A Numbers Game: Parliament and Minority Government

Publications / Briefings

A Numbers Game: Parliament and Minority Government

9 Jun 2017

Plotting a roadmap through the constitutional issues, and setting the situation in its historical context, this June 2017 briefing paper highlights and explains key parliamentary dates, events and procedures that shape the process of forming and sustaining a minority government, focusing on the 2017 case.

The fundamental principle at the heart of our parliamentary democracy is that the government must command the confidence of the House of Commons. In the event of a hung Parliament, where no party secures an outright majority, the arithmetic presents politicians with a conundrum: who commands MPs' confidence, and should therefore govern?

The answer to this question is determined through a complex nexus of constitutional conventions, laws and precedents, party political calculations and gauging of the public mood. Guidance and rules exist to help resolve who should govern, including in the form of the Cabinet Manual and the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act.

This June 2017 briefing paper addresses how a government is formed and then sustained in office when the House of Commons is hung, focusing on the 2017 situation. It also looks at how a minority government might operate in Parliament, focusing on the impact it may have on parliamentary process and procedure.

Introduction: Minority government in context

Historical comparisons and precedents

Part 1: Forming a government

What does 'command confidence' mean?
The incumbent Prime Minister: stay or go?
When will Parliament meet?
The State Opening of Parliament: will the Queen attend?
The Queen's Speech debate: confidence of the House?
Will there be a second general election?
What difference does the Fixed Term Parliaments Act make?
Seats vs votes: what counts?
An alternative party leader / Prime Minister?
How long can be taken to form a government?

Part 2: Parliamentary procedure: help or hindrance?

Does it matter if votes are lost?
What about the House of Lords?
Will minority government mean less legislation?
Will the Speaker's casting vote influence decisions?
Managing time: potential problems ahead
The establishment and composition of select committees
The fiscal maze
Delegated legislation: an increase in deferrals and withdrawals?
Accountability and transparency

Latest / Highlights

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 10-14 March 2025

MPs will debate the Crime and Policing Bill for the first time, followed by two days of debate on the remaining stages of the Employment Rights Bill, including of some substantial Government amendments. Backbenchers will also lead debates on the future of farming, and mental health support in education. Peers will continue to scrutinise the legislation to abolish the right of the remaining hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, will consider new amendments to the Football Governance Bill and will complete their scrutiny of the controversial Product Regulation and Metrology Bill.

News / Net Zero and National Security: How can Parliament hold the Government to account? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 78

How will Parliament hold the Government accountable for its Net Zero commitments? With the Climate Change Committee publishing its recommendations for the Seventh Carbon Budget, we talk to Toby Perkins MP, Chair of Parliament’s Net Zero watchdog, the Environmental Audit Committee. We also explore the Government’s controversial decision to block National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell from testifying before Parliament. Finally, Simon Hart, former Chief Whip, shares revelations from his political diaries and warns that parties must better prepare MPs for the pressures of modern politics.

Blog / Breaching the 0.7% international aid target: a case study in legislative failure

The Prime Minister’s plan to cut international aid breaches the Government’s legal duty to meet the 0.7% spending target, raising constitutional concerns. Should an Act allow for premeditated non-compliance? Can a statutory duty imposed on Government by Parliament be overturned by a ministerial statement? And when a law’s purpose is abandoned, should it be amended or repealed? The fate of this Act exposes the flaws in declaratory legislation, weak parliamentary scrutiny, and executive dominance of Parliament.

News / Assisted dying bill: Special series #6 - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 79

In this sixth instalment of our special mini-podcast series, we continue to track the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which seeks to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. This episode looks into developments in the Bill Committee this week, where scrutiny of the legislation has intensified. And we speak with Professor Colin Gavaghan about how New Zealand legislated for assisted dying.

Briefings / The assisted dying bill: How does the amendment process work?

The assisted dying bill (Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill) is now at the Committee stage, where a Public Bill Committee reviews the bill clause by clause. This briefing outlines the Committee’s role, how MPs propose changes to the bill and where these are published, how the Chair selects and groups amendments, and how these are debated and voted on.