The House of Commons devotes approximately three-quarters of its time to debating and explaining government business, such as bills introduced by the government and ministerial statements.[citation needed] The leader of the House of Commons, with the parties' chief whips ("the usual channels"), is responsible for organising government business and providing time for non-government (backbench) business to be put before the House of Commons.[3]
Representing the House of Commons within Government, be it contributing to the Civil Service’s efforts to build parliamentary capability or receiving MPs' requests for assistance on ministerial correspondence and questions; and
The title was not established until about the middle of the 19th century, although the institution is much older.[7]
Until 1942, the title was usually held by the prime minister if he sat in the House of Commons, however, in more recent years, the title has been held by a separate politician.[7]
From 1922, when the prime minister was also leader of the House of Commons, day-to-day duties were frequently carried out by a Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.[7] At other times, a deputy leader of the House of Commons was appointed merely to enhance an individual politician's standing within the government.[citation needed]
The title has been in use since 1942, but was not used from the 2019 dissolution of the Second May ministry to 2022, when it was revived by Boris Johnson.[28] This was shortlived however, as it was abolished by Liz Truss after she became Prime Minister a few months later.[29]
The Secretary of State for Defence, also known as the Defence Secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Defence. As a senior minister, the incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
The secretary of state for Scotland, also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. Much of the Secretary of State for Scotland's responsibility transferred to the office of the First Minister of Scotland upon the re–establishment of both the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament in 1999 following the Scotland Act 1998.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom and is the second most senior ministerial office in HM Treasury, after the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The office was created in 1961 to share the burden of representing HM Treasury with the chancellor.
The secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, also referred to as the environment secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
Dame Rosalie Winterton, is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Doncaster Central since 1997. In June 2017, Winterton became one of three Deputy Speakers in the House of Commons.
First Secretary of State is an office that is sometimes held by a minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The office indicates seniority, including over all other secretaries of state. The office is not always in use, so there have sometimes been extended gaps between successive holders.
The secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, also referred to as the levelling up secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, and Cabinet minister, responsible for the overall leadership and strategic direction of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). They are responsible for local government in England.
Shailesh Lakhman Vara is a Ugandan-British politician, who served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from July to September 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, he has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Cambridgeshire since 2005.
Penelope Mary Mordaunt PC is a British politician who serves as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council since 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth North since the 2010 general election. She has run twice for the Conservative party leadership in July–September and October 2022, losing to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak respectively.
The representation of women in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom has been an issue in the politics of the United Kingdom at numerous points in the 20th and 21st centuries. Originally debate centred on whether women should be allowed to vote and stand for election as Members of Parliament. The Parliament Act 1918 gave women over 21 the right to stand for election as a Member of Parliament. The United Kingdom has had three female Prime Ministers: Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990), Theresa May (2016–2019), and Liz Truss (2022). The publication of the book Women in the House by Elizabeth Vallance in 1979 highlighted the under-representation of women in Parliament. In more modern times concerns about the under-representation of women led the Labour Party to introduce and, decades later, abandon all-women short lists, something which was later held to breach discrimination laws.
Thérèse Anne Coffey is a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from September to October 2022 under Liz Truss. She also served in the cabinet from 2019 to 2023 as Environment Secretary between October 2022 and November 2023; Health Secretary between September and October 2022; and Work and Pensions Secretary between September 2019 and September 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suffolk Coastal since 2010.
Sir Robert James Buckland is a British politician who served as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice from 2019 to 2021. He later served as Secretary of State for Wales from July to October 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for South Swindon since 2010.
The Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire is a ministerial position held at the Home Office in the Government of the United Kingdom. Holders of this office have previously held additional responsibilities such as for security, counter-terrorism and the fire service. The post had responsibility for the fire service from January 2016 to July 2019, from August 2019 to February 2020, and since September 2022.
Victoria Mary Prentis, is a British politician who has served as the Attorney General for England and Wales since October 2022. Prentis has served as the Member of Parliament for Banbury since 2015. She is a member of the Conservative Party.
Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology since July 2023, having previously served in the position from February to April 2023 before being temporarily replaced during her maternity leave. A member of the Conservative Party, Donelan also held three other cabinet positions from 2020 to 2023 under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. She has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Chippenham in Wiltshire since 2015.
Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan is a British politician serving as Minister of State for Indo-Pacific under Rishi Sunak since October 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Berwick-upon-Tweed since 2015. She previously served in the Cabinets of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
Sir Jeremy Mark Quin is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Horsham since the 2015 general election. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire under Prime Minister Liz Truss from September to October 2022. After Truss resigned and Rishi Sunak succeeded her, Quin was appointed to be Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office. Quin resigned from Sunak's government in the November 2023 British cabinet reshuffle and became Chair of the Defence Select Committee in January 2024.
The first Johnson ministry began on 24 July 2019 when Queen Elizabeth II invited Boris Johnson to form a new administration, following the resignation of the predecessor Prime Minister Theresa May. May had resigned as Leader of the Conservative Party on 7 June 2019; Johnson was elected as her successor on 23 July 2019. The Johnson ministry was formed from the 57th Parliament of the United Kingdom, as a Conservative minority government. It lost its working majority on 3 September 2019 when Tory MP Phillip Lee crossed the floor to the Liberal Democrats. An election was called for 12 December 2019, which led to the formation of a Conservative majority government, the second Johnson ministry.
A list of events relating to politics and government in the United Kingdom during 2022.
In September and October 2022, the Conservative Party government led by newly appointed prime minister Liz Truss faced a credibility crisis. It was caused by the September 2022 mini-budget and a disorganised vote in the House of Commons over a parliamentary vote to ban fracking, ultimately resulting in the loss of support of Conservative members of parliament (MPs).
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