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Encyclopedia > Official Opposition (UK)
United Kingdom

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
the United Kingdom
Image File history File links UK_Royal_Coat_of_Arms. ... The politics of the United Kingdom are based upon a unitary state and a constitutional monarchy. ...

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Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, or the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom is the largest opposition party in the House of Commons. This is usually the second-largest party, as the largest party will form the government. The role of the Opposition is to examine the government's proposals for new laws, scrutinise its policies and hold Ministers to account and for this purpose, maintains a Shadow Cabinet. At the same time, it seeks to promote itself as a possible alternative government. The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... This article describes the British monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor) (born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen independent nations known as the Commonwealth Realms. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The Lord Speaker (or Lady Speaker) will be a new position in the British Parliament created once the Constitutional Reform Acts provisions about the Speakership of the House of Lords comes into effect. ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Lord Falconer of Thoroton Charles Leslie Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, PC (born 19 November 1951) is a British barrister and Labour Party politician. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. ... Michael Martin Michael John Martin MP (born July 3, 1945, Glasgow, Scotland) is the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the head of government and so exercises many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and MP for Sedgefield. ... Prime Ministers Questions is a Parliamentary practice in the United Kingdom where every Wednesday when the House of Commons is sitting, the Prime Minister spends half an hour answering questions from MPs. ... In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body comprised of government officials chosen by the Prime Minister. ... The Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Ministries, known in the United Kingdom as Government Departments. ... The Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Her Majestys Loyal Opposition (the body in Parliament recognized as the Official Opposition). ... David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician, Leader of the Conservative Party, and Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons. ... The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (normally referred to simply as The Shadow Cabinet) is, in British parliamentary practice, a group of members from Her Majestys Loyal Opposition whose job it is to scrutinise their opposite numbers in government and come up with alternative policies. ... The United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system: England and Wales have one system, Scotland another, and Northern Ireland another. ... Schematic of court system for England and Wales The United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system—England and Wales have one system, Scotland another, and Northern Ireland a third. ... 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The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (Welsh: Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru, LlCC) is the executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ... The Northern Ireland Executive as established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 is the (currently suspended) executive body for Northern Ireland, answerable to the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... In the United Kingdom reserved matters, also referred to as reserved powers, are those subjects over which power to legislate is retained by Westminster, as stated by the Scotland Act 1998, Northern Ireland Act 1998 or Government of Wales Act 1998. ... There is no single system of local government in the United Kingdom. ... For more coverage on London, see the London Portal. ... The United Kingdom has five distinct types of elections: general, local, regional, European and mayoral. ... Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 and won by the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair. ... Under the provisions of the Parliament Act 1911, the next United Kingdom general election must be held on or before 3 June, 2010. ... Political parties in the United Kingdom lists political parties in the United Kingdom. ... The United Kingdom has a long and established tradition of respect for its citizens human rights. ... British Prime Minister Tony Blair (left) conducting diplomacy, hosted by the President of the United States, George W. Bush at Camp David in March 2003. ... The European Union or EU is a supranational and intergovernmental union of 25 European states. ... Image File history File links European_flag. ... This article or section needs to be updated. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Parliamentary Opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. ... A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... A minister or a secretary is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. ... The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (normally referred to simply as The Shadow Cabinet) is, in British parliamentary practice, a group of members from Her Majestys Loyal Opposition whose job it is to scrutinise their opposite numbers in government and come up with alternative policies. ...


Since May 1997, the Official Opposition has been the Conservative Party. The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ...

Contents


Opposition Days

Whilst most days in Parliament are set aside for government business, 20 days in the House of Commons are set aside for opposition debates. Of these days, 17 are at the disposal of the Leader of the Opposition and 3 can be used by the leader of the smaller opposition party. [1] The Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Her Majestys Loyal Opposition (the body in Parliament recognized as the Official Opposition). ...


Although the Opposition has no more formal powers in setting the Parliamentary agends, in reality they have a certain influence through a process known as the usual channels. [1] Usual Channels is a term used in British politics to describe the relationship between the Whips of the Government and the Opposition. ...


