The British Westminster parliament is frequently dismissed as a weak policy actor, in the face of dominant executive power. But through analysis of 4361 amendments to 12 government bills, and over 120 interviews, we suggest six reasons for doubting the orthodox view. These fall into three groups: overstating government success in making amendments, overstating non-government failure, and overlooking parliamentary influence before and after the formal passage of bills. We demonstrate that Westminster in fact has substantial influence in the policy process, not readily visible through commonly published data. Uncovering influence requires careful tracking of amendments, but also qualitative analysis of actors' motivations and the power of 'anticipated reactions'. Because Westminster is often seen as being at the weak end of a comparative spectrum of parliamentary influence, these results are important for demonstrating both the dynamics of British politics, and of parliamentary systems more broadly.

This book describes and analyses the legislative process in the British Westminster parliament, with a focus on the contributions of different parliamentary ‘actors’, and close attention to questions of policy influence. It draws on the largest study of the process for over 40 years, which included analysis of 12 government bills as they passed through both the House of Commons and House of Lords. In addition to studying over 4,000 amendments proposed, and public records such as parliamentary speeches, the book draws on over 100 interviews with those closely involved. The opening chapters summarize the basics of the legislative process and review common assumptions that Westminster’s policy influence is relatively weak. Subsequent chapters explore in detail the contributions of different groups: government, opposition, government backbenchers, non-party parliamentarians, select committees, and outside pressure groups. In each case the organization, motivations, and actual policy influence of these groups are discussed. An additional chapter shows that cross-party working between these actors is far more common than often assumed. The book uncovers many of the subtleties of the process. Despite the appearance of executive dominance, ministers routinely respond to parliamentary pressure, and government takes parliament into account when drafting legislation (including through ‘anticipated reactions’). Opposition members raise the profile of issues, and can use the House of Lords to negotiate changes. Other actors similarly exercise various forms of policy power. Overall, this study demonstrates that Westminster is more influential in the legislative process than often assumed, with parliamentary power exercised in a variety of interconnected ways.

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Christianity is in long-term decline in the United Kingdom, with decreasing levels of affiliation, practice, belief, and social authority. At the same time, however, Britain's churches and the faith they represent remain deeply embedded within culture and society. This paper offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of how the “sector” of UK Christian interest groups—that is, organizations with a Christian character that seek to influence government policy—operates within this changing socio-religious context. Based on survey and interview data, it examines the extent of Christian interest group activity in the UK, before assessing their issue agendas, lobbying strategies, and influence. The results indicate that the activities of Christian interest groups have been affected by decline, but also by Christianity's continued strengths within society. These findings provide a basis for deeper investigation of Christianity's political influence in the UK, and will also have implications beyond this case.