111-538: Defunct The Daily Express is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format . Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc . It was first published as a broadsheet in 1900 by Sir Arthur Pearson . Its sister paper, the Sunday Express , was launched in 1918. In June 2022, it had an average daily circulation of 201,608. Under
222-458: 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, 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
333-545: A fortnight later. The Press Complaints Commission described the article as a "serious error of judgement" and said, "Although the editor had taken steps to resolve the complaint, and rightly published an apology, the breach of the Code was so serious that no apology could remedy it". The Daily Express gained a reputation for printing conspiracy theories about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales as front-page news. The Independent and The Guardian in 2006 both published
444-458: 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 a new mechanism which remains in force) three days after becoming prime minister. The new session of Parliament was delayed to await
555-416: 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,
666-592: A 66.6% control of the character. The Express retains minority interest of one-third plus the right to publish Rupert Bear stories in certain Express publications. In 2000, Express Newspapers was bought by Richard Desmond, publisher of celebrity magazine OK! , for £125 million. Controversy surrounded the deal since Desmond also owned softcore pornography magazines. As a result, many staff left, including editor Rosie Boycott and columnist Peter Hitchens . Hitchens moved to The Mail on Sunday , saying working for
777-598: A ban on the sale of the paper. This ban was overturned in March 2016, following a student vote. UKIP Leader Nigel Farage declared that he had signed the "Crusade" petition, and urged others to do the same. Romanian politician Cătălin Ivan expressed "outrage" at the campaign. In a statement released by The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 24 April 2015,
888-577: 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,
999-477: 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
1110-569: 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
1221-733: 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
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#17327652078961332-534: A deal worth £126.7 million. To coincide with the purchase the Trinity Mirror group changed its name to Reach . Hugh Whittow resigned as editor and Gary Jones took over as editor-in-chief soon after the purchase. The Daily Express endorsed Liz Truss in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election . In 2023, Reach launched a US version of the Express, called the-express.com. It
1443-487: A deal worth £126.7 million. To coincide with the purchase the Trinity Mirror group changed the name of the company to Reach . Hugh Whittow resigned as editor and Gary Jones took over as editor-in-chief soon after the purchase. The paper's editorial stances have often been seen as aligned to Euroscepticism and supportive of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), and other right-wing factions including
1554-405: A front-page article critical of survivors of the 1996 Dunblane massacre , entitled "Anniversary Shame of Dunblane Survivors". The article criticised the 18-year-old survivors for posting "shocking blogs and photographs of themselves on the internet", revealing that they drank alcohol, made rude gestures and talked about their sex lives. The article provoked complaints, leading to a front-page apology
1665-503: 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 is a maximum: prime ministers can choose to dissolve parliament at earlier times, with
1776-486: 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 the government's agenda. The annual Budget is still considered a matter of confidence. When
1887-553: 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
1998-605: 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
2109-529: 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
2220-610: 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
2331-751: A previous cost-cutting exercise triggered the first 24-hour national press strike in the UK for 18 years. In late August 2009 came plans for a further 70 redundancies, affecting journalists across Express Newspapers (including the Daily and Sunday Express , the Daily Star , and the Daily Star Sunday ). In August 2009, the Advertising Standards Authority criticised the company for advertorials as features alongside adverts for
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#17327652078962442-457: A readership base inclined to be informed on entertainment trends as well as coverage of major news events. Such newspapers are the middle segment of a continuum of journalistic seriousness: upper-market or " quality " newspapers generally cover hard news, and down-market newspapers favour sensationalist stories . The United Kingdom's two national middle-market papers are the Daily Mail and
2553-631: A selection of then recent Express headlines on the topic. This practice was satirised in Private Eye as the Diana Express or the Di'ly Express , and has been attributed to Desmond's friendship with regular Eye target Mohamed Fayed . The articles regularly quoted Fayed with the newspaper describing its campaign as "Our relentless crusade for the truth". In 2006 and 2007, these front-page stories consistently appeared on Mondays, and ended only when
2664-636: A settlement at the High Court of Justice , the newspapers ran a front-page apology to the McCanns on 19 March 2008, another apology on the front of the Sunday editions of 23 March and a statement of apology at the High Court. The newspapers also agreed to pay costs and damages, which the McCanns said they would use to fund the search for their daughter. Guardian media commentator Roy Greenslade said it
2775-492: 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
2886-444: 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
2997-568: Is a "frequent offender" which pays little heed to the ASA's criticisms. In May 2010, Desmond announced a commitment of £100 million over five years to buy new equipment for the printing plants, beginning with the immediate purchase of four new presses, amid industry rumours that he was going to establish a printing plant at Luton. On 31 December 2010, the Express, with all the media titles in Desmond's Northern & Shell group, were excluded from
