Understanding the Role of Small Opposition Parties in the UK’s Parliaments: Institutional Constraints and Party Strategies

The role of opposition parties in parliaments is clear; without them ‘there can be no real democracy’ (Helms 2008, p.6). Opposition or non-government parties are thus central to legislative politics in the UK. But as voters become disillusioned with traditional political parties, the nature of opposition politics in the UK is changing. Smaller opposition parties are becoming ‘crucial actors’ (Bolleyer 2007, p. 122) in the political system in terms of both the percentage of the vote they receive at General Elections and their combined weight in the UK Parliament and the devolved assemblies. Yet studies of the UK’s Parliaments continue to focus on the Official Opposition party. There is little understanding of the role or impact of other opposition parties on scrutiny, accountability, policy alternatives and representation. This comparative paper explores the 25 small opposition party groups within the UK’s 4 legislatures. Drawing on published institutional rules, 40 interviews with legislators and analysis of key parliamentary debates, it explores the parliamentary, procedural and political constraints facing small opposition parties in the UK House of Commons, Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. Demonstrating the implications of a majoritarian culture and informal rules on small party opposition, it highlights the strategies used to overcome these and questions whether institutional rules need updating to take into account the increasingly multi-party nature of twenty-first century parliamentary representation in the UK.