labour now in power, Field joined
642-632: A hero" and that "I still see Mrs T from time to time – I always call her 'Mrs T', when I talk to her". He regarded Thatcher as a friend and believed in her self-help market philosophy. In 1999, based on his belief that Britain should find a sustainable non-political way to fund retirement, Field helped set up the Pension Reform Group, which promotes the Universal Protected Pension as the best means to reform pensions. Although there were attempts to get him to defect to
749-518: A majority of 5,909 and remained the constituency's MP until November 2019. In Parliament , Field was made a member of the Opposition frontbench by the Labour leader Michael Foot as a spokesman on Education in 1980, but was dropped a year later. Following the appointment of Neil Kinnock as the Labour leader in 1983, Field was appointed as a spokesman on Health and Social Security for a year. He
856-524: 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
963-554: A move away from the DSS as part of a wider reshuffle; the newspaper suggested at the time that Blair had been "disappointed" by Field's ideas for welfare reform. Harriet Harman also returned to the backbenches. In his autobiography, Blair wrote about Field: The problem was not so much that his thoughts were unthinkable as unfathomable. The following year, Downing Street briefed the press that "harsh and authoritarian" measures were in store for welfare recipients and plans were made to abolish
1070-526: 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
1177-534: 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
SECTION 10
#17327795029721284-769: A primary school welfare worker at Belmont Primary School in Chiswick . His parents were Conservatives "who believed in character and pulling oneself up by one's own bootstraps". Field was educated at St Clement Danes Grammar School , at that time in Hammersmith , before studying Economics at the University of Hull . In his youth he was a member of the Conservative Party, but left in 1960 because of his opposition to apartheid in South Africa and joined
1391-568: 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
1498-610: 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
1605-593: A winning margin of 17,705 votes. The Party was de-registered with the Electoral Commission on 17 February 2020. Field was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council in 1997. This gave him the honorific prefix " The Right Honorable " and, after ennoblement , the post nominal letters "PC" for life. He was appointed as a deputy lieutenant for the county of Merseyside in October 2011. At
1712-622: 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
1819-565: 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
1926-403: 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
2033-676: 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
2140-707: 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
2247-518: 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
SECTION 20
#17327795029722354-611: Is the Sovereign of the Order of the Companions of Honour, and a maximum of 65 members. Additionally, foreigners or Commonwealth citizens from outside the Commonwealth realms may be added as honorary members. Members are organised into a single class and are appointed by the monarch of the Commonwealth realms in their capacity as sovereign of the order. While membership of the order confers no title or precedence , those inducted into
2461-400: 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
2568-477: The 2019 election . After leaving the House of Commons , he was awarded a life peerage in 2020 and sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher . From 1997 to 1998, Field served as Minister of Welfare Reform in Tony Blair 's first government . Field resigned following differences with Blair; as a backbencher , he soon became one of the Labour government's most vocal critics. Field was elected chair of
2675-599: The 2022 New Year Honours for political and public service. Field was awarded the freedom of the Borough of Wirral on 16 February 2022. He was also a Companion of the Guild of St George . Field had a reputation for being an intellectual, a free-thinker and a maverick in the Parliamentary Labour Party. Inspired by his Christianity, he took a socially conservative stance on various issues particularly on
2782-823: The Chancellor of the Exchequer , Gordon Brown , and the Secretary of State for Social Security , Harriet Harman – the Treasury was concerned about costs, while Brown himself was in favour of the poor being entitled to working-age benefits without having first paid National Insurance contributions, later established as the Working Families Tax Credit . According to The Guardian , Field resigned his ministerial position in July 1998 rather than accept
2889-662: The Church of England , a former chairman of the Churches Conservation Trust and a member of the Church of England General Synod . In 1983, while a member of General Synod, Frank responded to the plight of a number of divorced clergy wives and helped them found Broken Rites, a self help organisation that supports separated and divorced clergy spouses and civil partners and also lobbies for fair treatment for them. [www.brokenrites.org] Field's political and religious views were most clearly expressed in his book Neighbours From Hell where he discusses what might replace
2996-463: 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
3103-534: 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
3210-551: 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
3317-607: 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
Frank Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-507: 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
3531-447: 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
3638-476: The Work and Pensions Select Committee in 2015, and was re-elected unopposed following the 2017 general election . In 2018, Field resigned the Labour whip citing antisemitism in the party , as well as a "culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation" in parts of the party, including in his own constituency. Field lost a confidence vote in his constituency party a month before his resignation, after siding with
