Parliament and ConscienceOriginally published in 1970, this book has a dual purpose. Firstly, it is a study of how Parliament works when the party whips are withdrawn. The author shows how backbenchers can create legislation of great importance; he demonstrates the obstacles, political and procedural to social reform; he relates the votes of MPs to their personal characteristics e.g. age, religion and occupation, and he argues that Parliament achieves a fresh vigour and authority when MPs think and act independently of party policy. Secondly, Parliament and Conscience analyses 6 major controversies in British society in the late 20th Century: the death penalty, homosexuality, abortion, theatre censorship, divorce and Sunday entertainment. |
Contents
| 11 | |
Discipline Procedure Tactics | 23 |
3 Capital Punishment | 35 |
4 Homosexuality | 63 |
5 Abortion | 85 |
6 Censorship of the Theatre | 113 |
7 Divorce | 132 |
8 Sunday Entertainment | 159 |
9 The Voting Analysed | 179 |
10 Legislation Without Party | 197 |
| 216 | |
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Common terms and phrases
abolition abolitionists Abse accepted amendment argued argument attendance attitude Aye No Aye back-benchers ballot Birkett Committee campaign capital punishment Catholic cause censor censorship Church clause cols committee stage Commons Conservative constituency controversy court criminal law David Steel death penalty debate decision defeated discussion division Divorce Bill divorce law Election favour free vote further H.C. Deb Home Secretary homosexual issues of conscience jury Labour Members Labour Party legislation Leo Abse liberal Lord Chamberlain majority marriage measure ment Ministers moral motion murder Office opponents opposed organizations Parliament parliamentary play political pressure principle private member's Bill private members procedure proposals question religious report stage Roy Jenkins Royal Commission second reading Select Committee session sexual social Society sponsors sport Standing Committee Sunday Enter Sunday Entertainments Bill Sunday observance TABLE theatre censorship third reading tion Upper House whip Wolfenden Wolfenden Report