The House of Lords and Ideological Politics
The House of Lords and Ideological Politics

Author: Corinne Comstock Weston

Publisher: American Philosophical Society

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 9780871692153

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This study of ideological politics in Victorian and Edwardian England centers on a referendal theory promoted by the great Lord Salisbury when he opposed William Gladstone's Liberal gov'ts. It was subsequently carried forward in the form of the referendum by Salisbury's son-in-law and ideological heir, the second Lord Selborne. Salisbury is today recognized as the most successful electorally of Conservative leaders. Selborne, though not as well known to historians, had a high contemporary reputation as an imperial proconsul who had united S. Africa. According to the referendal theory, the House of Lords had a duty to refer disputed legislation to the electorate when the House of Commons, in the lords' judgment, lacked a mandate for the measure in question. That is, the lords' political barometer was not the commons, as Gladstone contended, but the nat. at large. If this proposition prevailed, the lords could freely exercise an independent legislative veto in an age of expanding democracy. Not until the Liberals passed the Parliament Act (1911) were they able to counter the theory effectively. But well before this, Selborne's advocacy of the referendum was challenged by another Conservative leader, Lord Curzon, who had served for a decade as viceroy of India. Their rivalry is one of this study's most provocative and illuminating themes.

The House of Lords
The House of Lords

Author: Donald Shell

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Published: 1988

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13:

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Over recent years the House of Lords has become more prominent in the business of government, with Mrs. Thatcher suffering some of her worst parliamentary setbacks at the hands of peers. This full-length study of the House analyzes its contemporary role in British politics, its procedures and membership, and considers various proposals for reform. The book's comprehensiveness will prove invaluable to those seeking a clearer understanding of the operation and make-up of Britain's Upper Chamber. Contents: 1 The House of Lords and Constitutional Development; 2 Membership of the House; 3 The Role of Political Parties in the House; 4 The Organization and Procedure of the House; 5 The Legislative Work of the House; 6 The Treatment of Government Legislation, 1979-87; 7 The Deliberative Work of the House; 8 Select Committees and Secondary Legislation; 9 What Role for the Lords?; Appendix A: Expenses Payments for Peers and Remuneration for Office Holders in the House of Lords; Appendix B: Peerages Disclaimed, 1963-87; Appendix C: Debates and Select Committee Reports on Televising the House of Lords; Principal Sources; Bibliography; Index^R

Party Ideology and Popular Politics at the Accession of George III
Party Ideology and Popular Politics at the Accession of George III

Author: John Brewer

Publisher: CUP Archive

Published: 1981-12-10

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 9780521287012

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This book is a reappraisal of English politics in the first decade of George III's reign. It sets out to explain how party politics changed, and what problems that created for the parliamentary elite. The issues of party, of patriotism as it manifested itself in the elder Pitt's political career, and of the relations between the notions of ministerial responsibility and the powers of the Crown are all used to illuminate the nature of political conflict. Special emphasis is placed on Burke's notions of party. The schisms created by this reconfiguration of party politics, Dr Brewer argues, had effects beyond Westminster. He discusses extra-parliamentary forms of political expression, notably the press, and goes on to show how the career of John Wilkes and the critique of British politics developed by American radicals gave focus to a variety of political discontents, and produced new arguments in favour of parliamentary reform. Throughout his study he emphasises the interplay between popular and parliamentary politics. His work is designed to show that the 'political nation' included many other than the parliamentary classes, and that the political conflicts of the period cannot be properly understood without a full examination of political ideology.

Commons and Lords
Commons and Lords

Author: Emma Crewe

Publisher: Haus Publishing

Published: 2015-05-15

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13: 1910376272

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The British Parliament rewards close scrutiny not just for the sake of democracy, but also because the surprises it contains challenge our understanding of British politics. Commons and Lords pulls back the curtain on both the upper House of Lords and the lower House of Commons to examine their unexpected inner workings. Based on fieldwork within both Houses, this volume in the Haus Curiosities series provides a surprising twist in how relationships in each play out. The high social status of peers in the House of Lords gives the impression of hierarchy and, more specifically, patriarchy. In contrast, the House of Commons conjures impressions of equality and fairness between members. But actual observation reveals the opposite: while the House of Lords has an egalitarian and cooperative ethos that is also supportive of female members, the competitive and aggressive House of Commons is a far less comfortable place for women. Offering many surprises and secrets, this book exposes the sheer oddity of the British parliament system.

Peers, Politics and Power
Peers, Politics and Power

Author: Clyve Jones

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 1986-01-01

Total Pages: 604

ISBN-13: 9780907628781

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This book brings together a substantial and representative selection of recent writings on the House of Lords from the accession of James I to the Parliament Act of 1911. The editors provide a general historiographical survey and a bibliography of recent writings on the House of Lords during the period.

Politics and Ideology in England, 1603-1640
Politics and Ideology in England, 1603-1640

Author: J. P. Sommerville

Publisher: Longman Publishing Group

Published: 1986

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13:

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The years before the Civil War were a critical period in England's political and constitutional development, and have been the subject of vigorous debate. Some historians argue that the Civil War had few long-term origins, while others discern deeper roots. Dr Sommerville here looks at the contemporary view of politics and at the ideologies, both in theory and in action, which contributed to the turbulent years before 1640.

Royalists and Patriots
Royalists and Patriots

Author: J.P. Sommerville

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-06-17

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 1317882083

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This well-known book reasserts the central importance of political and religious ideology in the origins of the English Civil War. Recent historiography has concentrated on its social and economic causes: Sommerville reminds us what the people of the time thought they were fighting about. Examining the main political theories in c.17th England - the Divine Right of Kings, government by consent, and the ancient constitution - he considers their impact on actual events. He draws on major political thinkers like Hobbes and Locke, but also on lesser but more representative figures, to explore what was new in these ideas and what was merely the common currency of the age. This major new edition incorporates all the latest thinking on the subject.

The Contemporary House of Lords
The Contemporary House of Lords

Author: Meg Russell

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2013-07-11

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 0191654736

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As the second chamber of the Westminster parliament, the House of Lords has a central position in British politics. But it is far less well-studied and well understood than the House of Commons. This is in part because of constant expectations that it is about to be reformed - but most Lords reform plans fail, as the Coalition government's dramatically did in 2012. Meanwhile, following a landmark change in 1999 which removed most of its hereditary members, the Lords' role in the policy process has grown. Understanding the chamber is therefore now essential to understanding politics and parliament in Britain. This book provides the first detailed portrait of the post-1999 Lords, explaining who sits in the chamber, how it operates, and crucially what policy impact it has. Its membership is shown to be more diverse and modern than many would assume, and its influence on policy to be substantial. As a 'no overall control' chamber, in which no party has a majority, it has inflicted numerous defeats on the Blair, Brown and Cameron governments, and become an important site of negotiation. It has provided a power base for the Liberal Democrats, and includes a group of almost 200 independents who now play a pivotal role. Close study of today's House of Lords demolishes some common myths about British politics, and also about how two chamber parliaments work. This book, as well as focusing on the contemporary Lords, provides a historical and comparative context for British bicameralism, asks whether the Lords can be considered 'legitimate', and describes recent reform efforts and possible future reforms.