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Parliament name Parliament More photos  >>> Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name House of Commons Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) House of Lords Affiliation to the IPU Yes Affiliation date(s) 1889 - LEADERSHIP President John Bercow (M)  Notes Elected on 22 June 2009, re-elected on 18 May 2010. Secretary General Robert Rogers (M)  Notes 1 Oct. 2011 - COMPOSITION Members (statutory / current number) 650 / 650 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN More statistics  >>> Women (current number) 145 (22.31%) Mode of designation directly elected 650 Term 5 years Last renewal dates 6 May 2010 (View details) CONTACT INFORMATION Address House of Commons LONDON - SW1A 0AA (Export mailing lists) Phone (44) 20 7219 3000 Fax (44) 20 7219 5839* (House of Commons Information Office) *Please send all correspondence by e-mail where possible. *Prière d'utiliser de préférence le courriel. E-mail hcinfo@parliament.uk (House of Commons Information Office) Website http://www.parliament.uk http://www.parliamentlive.tv

Parliament name Parliament Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name House of Commons Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) House of Lords LEGAL FRAMEWORK Electoral law 8 February 1983 Last amendment: 18 March 2009 Mode of designation directly elected 650 Constituencies 650 single-member constituencies: - 533 for England - 59 for Scotland - 40 for Wales - 18 for Northern Ireland Voting system Majority: Single member plurality systems ("first past the post"). Vacancies arising between general elections are filled through by elections. Voting is not compulsory. Voter requirements - age: 18 years - British, Irish or Commonwealth citizenship - disqualifications: imprisonment, detention in mental health institutions, members of the House of Lords, conviction for electoral offence (disqualification for a period of five years) CANDIDATES Eligibility Qualified electors - age: 21 years - British, Irish or Commonwealth citizenship - ineligibility: insanity, undischarged bankruptcy, imprisonment exceeding one year Incompatibilities - members of the armed forces - policemen - civil servants - holders of certain judicial offices - clergymen (except of non-conformist churches) - peers - members of a large number of public boards and tribunals Candidacy requirements - lists must be supported by at least 10 electors - deposit of £500, reimbursed if candidate obtains at least 5% of the total votes in the constituency concerned

Parliament name Parliament Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name House of Commons Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) House of Lords BACKGROUND Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 6 May 2010 Timing and scope of renewal Elections were held for all the seats in the House of Commons on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. On 6 April 2010, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that elections would be held on 6 May. The elections followed a revision of the constituency boundaries (see note 1), which increased the statutory number of members of the House of Commons from 646 to 650. In the previous elections held in May 2005, the Labour Party, led by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, won 355 of the 646 seats at stake, with 35.19 per cent of the votes. The Conservative Party (commonly referred to as the Tories) came in a distant second with 198 seats, although it won 32.35 per cent of the votes - a result of the first-past-the post electoral system. The Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) took 62 seats, with 22.05 per cent of the votes. The remaining seats were taken by nine other parties. In December 2005, Mr. David Cameron was elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party. In June 2007, Mr. Blair - who had served as Prime Minister since Labour had taken power from the Conservatives in 1997 - resigned and was succeeded by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister), Mr. Brown. Under the latter's government, the country was hit by the global economic crisis in 2008, followed by a parliamentary expenses scandal in 2009, which led Speaker Michael Martin to resign in May 2009. He became the first Commons Speaker to be forced out of office since 1695. In February 2010, the House of Commons approved government plans to hold a nationwide referendum on changing the electoral system from "first-past-the-post" to "alternative votes" (see note 2). The Labour Party, which had pledged electoral reform in its 1997 election manifesto, argued that the new voting system was needed to restore trust in politics. The Liberal Democrats led by Mr. Nick Clegg, which have historically been a strong proponent of electoral reform, supported the plan. On the contrary, the Conservative Party argued that the current system had ensured a stable government and kept out extremists. It pledged to abolish the referendum plan if it won the general elections. Finally, the outgoing House of Commons was dissolved before the Bill could become law. In the 2010 elections, three parties - Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats remained major contenders. In all, 4,150 candidates were vying for seats. Owing to the death of one candidate, the election in one constituency in North Yorkshire was postponed to 27 May. The media focused on whether the Conservatives - in opposition since 1997 - would return to power. The main issues included addressing the budget deficit in the aftermath of the financial crisis, British troops in Afghanistan and the country's relationship with the European Union (EU). Prime Minister Brown urged voters to give his Labour Party a clear mandate to consolidate the economic recovery. He promised to continue to invest in schools, childcare and the National Health Service (NHS), while applying a 50 per-cent income tax on high-income earners. Conservative leader Cameron said his party would give the country a fresh start. He pledged immediate spending cuts of £ 