House of Commons (United Kingdom)/Addendum: Difference between revisions
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* a "confidence" motion", initiated by the Government; | * a "confidence" motion", initiated by the Government; | ||
* a "no confidence motion" initiated by the Opposition; and, | * a "no confidence motion" initiated by the Opposition; and, | ||
* | * a motion of sufficient importance to be deemed a vote of confidence. | ||
However, the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 stipulates that the passage of a no confidence motion is one of the alternative conditions necessary for the calling of a general election (another being a motion for the dissolution of parliament). It also stipulates that a general election must be called unless, within 14 days of the passage of such a motion, the successor government wins a confidence motion<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/pdfs/ukpga_20110014_en.pdf ''Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011'', September 2011]</ref>. | However, the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 stipulates that the passage of a no confidence motion is one of the alternative conditions necessary for the calling of a general election (another being a motion for the dissolution of parliament). It also stipulates that a general election must be called unless, within 14 days of the passage of such a motion, the successor government wins a confidence motion<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/14/pdfs/ukpga_20110014_en.pdf ''Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011'', September 2011]</ref>. | ||
It is not clear whether a defeat on a motion in the third of the above categories would still count as a vote of no confidence (for example, it is not clear whether a defeat on the Government’s budget would be considered as a vote of no confidence). It would be possible, however, for a Government to make it clear, before such a division on such motion, that they considered it to be a matter of confidence - a procedure that past governments have used to make their supporters aware of the importance of particular motions. | It is not clear whether a defeat on a motion in the third of the above categories would still count as a vote of no confidence (for example, it is not clear whether a defeat on the Government’s budget would be considered as a vote of no confidence). It would be possible, however, for a Government to make it clear, before such a division on such motion, that they considered it to be a matter of confidence - a procedure that past governments have used to make their supporters aware of the importance of particular motions. | ||
Revision as of 06:13, 18 February 2012
Votes of confidence
Votes of confidence have in the past taken one of three forms[1]
- a "confidence" motion", initiated by the Government;
- a "no confidence motion" initiated by the Opposition; and,
- a motion of sufficient importance to be deemed a vote of confidence.
However, the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 stipulates that the passage of a no confidence motion is one of the alternative conditions necessary for the calling of a general election (another being a motion for the dissolution of parliament). It also stipulates that a general election must be called unless, within 14 days of the passage of such a motion, the successor government wins a confidence motion[2]. It is not clear whether a defeat on a motion in the third of the above categories would still count as a vote of no confidence (for example, it is not clear whether a defeat on the Government’s budget would be considered as a vote of no confidence). It would be possible, however, for a Government to make it clear, before such a division on such motion, that they considered it to be a matter of confidence - a procedure that past governments have used to make their supporters aware of the importance of particular motions. The loss of a vote of confidence need not result in the resignation of a Prime Minister if he or she is able to gain the confidence of Parliament in a new government under his or her leadership, for example by dissolving a coalition or assembling a new coalition.