New Labours constitutional reforms

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  • New Labours constitutional reforms
    • parliamentary reform
      • house of lords act 1999
        • removed all but 92 hereditary peers - HOL now has mainly life peers and no party majority
      • prime ministers question time
        • replaced the 2x 15min sessions with 1 x 30 min session,  number of questions in each session for leader of opposition doubled from 3-6, leader of 3rd party was given 2 questions
      • mp expenses scandal 2009
        • the issue of expenses and MPs pay was placed in the hands of an independent commission
    • rights
      • freedom of information act 2000
        • right for citizens to see info about themselves held by public bodies
      • human rights act 1998
        • set in place most of the previsions of the european convention on human rights in uk law
    • electoral reform
      • FPTP = egland
      • STV = local elections in scotland and northern ireland
      • AMS = scottish parliament
    • devolution
      • scotland act 1998
        • ability to raise/lower uk income tax by 1% and in charge of education and healthcare
      • wales national assemly established 1999
        • not as powerful as scotland - in charge of own education and healthcare
      • northern irish assembly
        • they have primary legislation in education and healthcare
    • judiciary
      • uk supreme court created
        • they can question the govs decisions (cant take them down)
    • liberal criticisms
      • not gone far enough
      • there's still hereditary peers in the HOL
      • still no written constitution
      • electoral systems
      • monarchy
    • conservative criticms
      • gone too far
      • parliament has lost its sovereignty and EU has it
      • HOL was an institution working well
      • devolution will lead to the break up of the UK

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