House Of Commons Have More Than Power Essay

Evaluate the view that although the House of Lords has less power than the House of Commons, in practice it exerts more influence on government decisions. (30)

Power, often interchangeably referred to as influence, refers to the ability to shape the actions, beliefs, and behaviours of others. The House of Lords, despite being known as the "upper house" in the British parliamentary system, does not hold as much actual power as the House of Commons. However, it is argued that the House of Lords exerts more influence on government decisions in practice. This essay will examine the ways in which the House of Lords holds power, the limitations and constraints on their power imposed by the House of Commons, and how the Commons ultimately exerts

Whilst this is true the Commons unlike the Lords have the power to veto legislation, in addition to this, the power held by the Lords has been greatly reduced by the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949. The House of Commons can effectively override any decisions passed by the Lords. This is exemplified in the House of Commons using the Parliament Acts to override the decisions of the House of Lords is the Hunting Act 2004. The legislation, which aimed to ban fox hunting in England and Wales, was initially blocked by the Lords but eventually passed int law after the Commons used the Parliament Acts to override the Lords’ rejection of the bill. The Parliament Act of 1911 relieved the Lords from passing any legislation on money as well as being able to only delay legislation for 2 years. In 1949 this was reduced to 1 year. This shows that while the Lords may have the power to reject or amend legislation, the Commons ultimately holds more power in the legislative process. While the House of Lords has the power to reject or amend legislation, the ability of the House of Commons to override these decisions using the Parliament Acts significantly limits the power of the Lords in the legislative process restricting their influence. Leading the house of commons to hold more

An example of this is seen within David Cameron’s coalition government where there were 100 defeats within the Lords and only 6 defeats in the commons. On the other hand, however, whilst it is true that the House of Lords have a wealth of experience and expertise and opposition, this does not necessarily translate into influence on government decisions overall. The House of Commons, as the elected chamber of Parliament, holds the ultimate authority in decision-making and can choose to completely ignore the recommendations and advice of the House of Lords. The government, which is typically formed from the majority party in the Commons, holds executive power and can choose to bypass the House of Lords in the policy-making process. To an extent complete power over legislation in the respective majority’s manifesto due to the Salisbury Convention. One example of the House of Lords lacking influence on government decisions despite its expertise and experience is the Brexit process. The House of Lords, which contains many members holding experience in international relations and trade, consistently expressed concerns about the potential negative impacts of a hard Brexit on the UK economy and society. The government, with the support of the House of Commons, chose to pursue a hard Brexit regardless of the advice and recommendations of the Lords. This shows that