An Introduction to Parliament (Edexcel A Level Politics): Revision Note

What is Parliament?

• Parliament is the legislative branch of government in the UK, responsible for making laws, scrutinising the executive and representing the electorate

• Unlike systems such as the USA, the UK has fused powers

  • The executive is drawn from the legislature rather than being fully separate

• The executive is the branch of government responsible for making policy decisions and implementing laws

  • In the UK it is made up of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and government ministers drawn from Parliament

The structure of Parliament

• Parliament is made up of three parts

1. The House of Commons

• There are 650 elected MPs in the House of Commons

• MPs are elected in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system

• The House of Commons has primacy because it is the elected chamber

2. The House of Lords

• The House of Lords has around 800 unelected members

• It acts primarily as a revising chamber

• The Lords scrutinises legislation passed by the House of Commons and proposes amendments

3. The Monarch

• The monarch is unelected and hereditary

  • Since the Succession to the Crown Act (2013), the first-born child inherits the throne regardless of gender

• The current monarch is King Charles III

• The monarch formally opens Parliament and grants royal assent to legislation

The roles of Parliament

• Parliament performs three main roles, common to legislatures in representative democracies

1. Representation

• Citizens elect representatives to act on their behalf

• MPs are expected to use their judgement and conscience

• The House of Lords seeks to represent constitutional traditions and expertise rather than voters

2. Legislation

• Parliament proposes, scrutinises and passes legislation

• Due to parliamentary sovereignty, Parliament can make or repeal any law

• The legislative agenda often reflects the manifesto of the winning party, which is seen as having a mandate

3. Scrutiny

• Parliament scrutinises the actions of the executive

• Parliament is not the same as the government

• Scrutiny is largely carried out by backbench MPs rather than ministers