Coalition Building:

Although the public face of politics is often one of harsh opposition, attack and rebuttal in the battlefield of the House of Commons chamber, people are often surprised to hear that most MPs actually get on relatively well with each other away from the cameras! Political point-scoring is important but political victories are sometimes best achieved by working together as a coalition or in cross-party efforts.

Because of this, most MPs get involved in a number of activities and procedures in Westminster that enable them to mix beyond their political parties, to gather support for their opinions and to make their views known. They also help MPs keep up to speed with new developments and they provide a good opportunity for interest groups and non-governmental bodies to lobby MPs for support when members share a common interest in a particular cause.

Select Committees

Although the primary function of select committees is the official scrutiny of government department activity, the fact that they are made up of politicians from all sides of the House makes them an excellent example of cross-party collaboration. Most committee members see their role as working together as a unified body, rather than engaging in petty political rivalry. The reports produced by the select committees are generally endorsed by all committee members, a sign that the committee is working together in harmony.

All Party Parliamentary Groups

All-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) may not be official or scrutinising in their functions in the way that select committees are, but as informal groups they play an important role in bringing together MPs across the political spectrum to discuss a broad range of issues. They are also an excellent vehicle for third parties or interest groups to lobby members of parliament through their registered interests in a particular topic.

Each all-party group is headed by an executive committee (‘the officers’) and membership is mainly comprised of backbench MPs and Lords, but may also include ministers and non-parliamentarians. There are few rules to setting up all-party groups: any MP is at liberty to start a group if they have enough support from fellow colleagues. Groups tend to flourish and wane according to the interests and enthusiasm of its members.

The topics addressed by all-party groups are also much broader than those of select committees, which principally mirror government departments (e.g. Home Office, Department for Health, Department for Education etc). APPGs are divided into two categories:

All-party groups are not officially required to have a proportionate number of MPs from each party in the way select committees do, but this is usually the case.

Early Day Motions

Technically, an early day motion (EDM) refers to a suggestion or ‘motion’ by an MP to have a topic debated but for which no date has yet been named. In reality however, EDMs are a form of petition which allow members to put on record their opinion on a subject and canvass support from fellow members who will support the EDM by adding their name to it. EDMs can be signed by MPs across the political spectrum and as such, are excellent vehicles for cross-party cooperation.

In the National Assembly for Wales, EDMs are called ‘statements of opinion’, which is perhaps a little more self-explanatory than the colloquial ‘early day motion’ in parliament.

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