Roles in Parliament (AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

An introduction to roles in Parliament

• Parliament is made up of hundreds of people with different jobs and responsibilities, all of which help it function smoothly

• Some roles are ceremonial, some are about keeping order and fairness, and others help organise political parties and debates

Some key roles in Parliament

Black Rod

• Black Rod is a senior official of the House of Lords

• Their main role is to maintain order and security in the House of Lords and during major ceremonies

• They are best known for their role in the State Opening of Parliament

  • When the King’s Speech is about to be read, the doors of the House of Commons are symbolically slammed shut

  • Black Rod then knocks three times with the black rod to request MPs attend the House of Lords

• This tradition symbolises the independence of the House of Commons from the monarch

The Speaker

• The Speaker is an MP elected by other MPs to chair debates in the House of Commons

• Their main role is to ensure debates are fair, orderly and follow the rules

  • They decide who is allowed to speak

  • They interpret the rules of Parliament

  • They can discipline MPs, including ordering them to leave the chamber

• Once elected, the Speaker becomes politically neutral

  • They give up party membership

  • At the next general election, they stand as the Speaker, not as a party candidate

  • By tradition, other major parties do not contest the Speaker’s seat

Whips

• Whips exist in both the government and opposition, in the Commons and the Lords

• Their role is to:

  • Maintain party discipline

  • Make sure MPs attend important votes

• Whips tell MPs how important a vote is using the whip system

• MPs who ignore a three-line whip may lose the party whip, meaning they are temporarily expelled from the party

Front benchers

• Front benchers sit on the front rows in the House of Commons

  • On the government side, front benchers are ministers, including the Prime Minister and Cabinet

  • On the opposition side, front benchers are shadow ministers

    • Each shadow minister monitors and challenges a specific government minister

• Front benchers lead debates and answer questions on behalf of their party

Back benchers

• Backbenchers are MPs who are not ministers or shadow ministers

  • They sit on the benches behind the front benchers

• Backbenchers have a range of roles

  • They represent their constituents

  • They ask questions and take part in debates

  • They serve on select committees

• Backbenchers can be very influential

  • Rebellions by backbench MPs can force the government to change policy

  • E.g. In 2025, Labour backbenchers opposed planned cuts to welfare spending

    • Over 100 Labour MPs signed a motion and publicly criticised the plans.

    • Facing the risk of a large rebellion, the government withdrew and revised the proposals, even though the government had a large majority

• Many Prime Ministers, including Theresa May and Rishi Sunak, began their careers as backbenchers