Legislation at Westminster

Parliamentary Actors and Influence in the Making of British Law

Meg Russell and Daniel Gover

The first comprehensive, detailed study of the UK legislative process in more than forty years
Illustrated by real-world examples from the Labour and coalition periods (2005-12)
Self-contained chapters on the behaviour and influence of different actors including: government, opposition, backbenchers, select committees, and outside pressure groups
Detailed coverage of twelve case study bills such as the introduction (and subsequent repeal) of identity cards, the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places, the creation of the Office for Budget Responsibility, and the coalition's welfare reforms
Based on extensive parliamentary research and more than a hundred interviews with legislative insiders
Examines how the legislative process differs between the Lords and the Commons, and between coalition and single-party government
Comes from the Constitution Unit, the UK's leading research body on constitutional change

Legislation at Westminster

Parliamentary Actors and Influence in the Making of British Law

Meg Russell and Daniel Gover

Description

The Westminster parliament is a highly visible political institution, and one of its core functions is approving new laws. Yet Britain's legislative process is often seen as executive-dominated, and parliament as relatively weak. As this book shows, such impressions can be misleading.

Drawing on the largest study of its kind for more than forty years, Meg Russell and Daniel Gover cast new light on the political dynamics that shape the legislative process. They provide a fascinating account of the passage of twelve government bills - collectively attracting more than 4000 proposed amendments - through both the House of Commons and House of Lords. These include highly contested changes such as Labour's identity cards scheme and the coalition's welfare reforms, alongside other relatively uncontroversial measures. As well as studying the parliamentary record and amendments, the authors draw from more than 100 interviews with legislative insiders.

Following introductory chapters about the Westminster legislative process, the book focuses on the contribution of distinct parliamentary 'actors', including the government, opposition, backbenchers, select committees, and pressure groups. It considers their behaviour in the legislative process, what they seek to achieve, and crucially how they influence policy decisions. The final chapter reflects on Westminster's influence overall, showing this to be far greater than commonly assumed. Parliamentary influence is asserted in various different ways - ranging from visible amendments to more subtle means of changing government's behaviour.

The book's findings make an important contribution to understanding both British politics and the dynamics of legislative bodies more broadly. Its readability and relevance will appeal to both specialists and general readers with interests in politics and law, in the UK and beyond.

Legislation at Westminster

Parliamentary Actors and Influence in the Making of British Law

Meg Russell and Daniel Gover

1:Introduction
2:Overview of the Legislative Process and Case Studies
3:Government Drafting and Handling of Legislation
4:The Role of the Opposition
5:The Role of Government Backbenchers
6:The Role of Non-party Parliamentarians
7:The Role of Outside Pressure Groups
8:The Role of Select Committees
9:The Role of Cross-party Working
10:Conclusion: Parliamentary Power and the Legislative Process

Legislation at Westminster

Parliamentary Actors and Influence in the Making of British Law

Meg Russell and Daniel Gover

Author Information

Meg Russell, Professor of British and Comparative Politics and Director of the Constitution Unit, University College London, and Daniel Gover, Researcher at Queen Mary University of London

Meg Russell is Professor of British and Comparative Politics in the Department of Political Science, University College London, where she is Director of the well-known research centre the Constitution Unit. She is widely recognized for her expertise on the UK parliament, and on legislatures more broadly, and has previously published substantial research on the House of Lords, House of Lords reform, select committees, MPs' representative roles, and the governance of the House of Commons. She is author or editor of five books, most recently The Contemporary House of Lords: Westminster Bicameralism Revived (OUP, 2013). She appears regularly in the media, is frequently cited by both academics and practitioners, and has formally acted as an adviser to the Royal Commission on Lords reform, the Leader of the House of Commons and several select committees.

Daniel Gover is a researcher based in the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary University of London. Prior to this he worked as a research assistant at the Constitution Unit at University College London, and as a researcher in the House of Commons. He has published research on various topics related to the UK parliament, including the legislative process and 'English Votes for English Laws', and based on his findings has given evidence to several parliamentary select committees.

Legislation at Westminster

Parliamentary Actors and Influence in the Making of British Law

Meg Russell and Daniel Gover

Reviews and Awards

"There are many, including inhabitants of the Palace of Westminster, that are prepared to offer their opinions on Parliament's shortcomings. There are few that are prepared, or capable, of conducting the detailed work which Russell and Gover have put in to produce this important book. The publication of Legislation at Westminster is a major landmark in the public debate on Parliament's effectiveness." - Jack Simson Caird, Public Law

"An important new academic study looking at exactly what influence parliamentarians and other players exercise when legislation is getting passed." - Andrew Sparrow, Guardian, Politics Live

"The research that has gone into this book is meticulous and extensive. It is also worn refreshingly lightly. Russell and Gover avoid what must have been a huge temptation to blow loud trumpets about how painstaking some of the research actually was... This remarkable book is a must-read for anyone wanting to know how laws are put together or how parliament really works. Especially those of us who thought we knew already." - Edward C Page, LSE Review of Books

"Lots of people have views about how Westminster works-or doesn't. But few bother to put in the necessary work to research the place properly. Two outstanding exceptions to that rule are Meg Russell and Daniel Gover. This book is a model example of how to study parliament." - Professor Philip Cowley, Queen Mary University of London

"Russell and Gover provide a nuanced and comprehensive examination of the influence of Westminster on policy-making in the UK, challenging the common interpretation of the UK Parliament as 'rubber stamp' or 'talking shop.' Though focused on the UK case, Legislation at Westminster provides useful insights into the myriad tools that parliaments can deploy in their efforts to shape legislation, making it a valuable resource for all interested in legislatures, executive-legislative relations and the policy process more generally." - Amie Kreppel, Jean Monnet Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Florida

"If you want to know the true story of how parliament legislates, read this book carefully. If you think you already know, then read it even more carefully-as this is about real bills and the politics behind and within each of them, and it may well contain things that surprise you. If instead you're interested in politics but not in legislation at Westminster, then you're missing something: there is more going on than meets the eye!" - David Natzler, Clerk of the House of Commons

"Russell and Gover's Legislation at Westminster is a welcome respite from the callous opprobrium aimed at Parliament. And for those interested in the complexities of parliamentary process it is not only a welcome respite, but it is downright enjoyable reading. The book is an intricate and considered analysis of the way that Westminster operates." - Brian Christopher Jones, The Edinburgh Law Review