A document containing 13 essay plans for paper 2 questions. Questions are from past year papers since 2017. For the source question, the source itself is included. Detailed plans showing modern evidence, analysis, evaluations and knowledge. Essays cover the majority of the specifications for the UK...
Paper 2 Essay Questions
Evaluate the view that Parliament is largely effective at challenging the work of
government
Parliament is effective in challenging the Parliament is not effective in challenging the
government government
Parliament needs to vote for government Legislation voted on is determined by the
legislation government
• Any legislation the government wants to • However, what is placed in front of
pass has to be approved by Parliament parliament to vote on is largely
before becoming law determined by the Executive as they
• Therefore parliament can scrutinise the would be the ones predominantly
legislation to its own liking pushing legislation through as they have
• This is especially prevalent in the House the majority
of Lords where they regularly send bills • As they usually have the majority
back for amendment in the Commons support in Parliament, most bills are
• An example would be the Rwanda bill inevitably passed despite possible
which was passed by the Commons, but backlash from opposition MPs or even
then the House of Lords called for their own backbenchers
amendments and sent it back, before • The Fixed-Term Parliament Act 2011
passing it once amendments were was passed by a Conservative-Liberal
considered Democrat majority, 8 years later it was
superseded and repealed by the same
Conservative Party
• Therefore it is hard to stop a
government in its tracks
Backbench strength Strong whip system
• Backbenchers despite not having any • The whips system in the UK is very
executive power, is powerful in itself as strong
they make up the majority of the • Whips are able to utilise the patronage
government MPs powers of the Prime Minister and offer
• A government must maintain support backbench MPs government jobs if they
from its backbench or face massive abide by the government rulings
difficulty in passing its legislation • They are also able to use the 3-line whip
• Without backbench MPs they are unable which forces MPs to vote along party
to pass legislation lines or face being kicked out of the
• Theresa May saw difficulty in her Parliamentary party which derails ones
attempt on Brexit when she lost the career
support of many Brexiteer Conservatives • Boris Johnson implemented a 3-line
who voted against her deal multiple whip for his Brexit deal in 2019 which
times saw it passed despite 21 MPs rebelling
• Boris Johnson lost the confidence of his like Rory Stewart and Kenneth Clarke
backbench MPs after Party-gate and • It requires a substantial rebellion to
faced a vote of confidence in the 1922 oust/put pressure on the government
Committee which he survived but
effectively ended his premiership
,Weak majorities = Parliamentary government Strong majorities = Executive/Prime Ministerial
• Majority sizes can also effect the government
challenge which Parliament puts up • Stronger majorities means that each
against the government individual MP will be weaker as the
• Smaller majorities or even minority government does not have to concern
governments require almost 100% themselves with losing a few MPs as
cooperation by Parliament for the they would likely pass their legislation
government to be effective anyways
• Each individual MP would be more • Therefore they are able to pass what
powerful in their vote as the government they want, whenever they want
can only afford to lose a few MPs, • Tony Blair originally gained a 418 seat
therefore the government would try and majority in 1997 and had strong
keep the MPs as happy as possible majorities throughout his premiership,
• Therefore Parliament would have more this allowed him to pass almost
control over what legislation the anything through Parliament as
government will introduce as they would opposition against him could not rack
only introduce legislation that can pass up anywhere near enough MPs to rebel
to avoid embarrassment of defeat effectively which had further allowed
• Theresa May's minority government him to pursue unpopular policies like
from 2017 onwards had to negotiate the War on Iraq despite rebellions that
hard with the right of her party as she would have crippled any other
tried for a softer Brexit whereas they government
wanted a hard Brexit, in addition to that
due to her minority status, she had to
further negotiate with other parties like
the DUP to vote along with her
Evaluate the view that since 2010 the Executive has dominated Parliament
Executive has been dominating Parliament Executive has not been dominating Parliament
2019 80-seat Conservative majority 2017-2019 Conservative minority government
• The large majority obtained by Boris in • 2017-2019 saw the Conservatives
2019 allowed him to dominate become a minority government
Parliament as it now meant that he was • Meaning they had to depend on the DUP
able to afford small rebellions because for confidence and supply to remain the
he would likely be able to pass most government
legislation needed with a decent • Therefore May could not afford any
majority rebellions from her MPs and they had
• Many new MPs were elected in 2019, massive control over her legislation and
meaning they also owed their seats to she had no control over Parliament
Boris, meaning loyalty to the executive • May faced a confidence vote against her
was high as well and her Brexit deal was rejected
• Boris had done what his predecessor for overwhelmingly
the past 3 years could not and finally
passed Brexit despite rebellion from 21
MPs
Coalition created a relatively decent majority The need for a coalition 2010-2015
of 20+ • The beginning of the period saw the
parties look to form a coalition
, • The coalition had formed a majority of • This entailed that 2 enemies in the
around 360+ seats and can be election with opposing views had to
considered quite stable given the work together (the LibDems and
circumstances of a hung parliament Conservatives)
• This majority allowed them to pass • Therefore Parliament was now crucial as
many reforms which rivalled the status 2 usually opposing parties now had to
of that of the New Labour government work together to ensure rebellion would
which had much larger majorities than not occur in their backbench MP
itself • The Conservatives had to make many
• They managed to pass the Same Sex legislative concessions with the LibDems
Marriage Act 2013, raised tuition fees in order to remain in government, such
and Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 as hosting an AV referendum in 2011
which were seen as major reforms which oddly saw the 2 governing parties
• This proves that despite the status as a campaign for both sides of the
coalition, the executive still pushed referendum
through with their own agenda and had
gotten Parliament to submit to its will
and pass their agenda
Discipline remained during votes 2022-present instability
• Since the instability began, there has • Backbenchers now hold a lot of power as
been no confidence vote administered the past 2 Prime Ministers have yet to
in the House of Commons and there has win a general election, therefore no
not been a substantial rebellion in democratic legitimacy/mandate
major votes • This weakens the executive's position as
• This shows that the executive and whips they derive their sole democratic
still have Parliament largely under legitimacy from Parliament itself
control and the executive still controls • They are at the mercy of the backbench
Parliament MPs to keep them in government
• Rishi Sunak only faced a rebellion of 11 • When Rishi Sunak formed his cabinet, he
MPs in his flagship Rwanda bill, with had brought in people that were
their reason not resonating with the considered to be his power rivals from
vast majority of the public as they voted different factions in the party like Suella
against it for 'not being tough enough' Braverman who was the face of the right
• Liz Truss was ousted after the mini
budget as the backbench MPs had no
confidence in her actions which led her
to become the shortest lasting PM in the
UK
Evaluate the view that the Supreme Court has strengthened Parliamentary
Sovereignty
Supreme Court has not strengthened Supreme Court has strengthened
Parliamentary sovereignty Parliamentary sovereignty
Conflicts with the principle of Parliament not Upholds statutes and conventions, keeping
being impeded by any court Parliament the highest legislative authority
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