House of Common – Jobs, History and Leaders

What is the House of Commons?

House of Commons sometimes referred to as parliament is a legislative body in the British parliament that is above the House of lords in the hierarchy.

What is the House of Lords?

More than 670 members are qualified to sit in the House of Lords which was incepted way back in the 11th century.

A brief introduction to the history of the House of Commons

The House of Commons has been there from the latter half of the 13th century, where property owners sent representatives to the king to present their petitions and their point of view in the given matter. In the late 17th century, it gained the sole right to start taxation measures , which was solely managed and controlled by the House of Commons.

House of Commons jobs

If you are not a member of the House of Commons, then you can apply for the following jobs. Stores Porter, Commis chef, Kitchen Steward and others.

If you are a member of the House of Commons, then you can apply for the following jobs - only individuals who are members of the House of Commons can apply for the following list of posts that include Quality and performance manager, stores porter, kitchen steward and others.

Leaders of the House of Commons

The leader of the House of Commons is the one who closely works with the Chief Whip of the government. He or she is also responsible for conducting government business in the House of Commons.

Andrea Leadsom is the current Leader of the House of Commons and was appointed on the 11th of June 2017. She is also the Council’s Lord President along with being South Northamptonshire’s Conservative Member of the Parliament.

More about Andrea Leadsom

Andrea Leadsom completed her schooling at Tonbridge Girls Grammar School and went on to do her political science from the Warwick University. She began her political career by working as a Economic secretary until May 2015 and went on to work as a Minister of State until the month of July 2016. She also served as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs up until June 2017. Apart from being a successful politician, Andrea Leadsom has also worked in the banking and finance sector for over 25 years, with her recent association being the head post at Invesco Perpetual, which is known to be one of United Kingdom’s top retail fund managers company.

David Lidington

David Lidington was the previous leader of the House of Commons, who studied at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School and completed his graduation from the Sidney Sussex College, which is located in Cambridge. He started off his political journey in the year 1992, with his appointed as the Member of Parliament for the county town of Aylesbury. He was the leader of the House of Commons up until June 2017. Apart from his political ventures, David Lidington has also worked for top companies such as BP and RTZ.

William Hague

William Hague was appointed as the Leader of the House of Commons in the year 2014. He started his career by working for the Department of Work and Pensions followed by his operational roles at an organization called Jobcentre Plus.

What are the various functions and operations of the House of Commons?

The House of Commons has the sole right to impose taxes and also withhold or vote money to the various departments of the government. The primary function of the House of Commons is to pass the legislation. At the beginning of the session, the House of Commons elects a speaker from its members, who will preside over the debate and conduct it. The speaker also needs to make sure that the session is conducted properly and without any misconduct. From rules on how to conduct oneself in the session to list of acceptable and unacceptable terms, everything is decided by the speaker. The speaker, however, isn’t allowed to take part in any way during the session and can only provide a vote only during the times of a tie. The tie-breaking vote thus will be in the speaker’s hands, who will decide which party to go with. During the session, the speaker has to make sure they provide equal opportunity to every member present in the session and that every point of view is being heard equally. The speaker stays away from the session, in times of discussion, thus maintaining an objective view of the entire scenario. While the session is going, the speaker needs to wear a black robe which is an ongoing tradition that has been followed for years now. The Speaker is of vital importance during the session, who brings the entire session in control and helps in conducting it in proper order by following all the rules and orders. The Speaker is also the House of Common Commission’s Chairman, who oversees the entire session and makes sure that it is conducted in a dignified manner. Along with the speaker, there are three deputy speakers, who assist the speaker, out of which the most senior speaker is called the Chairman of Ways and Means and holds the title for the same. The Clerk of the House, on the other hand, serves as the chief advisor for both the House and advises them on matters of procedures, rules, and regulations.

How is a bill voted?

A bill needs to be voted for both in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords. The bill is read out for a minimum of three times both in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords, after which the voting process starts. This ensures that every member of the House of Commons and the House of Lords are fully aware of the bill and of its various provisions. A detailed document of its various provisions needs to be read out both in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords, after which the voting process begins.

There is, however, a subtle difference between the first reading and the second reading. The first reading is more formal, where the document is just read out without any scope for any debate or discussion. The second reading is just the opposite of that, where the members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are given the opportunity to debate, discuss and present their point of view on the bill and its various provisions. The bill then finally goes to the committee, where the bill is analyzed clause by clause. Every committee focusses on one particular topic and depending on that the bill is sent to that committee. The committee which receives the bill now examines the bill thoroughly and makes sure that the facts mentioned are right. The committee also makes sure that the clauses mentioned in the bill are law-abiding and further adds amendments if required. After through reviewing and examination, the committee now sends the bill back to the houses, where the bill is read for the third time. After reading the bill for the third time, it is voted on.

What is the question period?

The question period is also one of the most important functions of the full house, which is conducted on a regular basis from time to time. This period provides a platform for the house members to post their questions to the government officials and receive answers pertaining to their department’s queries. The question period also provides the opposition party to present their point of view and in a waypoint out the flaws of the ruling party.

Are the House proceedings open to the public?

Yes, at times it is open to the public, but at times it is kept confidential, which is decided by a simple majority.

The Prime Minister is directly answerable to the House of Commons and needs to retain the vote of confidence of the members of the House of Commons. The House of Commons has total rights to reject a Motion of Confidence or pass it as No Confidence. The Prime Minister has to either immediately resign or dissolve the Parliament after requesting the monarch, if the Government loses the confidence of the House of Commons, signifying its prime importance in the country.

About the author

Sumit Agarwal
Sumit Agarwal (ACMA ACA India), the Managing partner of dns accountants is a highly respected accountant with expertise in helping owner-managed businesses.