3108-701: Is a salient feature of such newspapers in India. This journalism -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Like the upper house , the House of Lords , it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons
3219-405: 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
3330-434: 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 the House of Commons of Great Britain after the political union with Scotland , and from 1801 it also became
3441-523: Is available at UK Press Online. In September 2017, Daily Mirror publisher Trinity Mirror announced its interest in buying all of Express Newspapers from Desmond. The Financial Times called it potentially the biggest change in the British newspaper industry for a decade. In February 2018, Trinity Mirror acquired the Daily Express , and other publishing assets of Northern & Shell, in
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3552-758: Is based in New York City. The printing press of the Sunday Express was first started by Lady Diana Manners on 29 December 1918. It was edited by Michael Booker from 2018 to 2021 when he left for GB News . Its circulation in December 2022 was 153,377. Suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams was arrested in 1956, accused of murdering up to 400 wealthy patients in Eastbourne . The press, "egged on by police leaks, unanimously declared Adams guilty," except for Percy Hoskins , chief crime reporter for
3663-474: 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
3774-479: 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;
3885-625: The Daily Express , distinguishable by their black-top masthead (both use the tabloid paper size), as opposed to the red-top mastheads of down-market tabloids . There was also formerly Today , published from 1986 to 1995. USA Today and the Times of India are other typical middle-market broadsheet newspapers, headquartered in the United States and India, respectively. A daily supplement devoted to coverage of Page 3 events
3996-476: 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
4107-569: 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
4218-854: 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
4329-585: The European Research Group (ERG) of the Conservative Party . The Daily Express was founded in 1900 by Sir Arthur Pearson , with the first issue appearing on 24 April 1900. Pearson lost his sight to glaucoma in 1913, and sold the title to the future Lord Beaverbrook in 1916. The Express was one of the first papers to place news instead of advertisements on its front page, and carried gossip, sport, and women's features. It
4440-501: The Express led with "SPIES COVER UP DIANA 'MURDER'". According to The Independent "The Diana stories appear on Mondays because Sunday is often a quiet day." In February and March 2010, the paper returned to featuring Diana stories on the front page on Mondays. In September 2013, following an allegation raised by the estranged wife of an SAS operative, the Daily Express returned to running daily Princess Diana cover stories. In
4551-466: The Express said "a number of articles in the newspaper have suggested that the couple caused the death of their missing daughter Madeleine and then covered it up. We acknowledge that there is no evidence whatsoever to support this theory and that Kate and Gerry are completely innocent of any involvement in their daughter's disappearance." This was followed in October by an apology and payout (forwarded to
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4662-427: The Express . Hoskins was adamant that Adams was a naive doctor prosecuted by an overzealous detective, Herbert Hannam , whom Hoskins disliked from previous cases. The Express , under Hoskins's direction, was the only major paper to defend Adams, causing Lord Beaverbrook to question Hoskins's stance. Adams was cleared in 1957 of the murder of Edith Alice Morrell (a second count was withdrawn controversially). After
4773-531: The House of Commons for running "a sustained vendetta" against the British Royal Family in the Express titles. In the same month, the Duke of Edinburgh described the Express as "a bloody awful newspaper. It is full of lies, scandal and imagination. It is a vicious paper." At the height of Beaverbrook's control, in 1948, he told a Royal Commission on the press that he ran his papers "purely for
4884-638: The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination * (both of which have been ratified by the UK, as well as by all other EU countries), were rooted in the desire to outlaw the type of anti-Semitic and other racially based hate speech used by the Nazi media during the 1930s". Appearing in April 2018 before Parliament 's Home Affairs Select Committee , which
4995-526: The Labour Party , and the 2015 general election when it backed the UK Independence Party , the newspaper has declared its support for the Conservative Party at every general election since World War II . In 2011, when the newspaper first endorsed UKIP, it became one of the first media outlets in the United Kingdom to demand a withdrawal from the European Union . "Crusade for Freedom" was
5106-475: 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
5217-532: The Press Complaints Commission after withholding payment. Lord Black , chairman of PressBof , the PCC's parent organisation, called this "a deeply regrettable decision". According to Press Gazette , in December 2016 circulation figures showed gross sales of the Daily Mail were 1,491,264 compared to 391,626 for the Daily Express . The full run of the Daily Express has been digitised and
5328-574: 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
5439-490: 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
5550-753: The 1940s. On 24 March 1933, a front-page headline, "Judea Declares War on Germany" (because of the Anti-Nazi boycott of 1933 ), was published. During the late 1930s, the paper advocated the appeasement policies of Neville Chamberlain 's National Government , due to the influence of Lord Beaverbrook. On 7 August 1939, the front-page headline was "NO WAR THIS YEAR". Less than a month later, Britain and France were at war with Nazi Germany following its invasion of Poland . The front page, floating in dirty water, later featured in In Which We Serve . The ruralist and fascist author Henry Williamson wrote for
5661-497: 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
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#17327652078965772-473: 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
