The "United Kingdom" referred to was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1800, and became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland after the independence of the Irish Free State in 1922.
But this power has fallen into disuse: the House of Commons exercises its checks on the government through other means, such as no confidence motions; the last impeachment was that of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville in 1806. ===Legislative functions=== Bills may be introduced in either house, though bills of importance generally originate in the House of Commons.
Also notable were the pocket boroughs, small constituencies controlled by wealthy landowners and aristocrats, whose "nominees" were invariably elected. The Commons attempted to address these anomalies by passing a Reform Bill in 1831.
To avoid this, the Lords relented and passed the bill in 1832.
The Reform Act 1832, also known as the "Great Reform Act", abolished the rotten boroughs, established uniform voting requirements for the boroughs, and granted representation to populous cities, but still retained some anomalies. In the ensuing years, the Commons grew more assertive, the influence of the House of Lords having been reduced by the Reform Bill crisis, and the power of the patrons reduced.
This arrangement reflects the design of St Stephen's Chapel, which served as the home of the House of Commons until destroyed by fire in 1834.
The Reform Act 1867 lowered property requirements for voting in the boroughs, reduced the representation of the less populous boroughs, and granted parliamentary seats to several growing industrial towns.
The electorate was further expanded by the Representation of the People Act 1884, under which property qualifications in the counties were lowered.
Each constituency is also called a seat (as it was in 1885), as it returns one member, using the first-past-the-post electoral system, under which the candidate with a plurality of votes wins, that is greatest number of votes.
Since 1900 the Government has lost confidence motions three times — twice in 1924, and once in 1979.
Since 1902, all prime ministers have been members of the Commons; the sole exception was during the long summer recess in 1963: the 14th Earl of Home disclaimed his peerage (under a new mechanism which remains in force) three days after becoming prime minister, and became Sir Alec Douglas-Home.
The Redistribution of Seats Act of the following year replaced almost all multi-member constituencies with single-member constituencies. ===20th century=== In 1908, the Liberal Government under H.
In 1909, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, introduced the "People's Budget", which proposed a new tax targeting wealthy landowners.
Early Labour MPs were often provided with a salary by a trade union, but this was declared illegal by a House of Lords judgement of 1909.
After a further election in December 1910, the Asquith Government secured the passage of a bill to curtail the powers of the House of Lords after threatening to flood the house with 500 new Liberal peers to ensure the passage of the bill. Thus the Parliament Act 1911 came into effect, destroying the legislative equality of the two Houses of Parliament.
Accordingly, the House of Commons assumed its current title. Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, the Lords' power to reject legislation was reduced to a delaying power.
After a further election in December 1910, the Asquith Government secured the passage of a bill to curtail the powers of the House of Lords after threatening to flood the house with 500 new Liberal peers to ensure the passage of the bill. Thus the Parliament Act 1911 came into effect, destroying the legislative equality of the two Houses of Parliament.
Consequently, a resolution was passed in the House of Commons in 1911 introducing salaries for MPs. In 1918, women over 30 who owned property were given the right to vote, as were men over 21 who did not own property, quickly followed by the passage of a law enabling women to be eligible for election as members of parliament at the younger age of 21.
Consequently, a resolution was passed in the House of Commons in 1911 introducing salaries for MPs. In 1918, women over 30 who owned property were given the right to vote, as were men over 21 who did not own property, quickly followed by the passage of a law enabling women to be eligible for election as members of parliament at the younger age of 21.
The word has survived to this day in the original Anglo-Norman phrase soit baillé aux communes, with which a bill is transmitted from the House of Lords to the House of Commons. The historian Albert Pollard held a somewhat different view on the word's origins in 1920.
The "United Kingdom" referred to was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1800, and became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland after the independence of the Irish Free State in 1922.
Since 1900 the Government has lost confidence motions three times — twice in 1924, and once in 1979.
However, owing to Sinn Féin's policy of abstention from Westminster, she never took her seat. Women were given equal voting status as men in 1928, and with effect from the General Election in 1950, various forms of plural voting (i.e.
