The UK Parliamentary System – The Roles of the Monarch, Commons, and Lords

The Pillars of the UK Parliament

The UK Parliament consists of the Monarch, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. Together they pass laws, scrutinize the government, and perform representation of the people. While each is vital, they hold different functions and powers.

The Monarch

The constitutional monarchy dictates that while the monarch (currently, King Charles III) is symbolic in nature, there is at least formal power. Laws and traditions define these powers, but the monarch does not influence policy or law-making directly.

In times past, the monarchy had more powers, and thus was more powerful; however, today, it is the Parliament that stakes its claim for sovereignty, and the monarch is reduced to a mere figurehead. The monarch’s duties include: anointing the opening and the dissolution of Parliament, giving Royal Assent to bills passed by both Houses (which has become a purely symbolic function), and communicating with the Prime Minister on a weekly basis.

The House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of Parliament where Members of Parliament (MPs) are directly elected by the people. The UK is divided into 650 constituencies, each represented by one MP.

The House of Commons is the place where the most important legislative work is done. MPs debate bills, propose laws, and call governments to account through question time and committee work. The party that secures the majority in the House of Commons usually forms the government, with its leader being installed as the Prime Minister.

Important Powers of the House of Commons:

• Financial Control: The government must seek permission from the Commons for any spendings. Hence, the House of Commons stands as the chief authority over the country’s finances.
• Government Scrutiny: MPs monitor the government. They question, debate, and set up select committees for scrutiny.

The House of Lords

The House of Lords is the upper house of Parliament. It is not elected by the public. Made up of life peers, bishops, and hereditary peers, the House of Lords chiefly considers, amends, and reviews legislation originating in the House of Commons. It stands to make recommendations for looking into, amending, and reviewing legislation. Put simply, the Lords may delay a bill for amendment, but it cannot block the House of Commons from passing any bill.

Despite the absence of elections, the House of Lords scrutinizes the law-making process in significant detail, especially by means of committees set up to look at particular issues.

Important Powers of the House of Lords:

• Legislation Review: The Lords will review legislation passed by the Commons. They can delay bills or suggest amendments but cannot veto them outright.
• Expert Scrutiny: Many members of the Lords are leading experts in their respective spheres such as law, science, or business and thus are able to scrutinize proposed laws with a great deal of expertise.

The Role of the House of Lords in Shaping UK Legislation

It is an unelected house, which scrutinizes and amends legislation passed by the House of Commons. This chamber is a house rich in knowledge and experience brought together by appointment of life peers, bishops, and hereditary peers. The Lords cannot officially veto legislation, but they have the right to delay its passage and suggest amendments for consideration. Their main role is the so-called ‘second opinion’ from the legislation of the Commons, carried out in much finer detail.

The House of Lords committees undertake detailed scrutiny of certain issues and produce views which have the potential of impacting government policy. Therefore, even though there are few instances of the Lords obstructing the passage of legislation, the Lords are trusted to exercise their expertise and ensure that thorough scrutiny faces any legislation so that it should not be passed hurriedly, thus maintaining an environment for checks and balances throughout Parliament.

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet

The Prime Minister is the head of the UK government. The PM is usually the leader of a political party that holds the most seats in the House of Commons. Because the Constitution is unwritten in the UK, theoretically, the monarch has to appoint the PM. Theoretically, a monarch could refuse to appoint someone as PM if the said person cannot command a majority in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister leads the Cabinet, which consists of senior ministers selected by the PM to be in charge of various government departments. The ministers and secretaries take responsibility for implementing policies and running the government on a day-to-day basis.

The Prime Minister’s Role in Shaping Government Policies

The Prime Minister is the central coordinating figure in the UK government in leading a country and implementing policies that deeply affect various aspects of daily life of the people. Typically, the PM is the head of the party that enjoys a majority in the House of Commons. The prime responsibility of the PM is to form policies of the government on matters relating to national defense, economic issues, foreign affairs, etc.

The PM works very closely with the Cabinet to see that policy decisions are properly implemented throughout the government with coordination of ministers responsible for particular departments. The decisions of the PM, therefore, basically carry great weight as these decisions essentially dictate what will be done and what will be put on the domestic and international agenda to influence citizens’ lives. The Prime Minister, being the face of the government, is equally key in holding the government to account to Parliament and the public.

The Role of Political Parties

Political parties are professionals in setting up the parliamentary system in the UK. The two biggest parties are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, but smaller parties still have relatively big power, such as Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party (SNP), and others.

Each party has its political ideology and allows itself to realize this ideology through issues it presses in Parliament. The party that is formed in government would usually be the one which holds a majority of seats in the House of Commons.

How Elections Work

General elections are held every five years, although they may occasionally be held earlier upon the Prime Minister’s request for a confidence vote or if certain other conditions are met. During elections, various constituencies elect an MP to represent them.

The Voting System

The UK uses a first-past-the-post system where the candidate with the highest number of votes in the constituency gets the seat. This system is often attacked for not mirroring the actual vote percentages won by parties nationally.

Checks and Balances

The British political system does incorporate some checks and balances to prevent a particular branch of government from over-reaching into power. Judicial independence is necessary to determine whether laws passed in Parliamentary proceedings are constitutional or in breach of one’s human rights.

Considerations of public accountability are made through systems such as parliamentary committees, freedom of press, and public opinion. This, in turn, decentralizes power with devolution, allowing Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland some say in areas like education and health.

Summary – The UK Parliament’s Role in Governance

The UK parliamentary system offers a balanced and dynamic setting in which democracy can thrive. Granting insight into governance methods of the United Kingdom, a better understanding of how the components of Parliament, namely the Crown, the Commons, the Lords, and the Prime Minister interact can prove useful to citizens. Always being subjected to election and different forms of scrutiny, the system is designed to act on the will of the people but also to ensure that the government is held to account.