5883-497: 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
5994-427: 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, the position of the parties in the House is an overriding importance. Thus, whenever
6105-531: 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 , the Lords' power to reject legislation was reduced to a delaying power. The government is solely responsible to
6216-511: 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
6327-401: 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,
6438-479: 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,
6549-528: 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,
6660-448: 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",
6771-606: The PCC. The chairman of the Press Standards Board of Finance , which manages PCC funds, described Express Newspapers as a "rogue publisher". The Express group lost prominent libel cases in 2008–2009; it paid damages to people involved in the Madeleine McCann case (see below), a member of the Muslim Council of Britain , footballer Marco Materazzi , and sports agent Willie McKay . The losses led
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#17327652078966882-514: 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
6993-568: 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
7104-594: The benefits in keeping the case in the public eye, but said coverage needed to be toned down since daily headlines were not necessarily helpful. In March 2008, the McCanns launched a libel suit against the Daily Express and the Daily Star , as well as their Sunday equivalents, following their coverage. The action concerned more than 100 stories across the four newspapers, which accused the McCanns of causing and covering up their daughter's death. Express Newspapers pulled all references to Madeleine from its websites. In
7215-403: The case, Beaverbrook phoned Hoskins and said: "Two people were acquitted today", meaning Hoskins as well. The Express carried an exclusive interview with Adams, whom Hoskins interviewed in a safe house away from other newspapers. According to archives released in 2003, Adams was thought by police to have killed 163 patients. On 8 March 2009, the Scottish edition of the Sunday Express published
7326-465: 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
7437-401: The company's own presses. Johnston Press has a five-year deal, begun in March 2015, to print the northern editions of the Daily Express , Daily Star , Sunday Express and the Daily Star Sunday at its Dinnington site in Sheffield. The Scottish edition is printed by facsimile in Glasgow by contract printers, the London editions at Westferry Printers. In March 1962, Beaverbrook was attacked in
7548-449: 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
7659-458: 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
7770-418: 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
7881-465: 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
7992-517: The fund again) to a group who had become known as the " Tapas Seven " in relation to the case. In 2013, the paper launched a "crusade" against new European Union rules on migrants from Bulgaria and Romania, inviting readers to sign a petition against lifting restrictions on immigration. The front page on Thursday 31 October declared: "Britain is full and fed up. Today join your Daily Express Crusade to stop new flood of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants". The Aberystwyth University Student Union announced
8103-407: 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,
8214-511: 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
8325-467: 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
8436-408: 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
8547-552: 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
8658-587: The media commentator Roy Greenslade to conclude that Express Newspapers (which also publishes the Star titles) paid more in libel damages over that period than any other newspaper group. Although most of the individual amounts paid were not disclosed, the total damages were recorded at £1,570,000. Greenslade characterised Desmond as a "rogue proprietor". In late 2008, Express Newspapers began cutting 80 jobs to reduce costs by £2.5 million; however, too few staff were willing to take voluntary redundancy. In early 2008,
8769-412: 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 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
8880-569: The new owner was a moral conflict of interest since he had always attacked the pornographic magazines that Desmond published. Despite their divergent politics, Desmond respected Hitchens. In 2007, Express Newspapers left the National Publishers Association due to unpaid fees. Since payments to the NPA fund the Press Complaints Commission , it is possible that the Express and its sister papers could cease being regulated by
8991-510: The newspaper's own campaign to give the people of the United Kingdom the opportunity to add their names to a petition addressed to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in favour of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union . Each edition of the 8 January 2011 issue had four cut-out vouchers where readers could sign the pledge and send them to the paper's HQ where the petition was being compiled; there were also further editions with
9102-462: 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
9213-423: 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 the government by rejecting a motion of confidence or by passing
9324-403: 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
9435-457: 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 the House of Lords, have belonged to
9546-461: The ownership of Lord Beaverbrook , the Express rose to become the newspaper with the largest circulation in the world, going from 2 million in the 1930s to 4 million in the 1940s. It was acquired by Richard Desmond 's company Northern & Shell in 2000. Hugh Whittow was the editor from February 2011 until he retired in March 2018. In February 2018 Trinity Mirror acquired the Daily Express , and other publishing assets of Northern & Shell, in
9657-467: The paper focused instead on the Madeleine McCann story (see below). Even on 7 July 2006, the anniversary of the London bombings (used by most other newspapers to publish commemorations) the front page was given over to Diana. This tendency was also mocked on Have I Got News for You when on 6 November 2006, the day other papers reported the death sentence given to Saddam Hussein on their front pages,
