How does the opposition oppose government in parliament?

Opposition MPs participate in debates on bills and amendments, usually speaking against those introduced by the government. The opposition tends to vote against government policy, although this is not always the case. The opposition leader is usually given priority in introducing amendments.

Under the Commons Standing Order No.14, opposition parties are allocated 20 days every parliamentary session, during which they can choose the main topic of business and table motions. These are known as ‘opposition days’. Seventeen of these days go to the official opposition, and three go to the smaller opposition parties. Sometimes the government makes additional 'unallotted' days available on which opposition parties can control the parliamentary agenda.

In October 2020, Labour used one of its opposition days to put forward a motion to extend free school meals through half-term, following footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign urging the government to do so. The motion was rejected in parliament but allowed Labour to keep the issue in the public eye. The government later reversed its position.

How does the opposition scrutinise government policy in parliament?

The opposition has two main tools of scrutiny in parliament: parliamentary questions and committees.

At Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) – held in the Commons every Wednesday that parliament is sitting – the leader of the opposition is called upon to ask the prime minister up to six questions.

Other government ministers are questioned in parliament on a rotating basis, for an hour on Monday to Thursday. All MPs can ask questions, but the opposition in particular uses this time to scrutinise the activity of each department. Front bench members of the opposition may ask several questions on different topics, but all MPs asking questions are entitled to one follow-up question. Oral questions must be tabled at least three days in advance.

Opposition MPs may seek information or demand answers to hold ministers to account through other forms of parliamentary questions, for instance written questions which are submitted and replied to in writing. When granted by the Speaker, urgent questions require a minister to give an immediate answer in the Commons. Business questions to the Leader of the House can be used to influence the agenda of the Commons but can also cover wider issues.

In recent years, while the government had no majority in the Commons, the opposition used a mechanism called a ‘humble address’, or motion for a return, to demand papers from the government. This motion had not been used since the 19^th century until it had a resurgence and was tabled several times in 2017. Then shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer tabled a humble address in June 2017 to make the government release papers on the impact of Brexit, which it had not done despite being obliged to. 

Select committees are cross-party groups which scrutinise departments or specific issues. Chairs are elected by the House and the distribution between parties is allocated in proportion to the number of seats each holds in parliament. Certain select committees, such as the Public Accounts Committee, are always chaired by the opposition. After the 2019 general election, the opposition – the Labour Party – held 202 seats in the House of Commons, out of a total of 650, and were thereby allocated nine select committee chairs. The Conservative Party were given 16 and the Scottish National Party two. Similarly, the composition of each Public Bill committee – temporary committees set up to examine a specific bill – are supposed to reflect the party distribution of the House.

In the House of Lords, opposition peers from all parties are also able to question members of the government, table amendments and scrutinise bills. Questions in the Lords are directed to the government in general, not specific departments.

What is the role of the leader of the opposition?

There are certain parliamentary privileges unique to the role of leader of the opposition. For example, if he or she tables a motion of no confidence in the government, convention dictates that it be promptly debated in the Commons. This convention acknowledges the leader of the opposition’s standing as a potential prime minister. Any MP can table such a motion, but their request may not be granted

The leader of the opposition currently receives an additional salary of £66,421 a year, on top of their normal MP salary. ⁴ Kelly R, ‘Members’ pay and expenses and ministerial salaries 2022/23’, House of Commons Library, 30 March 2023, appendix 2a  The opposition leader in the House of Lords and opposition whips across both Houses are also entitled to additional salaries for their roles, but shadow cabinet members are not.

What is the role of the Speaker in supporting the opposition’s rights in parliament?

As a politically impartial figure and the highest authority in the House of Commons, the Speaker plays an important role in ensuring the rights of the opposition in parliament. During debates and questions to ministers, the Speaker alternatively calls MPs from the government and opposition sides, ensuring that time is fairly allocated between the parties. The Speaker also makes decisions regarding which urgent questions and motions to grant, scrutiny tools frequently used by the opposition.

If there is uncertainty as to who the leader of the opposition should be in the event of the resignation of a government (either due to confusion as to which party is the second largest or who that party’s leader is), the Speaker’s decision on the matter is final. This has never happened.

What other rights does the opposition have?

In line with media rules on balance and impartiality, the opposition is entitled to media coverage to present its views and comment on government action. For instance, it is standard practice for the BBC to give the leader of the opposition a right of reply after certain key announcements by the government. During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, a day after prime minister Boris Johnson announced the new three-tiered lockdown system on 12 October 2020, Keir Starmer gave a televised address calling instead for a circuit break lockdown for England.

The government is expected to keep the leader of the opposition, and sometimes other opposition party leaders, informed on matters of major national importance. On 31 October 2020, Johnson phoned Starmer to let him know that the government would shortly be announcing a second national lockdown.

The Ministerial and Other Allowances Act 2021 – which was introduced to allow attorney general Suella Braverman to go on maternity leave – gives salaried members of the official opposition (the leader, the leader in the House of Lords, the chief whips in each House and two assistant whips in the Commons) the right to take six months’ maternity leave whilst receiving an allowance.