ABSTRACT
Institutional advantages are hugely important in the British Parliament. The exceptionally strong role of the cabinet (and the prime minister) is mainly a result of parliamentary rules (e.g. the guillotine), which enable the government to curtail the debate. Despite several reforms aimed at strengthening Parliament, the government has maintained – and in some cases strengthened – its institutional position since the election of Tony Blair’s Labour Party in 1997. However, Parliament has changed significantly in other ways since the mid 1990s.
