Abstract
There was a marked increase in disorder in the British House of Commons during Mrs Thatcher’s tenure of office. In a legislature traditionally renowned for its ‘temper of moderation and fair play‘ and its usual good behaviour, there was growing concern at the extent of disorderly behaviour. This concern prompted a Procedure Committee investigation into the conduct of MPs in the chamber and led some commentators to argue that the level of disorder constituted a threat to representative democracy in Britain. This article examines the increased scale of unruliness and the main variables used to explain this increase.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 532-553 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Political Studies |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 1992 |
Keywords
- politics
- Mrs Thatcher
- British politics
- House of Commons