Rebels in Parliament
An issue I would like to highlight as important support to the assertiveness thesis is the increasingly rebellious development of Parliament. If we look at the revolts during the 2008-9 session, the government saw ‘74revolts which equates to rebellion in 30% per cent of divisions’[1], compared to ‘8 per cent of divisions in the Commons during the 1994-5 session’[2]. This shows us that the government has encountered almost 4 times as much rebellion as in the 1994-5 session. The implication of these statistics confirms my previously stated opinion that MPs have become more independent of the party vote. This may be due to poor work done by the party whips, but in my view it means something else. The way I see it, party members have become more aware that the well-being of the country and making the correct and most appropriate decision, is far more important than the particular interests of the party leadership. Another personal observation I would like to share is that, MPs have started showing they like to be considered as individuals with their own intelligence and reasoning, not only as politicians who are good at following orders from above. Perhaps the most evident case, to support my analysis, is the Labour government defeat over the Terrorism Bill in 1995, particularly on the point which sets the period for which the police can hold terrorism suspects behind bars. From my understanding, this event was a very significant one for both Parliament and the Labour party, but in different ways. Whereas the Labour party, and especially the leader at the time, Tony Blair, suffered enormous humiliation and embarrassment, it was a triumph for Parliament and democracy, showing how great its power to influence policy actually is.
Cheap sofas for sale are also looking at!
[1] Revolts.co.uk Data Handbook by Cowley and Stuart, p.4. Available from : http://www.revolts.co.uk/Data%20handbook%2008-09%20final.pdf [Accessed on 4Dec 09]
[2] P. Dunleavy et al (2006), ‘Developments in British Politics 8’. New York: Palgrave Macmillan Publishers,
page 43
Similar Posts:
Tories Stories : Well we all wanted this glorious, amazingly…
Justin Timberlake Attends Marine Corps Ball : Justin Timberlake…
Truth Hurts : And while many people tend to believe that N…
Tips for buying cheap flights : …
Comments are closed!