The Electoral Commission is unsure when this practice arose, but dates it to 1931, with the suggestion that it was made to coincide with market day; this would ease voting for those who had to travel into the towns to cast their ballot. A candidate for a seat must submit nomination papers signed by ten registered voters from that area, and pay £500, which is refunded if the candidate wins at least five per cent of the vote.
This has not always been the case: before 1948 plural voting was permitted as voters qualified by home ownership or residence and could vote under both entitlements simultaneously, as well as for a university constituency if a university graduate. Once elected, Members of Parliament normally continue to serve until the next dissolution of Parliament.
Accordingly, the House of Commons assumed its current title. Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, the Lords' power to reject legislation was reduced to a delaying power.
The House of Lords was permitted only to delay most legislation, for a maximum of three parliamentary sessions or two calendar years (reduced to two sessions or one year by the Parliament Act 1949).
However, owing to Sinn Féin's policy of abstention from Westminster, she never took her seat. Women were given equal voting status as men in 1928, and with effect from the General Election in 1950, various forms of plural voting (i.e.
These mitigated the coronavirus pandemic with measures including a limit of 50 MPs in the chamber, physical distancing and remote participation using video conferencing. ==Members and elections== Since 1950, every constituency has been represented by a single Member of Parliament.
During times of national emergency, the house may also sit at weekends. Sittings of the house are open to the public, but the house may at any time vote to sit in private, which has occurred only twice since 1950.
The post war redesign of the house in 1950 included microphones, and debates were allowed to be broadcast by radio in 1975.
Since 1963, by convention, the prime minister has always been a member of the House of Commons, rather than the House of Lords. The Commons may indicate its lack of support for the government by rejecting a motion of confidence or by passing a motion of no confidence.
Since 1902, all prime ministers have been members of the Commons; the sole exception was during the long summer recess in 1963: the 14th Earl of Home disclaimed his peerage (under a new mechanism which remains in force) three days after becoming prime minister, and became Sir Alec Douglas-Home.
These titles derive from the Committee of Ways and Means, a body over which the chairman once used to preside; even though the committee was abolished in 1967, the traditional titles of the Deputy Speakers are still retained.
Several other disqualifications are codified in the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975: holders of high judicial offices, civil servants, members of the regular armed forces, members of foreign legislatures (excluding the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth countries), and holders of several Crown offices.
The post war redesign of the house in 1950 included microphones, and debates were allowed to be broadcast by radio in 1975.
For instance, in 1976, Conservative MP Michael Heseltine seized and brandished the mace of the house during a heated debate.
Since 1900 the Government has lost confidence motions three times — twice in 1924, and once in 1979.
These restrictions were introduced by the British Nationality Act 1981, but were previously far more stringent: under the Act of Settlement 1701, only natural-born subjects were qualified.
Moreover, anyone serving a prison sentence of one year or more is ineligible, per Representation of the People Act 1981.
Previously, MPs detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 for six months or more would have their seat vacated if two specialists reported to the Speaker that the member was suffering from a mental disorder.
Article 159, Section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 formerly disqualified for ten years those found guilty of certain election-related offences, until this section was repealed in 2001.
Since 1989, they have also been broadcast on television, which is now handled by BBC Parliament. Sessions of the House of Commons have sometimes been disrupted by angry protesters throwing objects into the chamber from the galleries—items thrown include leaflets, manure, flour, and a canister of chlorobenzylidene malonitrile (tear gas).
As anticipated, he won that election, which was for the highest-majority seat in Scotland among his party; otherwise he would have been constitutionally obliged to resign. Since 1990, almost all cabinet ministers, save for three whose offices are an intrinsic part of the House of Lords, have belonged to the Commons. Few major cabinet positions (except Lord Privy Seal, Lord Chancellor and Leader of the House of Lords) have been filled by a peer in recent times.
More often, however, this device was used to delay and disrupt proceedings; as a result, it was abolished in 1998.
All Privy Counsellors used to be granted priority; however, the modernisation of Commons procedure in 1998 led to the abolition of this tradition. Speeches are addressed to the presiding officer, using the words "Mr Speaker", "Madam Speaker", "Mr Deputy Speaker", or "Madam Deputy Speaker".
