The Structure of parliament

Parliament is divided into three parts:

• The house of commons (lower house)
• house of lords (upper house)
• Monarchy (crown in parliament)

House of commons is the most senior chamber.

Composition

•  The HOC is made up of 650 MP's (on average)

• Each MP is elected by  a single member parliamentry constituency, using first past the post

• MPs are representatives of a party and are subject to a system of party discipline

• Most MPs are backbenchers, minority are frontbenchers

Powers

The house of commons is politically and legally the dominant  chamber of Parliament

• The HOC has supreme legislative power 

- They can make, unmake and ammend any law

• The HOC alone can remove the government of the day

-  This power is based on the convention of collective ministerial responsibility

Composition

• Life peers (678 of them)

- Peers who are entitled to sit in the lords for their own lifetime

- Appointed under Life Peerages act(1958) , but appointed by the PM with recomendations from opposition leaders.

• Heriditary peers (92 of them)

- Hereditary Peers hold inherited titles

- Consist of five ranks: Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron.

• 'Lord's Spiritual' (26 of them)

- Bishops and Archbishops of the Church of England

- Traditionally appointed by PM, on the basis of recomendations by the Church of England

Powers

• Delay bills for up to one year (not money bills)

• Cannot defeat messures which have been published in the governments election manifesto (sailsbury convention)

• Veto powers - can delay general elections, sack senior judges and introduce secondary legislation

Composition

• Not welcome in parliament (except at ceremonial opening of parliament)

• Never allowed in the House of Commons

• Only part of the legislate as the royal assent (signiture) is needed for propossed legislation to become legitimate.

Powers

• Appoints government

• Opends and dismisses Parliament

• Queen's Speech

• Royal assent