 starter activity
I must remember
to put in my
expenses claim for
this blue rosette
Your local MP is Michael Howard. He is paid a salary of over £60,000 a year
and receives additional allowances for office staff, accommodation and travel
expenses. Do you think MPs are value for money?
 Aims
Are MPs value for
money?
To define the term ‘backbencher’
To identify the different roles of an MP
To examine how the responsibilities of MPs
have changed in recent years
 Your task

What is meant by the term ‘backbencher’? Read
Watts, p.193-4 and write your own definition.
Backbenchers
MPs who literally sit behind the ‘frontbench’
or leading spokespeople for their party
 Don’t hold ministerial posts
 Fulfil all conventional roles of an MPs, e.g
represent constituents, can introduce Private
Members’ Bills, sit on committees, take part
in law-making and debates

 Your task

Read Watts, p.193-5 and take notes on the key
roles of an MP. Note examples of conflicts of
interest, too.
Be loyal to the Party




MPs expected to ‘toe the party line’ in debates &
votes
Attend party committees
Promote party policies
However, increasing examples of backbench
rebellions, e.g. Iraq, tuition fees, anti-terror
legislation
Serve the Constituency





Regular surgeries
Promoting constituency interests
Attending political meetings & social functions
Receiving constituents who visit Westminster
Handle grievances & ensure they are dealt with
at appropriate level, e.g. by asking questions in
House
Serve the nation





Attend house regularly
Take part in debates
Serve on select & standing committees
Take part in law-making process
1996 survey, 50% of MP’s time taken up with
parliamentary opposed to constituency duties
Advance personal causes



Private Members’ Bills
Act as spokespersons for particular interests or
areas of their expertise
Lobbied by private companies
Conflicts of interest


Constituency needs may conflict with national
policy, e.g. closure of a local industry
Personal interests may conflict with party policy,
e.g. foreign policy issues such as Iraq War
 Your task
There are three ways in which MPs claim to be
representative. Study and summaries the three main
theories of representation described in Roberts, p.282.
Trustee
Key features
Limitations
Delegate
Mandate
3 models of representation



Trustee model – (originates with C18th
politician, Edmund Burke) MPs have a duty to
consult with constituents but ultimately must act
according to own consciences
Delegate model – MPs act as mouthpiece for
constituents irregardless of personal opinions
Mandate model – MPs elected as party members
with duty to fulfil policies in manifesto
Problems with these models



Party whips undermine the trustee model
because MPs risk losing the whip if they act
according to individual conscience
Delegate model makes MPs much more
accountable, and liable to disappoint some
members of constituency
MPs following Mandate model often accused of
‘toadyism’ and being out of touch with country
 Your task

Changing role of MPs. Read Roberts p.283-285
and find examples of ways in which the role of
MPs has changed in recent years.
Limitations





MPs meet constituents, pressure groups, party
officials, members of the media etc.
Average constituency covers 150 sq. miles, with
65,000 constituents; many long distances from
Westminster
Parliamentary sessions last longer, more bills
Growth of select committees (involves 25%
MPs)
Growth of ‘professional’ MPs (A.King)
Reforms under New Labour





1994 Commons Committee on Standards in Public Life
1997, New Labour set up Modernisation Committee
2002, introduced by R.Cook, leader of HoC, for
reductions in working hours from 11.30am to 7pm
(instead of 2.30pm to 11 pm)
PMQs merged into 1 half-hour session on Wednesdays
(instead of 15 min. Tues & Thurs)
Summer recess remained, but began and ended 2 weeks
earlier in order to sit for 2 weeks before conference
season
Robin Cook
 Plenary

Are MPs value for money? Write a judgement
paragraph giving detailed examples to illustrate
your argument.