ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the role of the House of Commons in the UK constitution in relation to the legislative process and, importantly, scrutiny of the executive. Its emphasis will be on the constitutional relationship between the Commons and government; on the functions Parliament can realistically be attempted to perform, the extent of its domination by government and an evaluation of its work. Recent reforms and proposals for further reform will also be considered. Since the Commons is also the principal democratic forum of the UK, from which governments are formed, and which ultimately holds the key to their continued existence, this chapter also considers the effect of the electoral system which plays such an important part in determining the make-up and behaviour of both Commons and government and the vital role of political parties, not least in subverting the traditional, constitutional relationship between MPs and government. Because of the vast range and scale of changes elsewhere in the UK constitution which this book must cover, and the fact that there is currently little prospect of any reform to the UK Parliament’s electoral system, this chapter does not consider alternatives to the ‘first past the post’ electoral system used in the UK for elections to the Westminster Parliament in detail. What then is that system, how does it work in practice, and what are some of the alternatives to it?