3745-564: The "largely beneficial effect" of evangelical Christianity. Between 2005 and 2015, Field was chairman of the Cathedral Fabrics Commission for England – the national body that controls the care, conservation and repair or development of cathedrals. In 2007 he was appointed chairman of the 2011 King James Bible Trust, which was established to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible . Field
3852-414: 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
3959-537: The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hunger and Food Poverty, which he went on to chair. He also chaired a parliamentary inquiry into hunger commissioned by the APPG which reported in December 2014. Field became the chair of trustees of Feeding Britain, a charitable organisation set up in October 2015 to implement the recommendations made by the APPG. Following the 2015 general election, it
4066-518: The British government to join a customs union with the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Field, Kate Hoey , John Mann and Graham Stringer were the only Labour MPs to oppose the amendment, which was lost by 307 votes to 301. Field lost a confidence vote in his constituency, after siding with the government in these Brexit votes. On 30 August 2018, Field resigned the Labour whip because, he said, Labour
4173-636: 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
4280-586: 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
4387-628: The Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms . It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements. It was founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire . The order was originally intended to be conferred upon a limited number of persons for whom this special distinction seemed to be the most appropriate form of recognition, constituting an honour dissociated from either
Frank Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-548: The Conservative MP Nadine Dorries , he was vocal in two defeated attempts to legislate for such a reform in Parliament. He was a prominent Eurosceptic within the Labour Party and declared on 20 February 2016 that he would campaign to leave the EU. In January 2019, the supporters page of the Labour Leave website listed only two MPs, Labour's Kate Hoey and Field. Field was an active member of
4601-616: The Conservatives, they were without success. In 2008, Field was named as the 100th-most-influential right-winger in the United Kingdom by The Daily Telegraph . Field supported the return of national service to tackle growing unemployment and instil "a sense of order and patriotism" in Britain's young men and women. In May 2010, Field endorsed Ed Miliband to become leader of the Labour Party to replace Gordon Brown . Field believed strongly in fighting climate change . He co-founded
4708-517: 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
4815-534: The DSS. At the end of Blair's second term of office, the BBC reviewed his record on welfare reform up to that point: Thinking the unthinkable on the welfare state has been one of the New Labour mantras since before the party was elected in 1997. So it has been a disappointment [...] that, eight years later, the thinking has still to produce any concrete results. The welfare reform most closely associated with Blair
4922-530: 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
5029-693: The Ecclesiastical and the Public Accounts Select Committees in the House of Commons. From the backbenches, he was a vocal critic of the government, criticising in 1999 the new Working Families Tax Credit as an approach which could not survive in the long term, and voting against foundation hospitals in November 2003. In May 2008, he was a significant critic of the abolition of the 10p tax rate and this led to Field describing Prime Minister Gordon Brown as "unhappy inside his own body". He later apologised in parliament for
5136-724: 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
5243-418: 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
5350-451: The Labour Party. In 1964, he became a further education teacher in Southwark and Hammersmith. Field served as a Labour councillor for Turnham Green on Hounslow London Borough Council from 1964 until 1968 , when he lost his seat. He was Director of the Child Poverty Action Group from 1969 to 1979, employing Virginia Bottomley (now Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone) on long-term research into income and expenditure for families below
5457-480: 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
SECTION 50
#17327795029725564-423: 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
5671-404: 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
5778-635: 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)
5885-414: 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
5992-404: 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
6099-413: 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
6206-415: 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
6313-442: 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,
6420-411: 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
6527-431: 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
SECTION 60
#17327795029726634-508: 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
6741-419: The acceptance of title or the classification of merit. It is now described as being "awarded for having a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time". The first recipients of the order were all decorated for "services in connection with the war " and were listed in The London Gazette . The order consists of the monarch of the Commonwealth realms, who
6848-480: 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",
