Parliament: More Revolts, More Reform

Authors: Cowley, Philip; Stuart, Mark

Source: Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 56, Number 2, 1 April 2003 , pp. 188-204(17)

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Abstract:

The year saw the government face a noticeable increase in dissent from its backbenchers. The session saw 76 separate rebellions by Labour backbenchers, more than in the first session of any previous Labour government and including substantial rebellions over asylum, anti-terrorism legislation, education policy, and Iraq. Backbench pressure also forced the government to withdraw its proposals for stage 2 of Lords reform. The Conservatives also saw their own high profile backbench rebellions, whilst the Liberal Democrats continued their journey away from consensus with Labour. Parliament also continued its post-1997 process of reform. Stage 2 of Lords Reform may have stalled, but the stage 1 Lords continued to inflict defeats on the government. The parliamentary year saw the government defeated 56 times, more than in any session since Labour came to power (indeed, more than in any session since that of 1977-78). Modernisation of the Commons (indeed, also of the Lords) continued, with the Commons seeing more substantial reforms that would have been thought possible just a year before.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/parlij/gsg013

Publication date: 2003-04-01

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Parliamentary Affairs is an established, peer-reviewed academic quarterly covering all the aspects of government and politics directly or indirectly connected with Parliament and parliamentary systems in Britain and throughout the world. The journal is published in partnership with the Hansard Society. The Society was created to promote parliamentary democracy throughout the world, a theme which is reflected in the pages of Parliamentary Affairs.