The House of Commons and the House of Lords

The House of Commons and the House of Lords are the two chambers of the UK Parliament. Together with the Monarch, they form the legislature and play a central role in making laws, scrutinising the government and representing different interests within society. Understanding the structure and role of both Houses is essential for A-Level Politics students as they are a key part of the study of Parliament and are frequently examined in questions about legislative processes, scrutiny, representation and constitutional reform.

This topic can be found in the following A-Level Politics specifications:

• AQA A-Level Politics | Component 1: Government and Politics of the UK | Topic 2: The Structure and Role of Parliament
• Pearson Edexcel A-Level Politics | Component 2: UK Government and Non-Core Political Ideas | Topic 2: UK Parliament

Definitions

• House of Commons: The elected chamber of Parliament consisting of 650 Members of Parliament who represent geographical constituencies.
• House of Lords: The unelected second chamber of Parliament consisting of life peers, hereditary peers and Lords Spiritual.
• Member of Parliament: An elected representative who sits in the House of Commons and represents a constituency.
• Life Peer: A member of the House of Lords appointed for life who cannot pass their title to descendants.
• Legislation: Laws created and passed by Parliament.

Key Features

The Structure of the House of Commons

The House of Commons is the elected chamber of Parliament and consists of 650 MPs elected using the First Past the Post system. Each MP represents a constituency and is responsible for representing the interests of local voters. The Commons is the dominant chamber as it is democratically elected. The government is formed from the party that can command a majority in the House of Commons, giving it significant influence over legislation, taxation and public spending.

The Structure of the House of Lords

The House of Lords is the unelected second chamber of Parliament. Its members include life peers, hereditary peers and Lords Spiritual. Life peers are appointed because of their expertise or public service, hereditary peers inherit their titles, and Lords Spiritual are senior bishops of the Church of England. Unlike MPs, members of the House of Lords do not represent constituencies. Instead, they contribute specialist knowledge and experience to parliamentary debates and scrutiny.

The Functions of Both Houses

Both Houses play important roles in making and scrutinising laws. The House of Commons debates, amends and votes on legislation, scrutinises the government through mechanisms such as Prime Minister's Questions and Select Committees, and represents constituents. The House of Lords acts mainly as a revising chamber, examining legislation in detail and proposing amendments. It also scrutinises government policy through debates and committee work. Bills normally need approval from both Houses before receiving Royal Assent, and disagreements may be resolved through parliamentary ping-pong. Together, the two chambers combine democratic legitimacy with detailed legislative scrutiny.

Evaluation

Advantages

• Democratic legitimacy in the Commons: MPs are directly elected by voters, ensuring democratic accountability and representation.
• Expert scrutiny in the Lords: Many peers possess specialist expertise in fields such as law, medicine, business and public administration, improving the quality of legislative scrutiny.
• Checks and balances: The existence of two chambers ensures that legislation receives detailed examination before becoming law.

Disadvantages

• Unelected Lords: Members of the House of Lords are not elected, leading to criticism that the chamber lacks democratic legitimacy.
• Government dominance in the Commons: Governments with large majorities can often pass legislation despite opposition criticism.
• Limited powers of the Lords: The Lords can delay and amend legislation but usually cannot prevent the Commons from passing laws.

Debate and Arguments

One of the most significant debates concerns the role of the House of Lords. Supporters argue that the Lords provides valuable expertise and detailed scrutiny of legislation, helping to improve the quality of laws. Critics argue that the chamber is undemocratic because most of its members are appointed rather than elected.

There is also debate about reform of the House of Lords. Some political parties and constitutional scholars support a wholly elected second chamber, arguing that this would increase democratic legitimacy. Others favour retaining appointed members because they bring specialist knowledge and greater independence from party politics.

Another debate concerns the balance of power between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Supporters of the current system argue that the Commons should remain dominant because it is democratically elected. Others believe that the Lords should have stronger powers to challenge government proposals and improve scrutiny.

Political and academic debates also focus on the extent to which Parliament effectively scrutinises the government. Some argue that the Commons can become dominated by the executive when governments have large majorities. Others believe that the combined work of the Commons and Lords provides sufficient checks and balances within the UK political system.

Summary

Students should remember:

• The House of Commons is the elected chamber of Parliament and contains 650 MPs.
• The House of Lords is the unelected second chamber and consists of life peers, hereditary peers and Lords Spiritual.
• The Commons is responsible for representation, law-making and government scrutiny.
• The Lords primarily revises legislation and provides expert scrutiny.
• Although both Houses are important, the House of Commons remains the dominant chamber because it is democratically elected and possesses greater legislative authority.