6 billion in his first year in office, while protecting the NHS and foreign aid. He also promised corporate tax cuts. The Liberal Democrats leader, Mr. Clegg, argued that only his party would bring about real change in UK politics, pledging to play a major role in any new government. He promised to cut public spending by £ 15 billion a year. The Labour Party pledged to begin pulling out the British troops in Afghanistan in the last quarter of 2011 while the Conservatives aimed at a full withdrawal within five years. The latter further pledged to double the operational bonus for troops serving in Afghanistan in the meantime. The Liberal Democrats promised to come up with a successful strategy that would stabilize Afghanistan enough to allow British troops' withdrawal during the next Parliament. On the relationship with the EU, the Conservative Party pledged to change the law so that a referendum would be required on any new treaty that would transfer more power from the UK to the EU. The Labour Party pledged to push for an outward-facing European Union that delivers jobs, prosperity and global influence. The Liberal Democrats promised to bring Britain to the heart of Europe, so as to "achieve prosperity, security and opportunity for Britain". Pre-election opinion polls predicted that no party would secure a majority, and indicated the likelihood of a "hung parliament". The Liberal Democratic Party, which ranked third in the polls, was expected to be a king maker in the new House of Commons. Its leader Clegg - a former member of the European Parliament known for his pro-EU policies - did not reveal which party he would align with if none won a clear majority. On 6 May, 65.1 per cent of the 45 million registered voters turned out at the polls. Due to the high turnout (up from 61.79 in the 2005 polls), voters waiting in line in several polling stations could not cast their ballots before the official deadline of 10 p.m. The 2010 elections resulted in the first hung parliament since 1974, when fresh elections had been called in the same year. The Conservatives came in first with 306 seats. Labour and the Liberal Democrats followed with 258 and 57 seats respectively. The remainder went to small parties. In all, 143 women were elected. A period of uncertainty about which party would form a government followed the elections. On 10 May, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democratic Party announced a coalition government headed by Mr. Cameron, with Mr. Clegg as his deputy. Mr. Brown announced that he would resign both as leader of the Labour Party and as Prime Minister. The following day, Queen Elisabeth officially confirmed 43 year-old Mr. Cameron as the new Prime Minister. He became the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool took office in 1812 at age 42. On 18 May, the newly elected House of Commons held its first session and re-elected Mr. John Bercow as its Speaker (see note 3). Note 1: In all, 478 of 533 constituencies in England, 22 of 40 constituencies in Wales, and all 18 seats in Northern Ireland have had their boundaries changed since 2005. In Scotland, changes to the constituency boundaries had already been introduced for the 2005 elections. Note 2: In the alternative votes system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. A candidate obtaining more than 50 per cent of the first choice votes is declared elected. If no candidate secures more than 50 per cent of the votes, the candidate with the fewest number of votes is eliminated and voters' second choices are allocated to the remaining candidates. This process continues until a winner emerges. Note 3: Mr. Bercow had sat as a member of the Conservative Party before being elected as Speaker in June 2009. In the House of Commons, the Speaker ceases to be involved in party politics upon election. STATISTICS Voter turnout Round no 1 6 May 2010 Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes 45'597'461 65.1% Notes Distribution of votes Round no 1 Political group Candidates Votes % of votes Conservative Party Labour Party Liberal Democrats Democratic Unionist Party Scottish National Party Sinn Fein Plaid Cymru Social Democratic and Labour Party Greens Alliance Party of Northern Ireland The Speaker Independents Distribution of seats Round no 1 Political Group Total of seats Conservative Party 306 Labour Party 258 Liberal Democrats 57 Democratic Unionist Party 8 Scottish National Party 6 Sinn Fein 5 Plaid Cymru 3 Social Democratic and Labour Party 3 Greens 1 Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 1 The Speaker 1 Independents 1 Distribution of seats according to sex Men Women Percent of women 507 143 22.00% Distribution of seats according to age 21 to 30 years 31 to 40 years 41 to 50 years 51 to 60 years 61 to 70 years Over 70 years 15 113 198 213 96 15 Distribution of seats according to profession Finance, management or business Others Legal profession Education profession Journalism, broadcasting, media Trade union official Civil society activity Civil service and local authority administration Armed services/Police Architect, surveyor, engineer Agriculture/farming Physician, dentist Research/sciences 243 119 86 49 38 27 18 18 17 13 10 9 3 Comments Sources: House of Commons (12.05.2010, 28.05.2010, 25.03.2011, 04.01.2012) http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/state-of-the-parties/ http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/speaker-the/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ http://www.parliament.uk/briefingpapers/commons/lib/research/rp2010/RP10-036.pdf

