School of Politics and International Relations

Professor Philip Cowley, Theresa May’s case for claiming a majority that she doesn’t have

8 September 2017

Theresa May’s minority government is reliant on the outside support of a handful of Northern Irish lawmakers. But her spokeswoman, Alison Donnelly, is claiming otherwise to defend what critics see as an underhanded move to control once-obscure committees that now matter with Brexit, according to an item in Bloomberg Politics. Professor Philip Cowley said: “On a very narrow definition, the government commands a majority in the Commons. The single governing party doesn’t, but the government does. Parliament makes its own rules. If Parliament decides that the single governing party doesn’t require a majority in the chamber to get a majority on the committees, then that’s what happens. Of course, the Tories may come to regret it should Labour come to power in a minority administration.”
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