After their next Periodic Reviews, the Boundary Commissions will be absorbed into the Electoral Commission, which was established in 2000.
Article 159, Section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 formerly disqualified for ten years those found guilty of certain election-related offences, until this section was repealed in 2001.
Occasionally Government bills are defeated by backbench rebellions (Terrorism Act 2006).
One must be aged at least 18 (the minimum age was 21 until s.17 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 came into force), and must be a citizen of the United Kingdom, of a British overseas territory, of the Republic of Ireland, or of a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations.
some individuals had the right to vote in more than one constituency in the same election), including University constituencies, were abolished. ===21st century=== In May and June 2009 revelations of MPs' expenses claims caused a major scandal and loss of confidence by the public in the integrity of MPs, as well as causing the first forced resignation of the Speaker in 300 years.
When a Government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, the prime minister is obliged either to resign, making way for another MP who can command confidence, or to request the monarch to dissolve Parliament, thereby precipitating a general election. Before 2011, Parliament sat for anything up to five years.
Since the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, the term has been fixed at five years.
In 2011, a referendum was held, asking whether to replace the present "first-past-the-post" system with the "alternative vote" (AV) method.
The proposal to introduce AV was overwhelmingly rejected by 67.9% of voters on a national turnout of 42%. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 was passed by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, transferring the power to call an early election from the Prime Minister to parliament, and setting out the procedure for this.
The timing of the dissolution was normally chosen by the Prime Minister (see relationship with the Government above); however, because of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, Parliamentary terms are now fixed at five years, except when the House of Commons sustains a vote of no confidence or passes an "early election" motion, the latter having to be passed by a two-thirds vote; or, as in 2019, by an Enabling Act which overrides the Fixed-term Parliaments Act.
However, this disqualification was removed by the Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013.
Finally, members of the Senedd, formerly the National Assembly for Wales until May 2020, and Northern Ireland Assembly are disqualified since 2014, and sitting MPs are expelled from Parliament if sentenced to a one-year imprisonment or greater.
The annual salary of each member is £74,962, effective from 1 April 2016.
These provisions were first used by Theresa May to trigger the 2017 snap election. In 2019, MPs used "standing order 24" (a parliamentary procedure that triggers emergency debates) as a means of gaining control of the parliamentary order paper for the following day, and passing legislation without the incumbent government.
The first use of this procedure was in April 2017, when MPs voted in favour of Theresa May's call for a snap election to be held that June. All elections in the UK have for some years been held on a Thursday.
As at 31 October 2019, four of the nine last prime ministers have attained office as the immediate result of a general election; the others have gained office upon the resignation of a prime minister of their own party. A prime minister will resign after party defeat at an election if unable to form a coalition, or obtain a confidence and supply arrangement.
These provisions were first used by Theresa May to trigger the 2017 snap election. In 2019, MPs used "standing order 24" (a parliamentary procedure that triggers emergency debates) as a means of gaining control of the parliamentary order paper for the following day, and passing legislation without the incumbent government.
This new technique was used to pass the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2019 in March, as well as the No.
As of 2019, the UK is divided into 650 constituencies, with 533 in England, 40 in Wales, 59 in Scotland, and 18 in Northern Ireland. General elections occur whenever Parliament is dissolved.
The timing of the dissolution was normally chosen by the Prime Minister (see relationship with the Government above); however, because of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, Parliamentary terms are now fixed at five years, except when the House of Commons sustains a vote of no confidence or passes an "early election" motion, the latter having to be passed by a two-thirds vote; or, as in 2019, by an Enabling Act which overrides the Fixed-term Parliaments Act.
2 Act in September, both relating to Brexit. In 2020, new procedures for hybrid proceedings were introduced from 22 April.
Finally, members of the Senedd, formerly the National Assembly for Wales until May 2020, and Northern Ireland Assembly are disqualified since 2014, and sitting MPs are expelled from Parliament if sentenced to a one-year imprisonment or greater.
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