Today, the Conservative MP Phillip Lee 'Crossed the Floor' a dramatic and theatrical demonstration of a change of loyalty. In his case he moved to become a Liberal Democrat. Crossing the Floor means that you literally change parties and 'cross the floor' of the House of Commons to demonstrate this. It is reasonably rare but in times of political crises such as at present it is another sign of the heightened stakes and tensions at Westminster. 

It is also doubly significant because it removes the Governments working majority.  

Politics courses usually start in August with not too much happening but already we have things happening thick and fast on the ground. These are already great examples for AS British Politics and A2 Comparative. 

FIRSTLY: Boris Johnson has PROROGUED PARLIAMENT! What does that mean? Well he hasn't shut it down completely but he has used the tactic of suspending it prior to having a Queen's Speech in October. Is this allowed? Well, it is allowed but many argue that what he has done is actually take advantage of political mechanisms to try and stifle debate and opposition to a no deal Brexit which has been simmering in Westminster.  He is reducing the time available to MP's before the October Brexit deadline. 

SECONDLY, Number 10 advisors / Government Whips have announced that they are going to take the extreme step of DESELECTING any of the Conservative MP's who vote against the Government. This means that those MP's who defy the party whip would not have the chance to run again as a Conservative candidate and a new candidate would be selected instead. This is a ruthless way to run the party and could have two results. He could perhaps instill iron discipline to push through Brexit through determination and threat or he could alienate not just moderates in his party but moderate Tories throughout the country. Many see this as a usurpation of power and a rejection of representative democracy.  Some senior Tories including two former Chancellors and Big Beasts - Phillip Hammond and Ken Clark are deeply opposed to such tactics and openly criticise their use. 

Great examples of PM/ Executive control / Use of Whips and Back Bench rebellion. 

Brexit continues to ravage through British politics in the run up to the supposed Brexit date and one of the biggest recent stories is the emergence of the new 'independent group of MP's. These MP's are entirely disillusioned by their parties stances - mostly on Brexit. Most of them are Labour MP's who are fed up with Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. Some are deeply opposed to his alleged reluctance to deal with anti Semitism in the party. In political terms it means that it is another clear sign that the traditional party allegiances and broad church parties are being deeply divided by Brexit in a way no other issue has ever divided them. This perhaps mirrors the country as a whole

It is quite a seismic shift in UK Politics which tends to be very party controlled - this small (and growing group) have also become the 4th largest 'party' in the UK. In a Parliament in which government teeters on a knife edge of support that is quite significant. 

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO A LEVEL POLITICS STUDENTS?
This is a very good example of party discipline being undermined ; The powers of MP's / backbenchers; The change of party control in the Commons ; The limitations to the power of the whip. 

Parliament has been buzzing like never before with amendments being tabled regarding Brexit. 

These are clear examples of MP's trying to influence and put their own stamp on the torturous Brexit debate. While many will not be passed, many are in fact gaining cross party support and have directly influenced the debate and progress of Brexit.

This is ESSENTIAL for illustrating the powers of MP's  Backbenchers and their ability to really influence the political process - given the right circumstance.

Theresa May's government is defeated by 4 votes in a crucial Brexit amendment. This is a good example of a BACKBENCH REVOLT as Tory MP's voted against their party in a sign of the major splits and divisions being caused by Brexit.  It is an embarrassment for the May government after a glimmer of light caused by her seeming agreement on Irish border issues on Friday. It is a sign of a tempestuous journey ahead for the Brexit debate. Read the story below to see how the whips tried and failed to stave off defeat for the government. 

One commonly asked question in exams tends to focus on how independent MP's / backbenchers really are. This is a classic debate.

• Are MP's elected to simply act as the mouthpiece of their constituents concerns?
• Are they simply elected as a representative and therefore they are free to make decisions on their constituents behalf or..
• Are they elected as the representative of a Political Party and therefore should they follow their Party line on all issues?

If you are looking to really understand this issue in detail and have a treasure trove of examples then you can do no better than look at Jeremy Corbyn's current struggle this week.  He faces a huge dilemma in an already riven and divided Labour Party. This week sees the Second reading debate stage in the Brexit vote to leave Europe. Corbyn has issued a THREE LINE WHIP to Labour MP's meaning they MUST vote for Brexit or face consequences.  His reasons are that the country democratically endorsed Brexit so therefore Parliament has to abide by the democratically expressed will of the people. On top of that a large number of Labour constituencies voted FOR Brexit - despite the majority of Labour MP's voting to remain. This disjoint causes the current problem. Many Labour MP's are still very opposed to Brexit and in some cases would rather resign over it than vote for it. Indeed two Labour WHIPS of all people have indicated their decision to vote against the three line whip and in favour of article 50. 

Read Ben Wrights fantastic article here to get to grips with this - It could be useful to you on so many levels for A Level

What can I use this article for?: Whips; Labour Party ; Party discipline, Backbencher power ; MP versus Party; Opposition; Control in the Commons. 

​

This is the ingredients to many politics questions - and of course there are two sides. If this was an essay question you would have to clearly outline both sides. These two mindmaps should enable you to see how this is done and what points should be included. Click on the pictures to download them.

Again this is British Politics basics and should be well understood