NCTJ Public Affairs Revision Definitions 100% Correct

NCTJ Public Affairs Revision Definitions 100% Correct Collective responsibility • All government ministers must publicly support government policy. • They must resign if they do not. Individual ministerial responsibility • If something goes wrong in their individual department, a minister should resign. e.g. Chris Grayling, Minister for Transport, should resign but hasn't. Backbench MPs • A backbench MP is an MP who is not a member of the governmen or the shadow opposition. e.g. Robert Halfon for Harlow Responsibilities of backbench MPs • Represent their constituents. • They take part in debates and votes in Parliament. • Hold surgeries where constituents can bring up issues they have. • Backbench MPs can put questions to ministers. • Some are members of select committees (which are linked to government departments, e.g. Robert Halfon is the Chair of the Education Select Committee). • Backbench MPs would normally support their government, as they take the government whip. • Backbench MPs currently have taken control of Parliament and what's going on. Party discipline • Party discipline is enforced by the whips system. • The large parties have a chief whip. • A chief whip has the responsibility to keep all the members of the party in order and ensure they vote the correct way. • Every week the MPs will receive a letter with the events of parliament. They are marked with one line, two lines or three lines. Three lines important events that the MPs MUST attend, although recently they have been ignored. UK general election voting requirements • Aged 18+ • Resident in the UK. • UK, Irish or Commonwealth citizen. • Registered on the electoral register. Voting bans A person can be banned from voting if they are: • A convicted felon - actively serving a prison sentence.