"The Whips are the unsung heroes of British Democracy"
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Enoch Powell
"Parliament without whips would be like a city without sewers"
2 of 24
Labour Government 1997
Not defeated until November 2005 terrorism bill failed to get enough votes at 2nd reading
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ID cards & tuition fees
brought in in 2001-2005. Vociferous opposition. Majority too strong
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Sidney Low 1904
"House of Commons no longer controls the Executive control the House of Commons"
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'post-parliamentary'
Term coined in the 1970s after study showed public policy formed outside government, put to govt get through due to party majority
6 of 24
Lord Norton 2005
Role of westminster is at best marginal or sporadic in terms of importance in policy making
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Law in he making, 2008, Hansard society
"the amount, quality and efficacy of parliamentary scrutiny have improved... We challenge the view that Parliament is irrelevant and near-impotent and also tjat the situation is getting worse
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Cohesion reached its peak
in 1950s - 2 whole sessions where not a single rebellion
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2001-2005 government
Government face a rebellion in 21% of divisions, highest in post war era - yet Blair still hardly lost a vote
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Brown's first year
94 separate rebellions - rarely enough to defeat government
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Austin Mitchell (theory Vs reality)
"Parliament in theory, control the Executive; but parties have taken its powers and made it just a noisy rubber stamp"
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Austin Mitchell (control of exec)
"Trying to control the Executive is as useful as heckling a steamroller"
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Tony Wright
"If backbenchers try to exert scrutiny the whips are soon all over them"
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Peter Riddell
"Even a government with a clear majority has to listen, make concessions and respond to demands from Parliament - the government cannot avoid dealing with important issues that are raised in the commons"
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Hailsham
"Elective dictatorship"
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YouGov poll 2005
30% identify with a party
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Low turnout affects mandate. Blair 2005 example
55.5% of seats, only 35.2% of actual vote, which is only 21.6% of those eligible to vote
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Heffernan
"Parties have become electoral professional parties, altering their organisational form as a result of broadening their electoral base.. Less reliant on voter loyalty they hustle for votes"
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In the coalition, up to Feb 2011
53% of divisions had a least 1 rebel
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Hattersley
"Labour backbenchers - the most supine Members of Parliament in British history - must decide where their loyalty lies"
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Conservative Whip 1979-1990
4259 votes against it
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Labour whip 1997-2007
6520 votes against it
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Blair
"You are here because of the Labour Party under which you fought"
24 of 24
Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Enoch Powell
Back
"Parliament without whips would be like a city without sewers"
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