Origins

The phrase His Majesty's Opposition was coined in 1826, before the advent of the modern two/three parliamentary system, when parliament consisted of interests, relationships and factions rather more than coherant political parties. Attacking the Foreign Secretary, George Canning in the House of Commons, John Hobhouse said "It is said to be hard on His Majesty's Ministers to raise objections of this character but it is more hard on His Majesty's Opposition to compel them to take this course." The phrase was widely welcomed and has been in use ever since. The position of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was created in the United Kingdoms governmental reorganization of 1782, in which the Northern and Southern Departments became the Home and Foreign Offices. ... George Canning (April 11, 1770 - August 8, 1827) was a British politician who served as Foreign Secretary and, briefly, Prime Minister. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... John Cam Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton and 2nd Baronet, PC (1786–1869) was the eldest son of Sir Benjamin Hobhouse, born at Redland near Bristol, educated at Westminster School and at Cambridge, where he became intimate with Lord Byron, and accompanied him in his journeys in the Peninsula, Greece, and...


Leader of the Opposition

Main article: Leader of the Opposition (UK).

The Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition is often seen as the Prime Minister in waiting. Since 1915, the Leader of the Opposition has, like the Prime Minister, always been an MP. Before that a member of the House of Lords sometimes took on the role, although often there was no overall Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Her Majestys Loyal Opposition (the body in Parliament recognized as the Official Opposition). ...


Though there has not recently been a dispute as to who holds the position under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 (c27) s2 (2)) the Speaker’s decision on the identity of the Leader of the Opposition is final .[1] In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. ...


Ministers' Questions

Prime Minister's Questions

Main article: Prime Minister's Questions

The most public parliamentary function of the Leader of the Opposition is Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), currently a 30 minute session held on Wednesday afternoons when Parliament is sitting. The Leader of the Opposition has 6 questions, which he usually splits into two sets. Other backbench opposition MPs also have the right to question the Prime Minister; they are selected either through a ballot, or by "catching the Speaker's eye". By convention other Shadow Cabinet members do not question the PM at PMQs, except when standing in for the Leader. Prime Ministers Questions is a Parliamentary practice in the United Kingdom where every Wednesday when the House of Commons is sitting, the Prime Minister spends half an hour answering questions from MPs. ...


Other Ministers' Questions

Every government department is subjected to questions in the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. As with PMQs, the official opposition spokesmen are allocated a number of questions, and in addition backbench MPs are free to ask questions. In the House of Lords, opposition spokesmen also question the government. This is one of the reasons why every government department (and opposition shadow department) has at least one MP and one peer in it.


Seating

As is usual with Westminster style systems, and other statutory assemblies and councils in the UK, the government and its supporters sit to the right of the Speaker, whilst the Opposition parties sit to the left. [2] Currently the Conservative Party occupies all the benches nearest to the speaker, including the frontbench directly opposite the usual seating places of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.


The Liberal Democrats, Nationalist and Unionist parties, Respect, IKHH all occupy the benches further from the Speaker, together with some of the Conservative MPs. Since 1997 the Liberal Democrats have occupied the front bench in these seats, previously these had been occupied by the main opposition party [citation needed]. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. ... Respect is an attitude of acknowledging the feelings and interests of another party in a relationship, and of treating as consequential for the self the helping or harming of the other. ... Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern (often known by the shorter name Health Concern) is a political party based in Kidderminster, England. ...


Notes and References

  1. ^ a b c UK Parliament Standard Note:SN/PC/3910, 8th February 2006. Accessed 3rd June 2006.
  2. ^ BBC News Opposition Thursday, 19 January 2006, 16:26 GMT, accessed 3rd June 2006

See also


  Results from FactBites:
 
Official Opposition (UK) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (630 words)
Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, or the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom is the largest opposition party in the House of Commons.
The role of the Opposition is to examine the government's proposals for new laws, scrutinise its policies and hold Ministers to account and for this purpose, maintains a Shadow Cabinet.
Of these days, 17 are at the disposal of the Leader of the Opposition and 3 can be used by the leader of the smaller opposition party.
Conservative Party (UK) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (5150 words)
The official party colours are red, white and blue, though blue is most generally associated with the party in contrast to the red of the Labour Party.
Many commentators believe that their failures in UK politics from 1997 were partly the result of continued internal tension between Europhiles (such as Kenneth Clarke and Michael Heseltine) and Eurosceptics (such as John Redwood and William Hague).
Following the election of David Cameron as leader, the party has increasingly focussed on environmental policies, a stance which has drawn fire from other parties and some sections of the media who perceive this change in focus to be merely cosmetic in nature, given the Party's traditional focus on economic growth.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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