Parliament name Parliament Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name House of Commons Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) House of Lords APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE Title Speaker of the House of Commons Term - duration: 5 years (term of House) - reasons for interruption of the term: death, illness, resignation Appointment - elected by all Members of the House at the beginning of every new Parliament (or when the incumbent Speaker resigns or dies), before the other Members are sworn in Eligibility - any Member can be a candidate Voting system - formal vote with public ballot and simple majority - there is one round of voting in the event of 2 candidates contesting the election Procedures / results - the father of the House, the Member with the longest continuous period of service, presides over the Assembly during the voting - Clerks supervise the voting - the father of the House announces the results immediately the Division is completed - the results cannot be challenged STATUS Status - Speaker's rank is defined by the Order in Council of 30th May 1919, which stated that the Speaker should have precedence immediately after the Lord President of the Council - reads messages from the Queen and presents bills for the Royal Assent, presents Addresses of the Commons to the Sovereign, represents the House at State occasions (Royal weddings...) - is ex officio Chairman of the House of Commons Commission and Chairman of the 4 Boundary Commissions - in the absence of the Speaker, one of the 3 deputies ( the Chairman of Ways and Means, the first Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means or the second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means ) can assume his/her role and functions Board Material facilities - same salary as a Cabinet Minister - official residence in the Palace of Westminster - staff of 10 including a Housekeeper, Chaplain and Constituency Secretary FUNCTIONS Organization of parliamentary business - organizes the debates and sets speaking time - selects amendments, new clauses and schedules to bills and determines the order, but the examination of the admissibility is carried out by the Department of the Clerk of the House The Leader of the House, who is a Member of the Government: - convenes sessions - establishes and modifies the agenda Chairing of public sittings - can adjourn and close sittings and re-convene them if adjourned - ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders - makes announcements concerning the House - takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures - gives and withdraws permission to speak - establishes the order in which amendments are taken up and selects which amendments are to be debated - calls for a vote if judgement is disputed, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities - does not check the quorum ; however if in a division it is found that fewer than 35 Members have voted, the business under consideration stands over - authenticates formally the Votes and Proceedings, the minutes of the House - interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the House, according to precedents - has discretionary power to give the floor outside the agenda and thus organizes impromptu debates Special powers - is responsible for establishing the budget as Chairman of the House of Commons Commission - is responsible for recruitment, assignation and promotion of staff as Chairman of the House of Commons Commission - is responsible for the organization of the services of Parliament as Chairman of the House of Commons Commission - a branch of the Department of the Clerk is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments - Serjeant at Arms is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the House Speaking and voting rights, other functions - provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion - takes part in voting only when the numbers in a division are equal - provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion - takes part in voting only when the numbers in a division is equal

Parliament name Parliament Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name House of Commons Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) House of Lords NATURE Nature of the mandate · Free representation Start of the mandate · When the MPs take the oath Validation of mandates · No validation except in case of challenge by parliamentary election petitions (election trials, (in)validation by the appropriate judiciary (Part III, S. 120 to 126 of the Representation of the People Act 1983)) or in case of legal disabilities ((in)validation by the House of Commons or by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council). See also loss of mandate. · Procedure End of the mandate · On the day when the legal term of the House ends - or on the day of early dissolution Can MPs resign? No · No, but he may apply for certain nominal offices which have been retained for purposes of resignation · Procedure Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes (a) Definitive exclusion from Parliament by the latter: - Disqualification for membership by the House of Commons - Expulsion (b) Loss of mandate by judicial decision: - Election trials - Disqualification of certain office-holders by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council STATUS OF MEMBERS Rank in hierarchy · Within Parliament: 1. The Speaker 2. The other MPs (equal in rank) · Outside Parliament: the official order of precedence ranks the Speaker in the 12th position. It does not accord a rank to the other MPs. Indemnities, facilities and services · No diplomatic or official passport · Basic salary: £ 64,766 per annum (from 1 April 2009) + Additional allowance for office-holders: in accordance with office + Supplementary London Allowance (MPs for Inner London seats and certain others): £ 1,406 per annum · Exemption from tax · Pension scheme · Other facilities: (a) Secretariat/assistants (b) Official housing for the Speaker (c) Official cars for the Speaker, the Deputy Speakers, and the Leader of the Opposition (d) Security guards (e) Postal and telephone services (f) Travel and transport (g) Other Obligation to declare personal assets Yes Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability · The concept does exist (called "parliamentary privilege"; Art. IX of the Bill of Rights of 1689). · Parliamentary non-accountability is limited to words spoken or written by MPs and votes cast within Parliament. · Derogations: use of disorderly or unparliamentary expressions (Standing Order (SO) 42 and 43 of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business)/contempt of Parliament in cases of disobedience to rules or orders of the House (for both see Discipline) · Non-accountability takes effect (on the day when the mandate begins) and offers (. It does not offer), after the expiry of the mandate, protection against prosecution for opinions expressed during the exercise of the mandate. Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability · The concept does exist (called "parliamentary privilege"). · It applies only to civil proceedings, covers all offences, but protects MPs only from arrest and imprisonment (Parliamentary Privilege Act of 1770). · Derogations: in cases of contempt of court, the House of Commons has accepted that Members can be imprisoned. · Parliamentary inviolability does prevent MPs from being called as witnesses before a judge or tribunal if the Speaker certifies that their attendance is required at the House. · Technically, protection is provided from 40 days before the session starts until 40 days after the House has been prorogued or dissolved (however, the interval between prorogation and new session is usually a fortnight). Since parliamentary inviolability does not cover judicial proceedings in general, it does not cover judicial proceedings instituted against MPs before their election. · Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) cannot be lifted. · Parliament cannot subject the prosecution and/or detention to certain conditions. · Parliament cannot suspend the prosecution and/or detention of one of its members. · In the event of preventive custody or imprisonment, the MPs concerned cannot be authorised to attend sittings of Parliament. EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE Training · There is a training/initiation process on parliamentary practices and procedures for MPs. A series of seminars is arranged after the General Election. · It is provided by the Clerk's Department. · Handbooks of parliamentary procedure: - Short Guide to Procedure and Practice - Parliamentary Practice (Erskine May, 21st ed., 1989) - Standing Orders Participation in the work of the Parliament · It is only compulsory for MPs to be present at meetings of Opposed Private Bill Committees (SO 122 Relating to Private Business). · Penalty foreseen in case of failure to fulfil this obligation: report to the House by the Committee of Selection · Body competent to judge such cases/to impose the penalty: the Committee of Selection Discipline · The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in SO 41 to 45 of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business and in customary law (see also Chapters 8, 9 and 18 of Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice, 21st ed., London, Butterworths, 1989). · Disciplinary measures foreseen : - Order to discontinue the speech (SO 41 of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) - Order to leave the sitting (SO 42 of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) - Call by name (SO 42 and 43 (1) of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) - Suspension from Parliament (SO 43 (1) to (5) of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) - Adjournment of the House or suspension of the sitting (SO 45 of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) - Ancient usages (SO 43 (6) of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) (e.g. for contempts of Parliament) · Specific cases: - Use of disorderly or unparliamentary expressions (SO 42 and 43 of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business): order to leave the sitting, call by name; suspension from Parliament - Contempt of Parliament in cases of disobedience to rules or orders of the House (see Chapters 8 and 9 of Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice, 21st ed.): committal, reprimand or admonition, suspension, expulsion (penal jurisdiction) · Competent body to judge such cases: - Order to discontinue the speech/order to leave the sitting/call by name/adjournment of the House or suspension of the sitting/use of disorderly or unparliamentary expressions: the Speaker/Deputy Speaker - Suspension from Parliament/use of disorderly or unparliamentary expressions: the House of Commons - Ancient usages: in accordance with usage - Contempt of Parliament in cases of disobedience to rules or orders of the House: the House of Commons by reference to a committee The Serjeant at Arms acts on such orders as he may receive from the chair in order to impose penalties. · Procedure : - Order to discontinue the speech (SO 41 of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) - Order to leave the sitting/call by name/suspension from Parliament/use of disorderly or unparliamentary expressions (SO 42 and SO 43 (1) to (5) of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) - Adjournment of the House or suspension of the sitting (SO 45 of the House of Commons Relating to Public Business) - Contempt of Parliament in cases of disobedience to rules or orders of the House (see Chapters 8 and 9 of Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice, 21st ed.) Code (rules) of conduct · This concept does exist in the country's juridical system (Code of Conduct and Guide to the Rules Relating to the Conduct of Members of 24.07.1996). · Penalties foreseen for violation of the code of conduct (contempt of Parliament in cases of misconduct of Members; see Chapters 8 and 9 of Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice, 21st ed.): penal jurisdiction: - Committal - Reprimand or admonition - Suspension from the House - Expulsion from the House · Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties/procedure: the House has the authority to judge such cases, and would do so through the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges. In this case, MPs can make representations to the Committee. Relations between MPs and pressure group · There are no specific legal provisions in this field, but see Code of conduct.

This page was last updated on 30 January 2012
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