The Institution

PEOPLE EVENTS

PARLIAMENT: PLACES THE INSTITUTION

Parliament’s evolution PARLIAMENT LIVE Parliament, as a political institution, has developed over Parliament Live hundreds of years. During this period, the two distinct video and audio on www.parliament. Houses, Commons and Lords, have emerged and the uk carries live and balance of power between Parliament and the monarchy archived coverage of all UK Parliament has changed dramatically. proceedings taking place in public, Origins of Parliament – Two Houses including select and general committees King’s councils By the 14th century two distinct of both Houses. The The origins of Parliament go back Houses, the Commons and material is available to the 12th century, when King’s the Lords, had developed. from an on-demand councils were held involving The Commons involved archive going back to 1 July 2009. barons and archbishops. representatives from counties, They discussed politics and towns and cities. The first were involved in taxation and spokesman to be termed judgments. The balance of Speaker in the official record was power lying with the monarch. Thomas Hungerford. The Lords membership was made up of the Over time, these councils nobility and clergy, known as the took a more formal role and Lords Temporal and the Lords saw knights representing Spiritual. each county. This was the beginning of a Commons The rise of the Commons element in Parliament. The first In 1414, it was agreed that the known official use of the term King and the Lords should not ‘Parliament’ was in 1236. The change the wording of any bills word Parliament derives from the submitted by the Commons French word parler, meaning to without its agreement and that talk and discuss things. no bill should become an Act without Commons assent. By the mid-15th century, the Commons Parliament and the home nations was in control of granting funds to the The 1707 Act of Union between England King and was on an equal footing with and Scotland saw the nations’ individual the Lords regarding the creation and Parliaments replaced by the new Parliament amendment of statutes. of Great Britain. After the 1800 Act of Union with Ireland, the Dublin Parliament The Reformation Parliament was abolished and Irish MPs and Lords Parliament was still subject to being were represented in the Westminster summoned by the King. During Henry Parliament. VIII’s reign, Parliament passed laws which transferred religious authority from the Extending the vote Pope to the King with the formation of In the 19th century, the Reform Acts the Church of England. Henry VIII realised of 1832, 1867 and 1884 extended the that royal power was at its strongest when number of men eligible to vote creating it was expressed through parliamentary a more democratic, representative statute. Parliament. However, women were still excluded from voting and did not gain Civil war and the Restoration the right to vote until 1918 after the The reign of Charles I, beginning in 1625, suffragette campaigns and the impact of saw civil war break out between supporters the First World War. of Parliament and the monarchy. In 1649, Charles I was tried in Westminster Hall and Parliament Acts - 1911 and 1949 executed. A Commonwealth led by Oliver The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 Cromwell was established and a series of increased the authority of the Commons Parliaments were elected using different over the Lords when passing new laws. constitutional rules. In 1660, the monarchy The Acts removed the powers of the Lords was restored under King Charles II. to amend any Bills concerning money and reduced the amount of time they could Parliament’s position was strengthened delay a bill. when the Bill of Rights was agreed in 1689. This established Parliament’s authority over the monarch. From this date, Parliament would be responsible for passing or repealing all laws.

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