6955-485: The age of 75 he was moved to the retired list. This gave him the Post Nominal Letters "DL" for Life. In March 2015, Field was awarded the Grassroot Diplomat initiative honour for the co-founding of environmental organisation Cool Earth, a charity that works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction as a bottom-up solution to an ageing problem. Field was awarded an honorary fellowship by Liverpool John Moores University on 12 July 2016. In 2017, he
7062-402: The allocation of this award to that country's citizens in preference to other Australian honours. The last Australian member, Doug Anthony , former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, died on 20 December 2020. Companions from other Commonwealth realms continue to be appointed, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa , a New Zealand soprano, was given the award in 2018 and Canadian author Margaret Atwood was given
7169-413: 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
7276-410: The award in 2019. Sebastian Coe , Baron Coe CH represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation . The insignia of the order is in the form of an oval medallion, surmounted by a royal crown (but, until recently, surmounted by an imperial crown ), and with a rectangular panel within, depicting on it an oak tree, a shield with the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom hanging from one branch, and, on
7383-426: 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
7490-425: The charity Cool Earth with Johan Eliasch . Cool Earth protects endangered rainforest and works with the local communities to combat climate change . Field was the instigator of the idea of a global Commonwealth network of protected forests, though he failed to raise political interest for a number of years; according to Field, when Queen Elizabeth II was told about the idea, she supported it enthusiastically, and
7597-400: 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
7704-496: 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:
7811-515: The family, antisocial behaviour, immigration and welfare reform. He also embraced calls for an English Parliament and called for a renegotiation of Britain's relationship with European Union, including changes to free movement of labour. He voted for gay marriage and in favour of other gay rights legislation since 1997. He was a member of the advisory board of Reform and of the generally conservative but also " broad church " magazine Standpoint . In May 2008, he said that Margaret Thatcher "is certainly
7918-738: The government in Brexit votes . His resignation of the whip also led to his departure from the wider membership of the Labour Party, according to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party , although Field disputed this. Field was born in Edmonton, Middlesex , on 16 July 1942, the second of three sons. His father was a labourer at the Morgan Crucible Company 's factory in Battersea and his mother
8025-607: The government led by Tony Blair as its Minister for Welfare Reform, working in the Department of Social Security (DSS). Blair has said Field's mission was to "think the unthinkable". Field thought that the state should play only a small direct role in the provision of welfare and he disliked means-testing and non-contributory entitlement to benefits, which he believed should only be received after claimants had joined Continental-style social insurance schemes or mutual organisations such as friendly societies . There were clashes with
8132-403: The impact that Universal Credit changes had had on his constituents. His observations moved Work and Pensions Select Committee member Heidi Allen to tears. Field spoke of how he had talked a man out of suicide and how one claimant felt "lucky" his family was invited to eat food leftovers from a funeral. On 17 July 2018, a vote was held on a rebel amendment to a trade bill, which aimed to force
8239-610: The initiative was launched as The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy in 2015. In 2010 he chaired the Liverpool City Region Poverty and Life Chances Commission to create a new strategy for the Government to abolish child poverty. Field believed in reducing the time-limit within which women can have an abortion, and in stripping abortion providers such as Marie Stopes of their counselling role and handing it to organisations not linked to abortion clinics. With
8346-631: 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
8453-414: The leadership of Gordon Brown. The ballot could have led to a leadership contest. In May 2009, Field announced his candidature for Speaker of the House of Commons , but later withdrew his candidature, citing lack of support from within his own party. John Bercow was elected as the new Speaker. In the 2010 general election Field retained his Birkenhead seat with an increased majority . In June 2010 he
8560-860: The left shoulder. Parliament of 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
8667-527: The left, a mounted knight in armour. The insignia's blue border bears in gold letters the motto IN ACTION FAITHFUL AND IN HONOUR CLEAR , Alexander Pope 's description (in iambic pentameter ) in his Epistle to Mr Addison of James Craggs the Younger , later used on Craggs's monument in Westminster Abbey . Men wear the badge on a neck ribbon (red with golden border threads) and women on a bow at
8774-512: 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
8881-702: 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
8988-595: 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
9095-420: The need to control immigration due to it creating excessive demands on public services, roads and housing stock. He argued the EU model suited big businesses who wanted cheap labour, and supported agricultural interests creating high prices for food, rather than families. The Liverpool Echo reported that Field was "a long-time Brexiteer". In December 2017, during a debate on Universal Credit , Field described
9202-692: 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