9768-699: The paper on many occasions over a span of half a century. He also wrote for the Sunday Express at the beginning of his career. In 1938, the publication moved to the Daily Express Building, Manchester (nicknamed the "Black Lubyianka"), designed by Owen Williams on the same site in Great Ancoats Street . It opened a similar building in Glasgow in 1936 in Albion Street. Glasgow printing ended in 1974 and Manchester in 1989 on
9879-607: The paper] purely for the purpose of making propaganda and with no other motive". Lord Beaverbrook , former owner (1948). Partially as a result of the rejuvenation of the Daily Mail under David English and the emergence of The Sun under Rupert Murdoch and editorship of Larry Lamb , average daily sales of the Express dropped below four million in 1967, below three million in 1975, and below two million in 1984. The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 (the Mail having done so six years earlier), and
9990-457: 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
10101-570: 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; 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
10212-460: 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
10323-485: The purpose of making propaganda". The arrival of television , and the public's changing interests, took their toll on circulation, and following Beaverbrook's death in 1964, the paper's circulation declined for several years. During this period, the Express , practically alone among mainstream newspapers, was vehemently opposed to entry into what became the European Economic Community . "[I run
10434-412: 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
10545-586: The same products. The ASA noted that the pieces were "always and uniquely favourable to the product featured in the ads and contained claims that have been or were likely to be prohibited in advertisements". In January 2010, the Daily Express was censured by the Advertising Standards Authority over a front-page promotion for "free" fireworks. This led to comment that the Express has become "the Ryanair of Fleet Street ", in that it
10656-489: The same voucher included. The campaign attracted the support of many celebrities including sportsman/TV personality Ian Botham as well as J D Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin , who both gave interviews for 8 January's special edition of the paper. The first week of the campaign saw a response of around 370,000 signatures being received (just over 50% of daily readership or around 0.6% of the UK population). Middle-market newspaper A middle-market newspaper caters to
10767-486: The second half of 2007 the Daily Express gave a large coverage to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann . From 3 August 2007 to 10 November 2007, the Express dedicated at least part of the next 100 front pages to her. Of those, 82 used the headline to feature the details of the disappearance (often stylised by "MADELEINE" in red block capitals, plus a picture of the child). Though the family initially said some journalists may have "overstepped their mark" they acknowledged
10878-603: The tabloid's name was mentioned in an accusation of producing hate speech , initially referring to an article in The Sun : "...To give just one glimpse of the scale of the problem, back in 2003 the Daily Express ran 22 negative front pages stories about asylum seekers and refugees in a single 31-day period" ... "..the High Commissioner noted that Article 20 of the ICCPR , as well as elements relating to hate speech in
10989-536: 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
11100-521: 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
11211-456: 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,
11322-423: 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
11433-493: Was "unprecedented" for four major newspapers to offer front-page apologies but also said it was more than warranted given that the papers had committed "a substantial libel" that shamed the British press. Craig Silverman of Regret the Error , a blog that reports media errors, argued that given how many of the stories appeared on the front page, anything less than a front-page apology would have been "unacceptable." In its apology,
11544-823: Was also the first in Britain to have a crossword puzzle . It began printing in Manchester in 1927. In 1931 it moved its London headquarters to 120 Fleet Street , a specially commissioned Art Deco building. Under Beaverbrook, the paper set newspaper sales records several times throughout the 1930s. Its success was partly due to aggressive marketing campaign and a circulation war with other populist newspapers. Arthur Christiansen became editor in October 1933. Under his direction sales climbed from two million in 1936 to four million in 1949. He retired in 1957. The paper also featured Alfred Bestall 's Rupert Bear cartoon and satirical cartoons by Carl Giles which it began publishing in
11655-489: 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
11766-473: 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
11877-454: Was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers. In 1982, Trafalgar House spun off its publishing interests to a new company, Fleet Holdings, under Lord Matthews , but this succumbed to a hostile takeover by United Newspapers in 1985. Under United, the Express titles moved from Fleet Street to Blackfriars Road in 1989. Express Newspapers
11988-455: 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
12099-541: 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
12210-425: Was investigating the treatment of minority groups in print media, Daily Express editor Gary Jones said that he would be looking to change the tone of the paper. Jones said that he had found past pages of the newspaper "downright offensive," adding that they made him feel "very uncomfortable" and contributed to an " Islamophobic sentiment" in the media. With the exception of the 2001 general election when it backed
12321-543: Was sold to publisher Richard Desmond in 2000, and the names of the newspapers reverted to Daily Express and Sunday Express . In 2004, the newspaper moved to Lower Thames Street in the City of London . In February 2018, it moved into 1 Canada Square in Canary Wharf. On 31 October 2005, UK Media Group Entertainment Rights secured majority interest from the Daily Express for Rupert Bear . They paid £6 million for
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