Are We Seeing a New Golden Age of Parliament?

Thursday 5 July 2007

A British Academy workshop

Meeting Report
by Professor Hugh Berrington

To judge from letters to the press, Parliament is always in decline. Critics of Parliament hark back to a golden age, when oppressive and over-powerful governments were held in check by a vigorous and independent House of Commons. How different, say the critics from the present age when the Commons is packed with "career politicians" always looking apprehensively to the next government reshuffle, and afraid to speak up or vote against abuses.

Like most golden ages, that of Parliament is more of a mirage than a reality. The Executive, or government, say the critics, is too strong, and puts the House in a straitjacket. We must get back, they say to a time when government and parliament were in balance. The critics do not help themselves as they are always coy about the timing of this golden age.

Detailed work on parliamentary rebellions shows that, against the received wisdom, the low point of parliamentary independence was the early nineteen-fifties. There were two sessions then in which not a single backbencher - not one - of the governing party voted against the Whip. Such conformity would be inconceivable today in either party. Moreover, there have been procedural changes designed to strengthen the Commons against government. We have also seen a vigorous assertion of the independence of the House of Lords. So, Parliament, despite the despite the jeremiads of the press, is very much alive - and kicking governments!

Research on this topic has been extensive, but much of it has not yet reached the wider public. Our one day British Academy workshop aimed to bring together a small and diverse group of specialists embracing both political scientists and historians, and enabled them to look at the state of the subject in the light of recent developments, and to ask "what next" in terms of research.

The workshop sessions on The Myths of Parliamentary Decline, Exploring Backbench Behaviour and the Emerging House of Lords brought the latest research in this area to a hitherto rather disconnected constituency and a concluding round table discussion helped to illuminate some of the most pressing research needs.

The workshop was followed by a vigorous and informative public meeting at the British Academy at which some of the day's contributors spoke. A transcript of the evening discussion is available

Hugh Berrington
Emeritus Professor
Newcastle University
6 August 2007