9309-504: The order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters CH . Appointments to the order are generally made on the advice of prime ministers of the Commonwealth realms. For Canadians, the advice to the Sovereign can come from a variety of officials. Originally, the order was limited to 50 ordinary members, but in 1943 it was enlarged to 65, with a quota of 45 members for the United Kingdom , seven for Australia , two each for New Zealand and South Africa , and nine for India , Burma , and
9416-488: The other British colonies . The quota numbers were altered in 1970 to 47 for the United Kingdom, seven for Australia, two for New Zealand, and nine for other Commonwealth realms. The quota was adjusted again in 1975 by adding two places to the New Zealand quota and reducing the nine for the other countries to seven. Whilst still able to nominate candidates to the order, the Cabinet of Australia has effectively stopped
9523-501: The personal attack. In June 2008, Field joined calls for the establishment of a devolved parliament for England . On 8 June 2009, Field wrote in his blog that he believed that the Labour Party would not win the next election with Gordon Brown as leader. On 6 January 2010, Field was one of the few Labour MPs to back Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt 's calls for a secret ballot of the Parliamentary Labour Party on
9630-576: 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
9737-466: The poverty line, and the Low Pay Unit from 1974 to 1980. Field unsuccessfully contested the constituency of South Buckinghamshire at the 1966 general election , where he was defeated by the sitting Conservative MP Ronald Bell . He was selected to contest the safe Labour seat of Birkenhead at the 1979 general election on the retirement of the sitting MP Edmund Dell . Field held the seat with
9844-646: 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
9951-457: 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
10058-450: 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
10165-428: 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
10272-417: Was "increasingly seen as a racist party" and due to the "culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation" in parts of the party, including his own constituency. Some commentators suggested that he had "jumped before he was pushed". Field described himself as an "independent Labour MP". In September 2018, he said he would not trigger a by-election and would remain an MP. On 2 August 2019, he announced that he
10379-565: Was also a Vice President of the National Churches Trust . In a 2006 article in The Observer , the critic Jay Rayner noted that Field's unmarried status had led him to describe himself as "incomplete" but that those in his social circle suggested he enjoyed "a full life outside politics". From 1979 he lived in a postwar block half a mile from the House of Commons. In February 2023, his book Politics, Poverty and Belief
10486-742: Was announced in June 2015 that he had been elected to the chairmanship of the Work and Pensions Select Committee . He was re-elected unopposed to the role following the 2017 general election. Field nominated Jeremy Corbyn as a candidate in the Labour leadership election of 2015 , stating that while he did not think Corbyn could win a general election, he hoped his candidature would force the party to confront its 'deficit denial'. In June 2016, Field wrote in The Guardian that he supported Brexit , emphasising
10593-519: Was appointed by David Cameron 's coalition government to head an independent review into poverty, which proposed adopting a new measure centred around life-chance indicators and increasing funding for early years education. In an interview in September 2012, Field considered the government to have ignored his report, saying "nothing had been done about it" and that it was "very disappointing". In October 2013, along with Laura Sandys , Field established
10700-495: Was appointed the chairman of the Social Services Select Committee in 1987, becoming the chairman of the new Social Security Select Committee in 1990, a position he held until the 1997 election . Two nights before the Conservative leadership election in November 1990, he visited Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street . He advised her that her time as prime minister was drawing to
10807-589: Was awarded the Langton Award for Community Service by the Archbishop of Canterbury "for sustained and outstanding commitment to social welfare". Field was nominated for a life peerage in the 2019 Dissolution Honours . He was created Baron Field of Birkenhead , of Birkenhead in the County of Merseyside , on 11 September 2020. Field was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in
10914-591: Was forming a new party, the Birkenhead Social Justice Party. Field voted for Prime Minister Theresa May 's Brexit deal in the " meaningful vote " on 15 January 2019, which May lost. Subsequently, Field voted for the Conservative Party-supported Brady amendment calling on the Government to renegotiate the Northern Ireland backstop part of the deal and abstained on the Labour party-supported Cooper-Boles amendment to prevent
11021-465: Was not introduced for a further three years: the replacement of Incapacity Benefit (IB) by Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The think-tank Reform , on whose advisory board Field used to sit, said in its 2016 report on changes to out-of-work sickness benefits that ESA had "replicated many of the problems of IB" and had therefore "failed to achieve its objective". After leaving ministerial office, Field continued with his duties as an MP and joined
11128-527: 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
11235-596: Was published, co-written with Brian Griffiths , Thatcher's former chief policy adviser, and Rachel Griffiths. Field was admitted to hospital after collapsing during a meeting in March 2015. On 22 October 2021, Field announced that he was terminally ill and had spent time in a hospice. Baroness Meacher read out a statement from him in the House of Lords during a debate on the Assisted Dying Bill , which he supported. Companion of Honour The Order of
11342-422: 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
11449-523: 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
#971028