1. The salisbury convention
Mylène Braissant, Alexis Gourdain, Alice Fournat
MAES 2018/ Sorbonne université

2. "What is the Salisbury convention, and have the Lords broken it over Brexit?" 
Published on the 22nd of June 2018 on The Constitution Unit. 
The Constitution Unit in the Department of Political Science at University College London is the UK's leading research body on constitutional change.
Sir David Beamish was Clerk of the Parliaments, the most senior official in the House of Lords, from 2011 to He is an Honorary Senior Research Associate at the Constitution Unit and a member of the Expert Working Group on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill

3. Is the Brexit process refashioning political equilibria
Is the Brexit process refashioning political equilibria? The role of the House of Lords & the Salisbury convention

4. I - An overview of the British political system: the House of Lords & the legislative process II - A constitutionnal and political approach to the Salisbury Convention III – The House of Lords and Brexit

5. I. A. The legislative process in the UK, from a Bill to an Act of Parliament 
Green Paper : government's ideas, opens discussions 
 White Paper : outlines 
1st Reading : formality 
2nd reading : debate 
Committee Stage : examination and amendments 
Report Stage 
3rd Reading : final vote 
"Ping-pong" between both Houses until agreement 
Royal Assent by the Monarch 
Act of Parliament 

6. I. B. The unwritten Constitution and its impact on the composition and role of the House of Lords 
British Constitution
Gathering of texts = statute law, common law & parliamentary converntions 
1215 Magna Carta …
1911 & 1949 Parliament Acts 
1958 Life Peerages Act: lifetime peerages 
1999 House of Lords Act: no hereditary peers

7. Which role? Who's in the House of Lords?
3 main tasks: question and challenge the government, shape laws, investigate issues 
Around 800 Lords VS 650 MPs 
Lords Spiritual VS Lords Temporal (Life Peers) 
Chosen for their knowledge and experience 
Represent area of interest VS Region of the country 
1/5 women 
Unelected and sit for life 

8. II. A constitutionnal and political approach to the Salisbury Convention 

9. II. A. Establishing the Salisbury Convention: a matter of high interest for the peers
Context:
Landslide Labour general election victory in 1945 

10. The Salisbury-Addison Convention (1945) is an understanding between
The Marquess of Salisbury
Leader of the Conservative 
Opposition in the Lords
The Viscount Addison
Labourite Leader of the House of Lords ( )

11. II. A. Establishing the Salisbury Convention: a matter of high interest for the peers
Characterising the convention:
A sensible proposal?
A self-denying ordinance?  

12. II. B. Content and evolution of the  convention: safeguarding manifesto Bills

13. A manifesto Bill is accorded a Second Reading;
II. B. Content and evolution of the convention: safeguarding manifesto Bills
Contemporary content: 
‘In the House of Lords:
A manifesto Bill is accorded a Second Reading;
A manifesto Bill is not subject to ‘wrecking amendments’ which change the Government’s manifesto intention as proposed in the Bill; and
A manifesto Bill is passed and sent (or returned) to the House of Commons, so that they have the opportunity, in reasonable time, to consider the Bill or any amendments the Lords may wish to propose.’
According to the Joint Committee of 2006

14. II. C. The doctrinal nature of the convention and its effect on contemporary British politics 
To codify the convention? The Joint Committee of 2006: " We recommend that in future the Convention be described as the Government Bill Convention."

15. II. C. The doctrinal nature of the convention and its effect on contemporary British politics 
Consequences:
According to the House of Lords Constitution Committee, the convention does not apply to coalition governments.
However, according to the current Leader of the House of Lords, the convention does hold for both coalition and minority governments
There is no consensus across the political spectrum and within the various institutions -> the effects of the convention remain subjected to discussions. 

16. III. A. The controversial amendments tabled by the House of Lords during the Brexit negotiations: 
Remaining in the EEA (European Economic Area)
Parliamentary approval of the outcome of negotiations with the European Union

17. III. B. Has the House of Lords breached the Salisbury convention so far?  
Pros: 
1. Some of the amendments exceed their powers: which should not go beyond scrutinising and revising the legislation.
2. They added new amendments designed to trigger a second referendum, to keep the UK in the customs union and to effectively take over the negotiation with the European Union.

18. III.B - Has the House of Lords breached the Salisbury convention so far? 
Cons: 1. The referendum asked a question only about leaving the European Union and not about what the EU-UK relationship would look like. 2. The great majority of the 196 House of Lords amendments were introduced by the government. The others are inviting the House of Commons to think again by putting forward amendments designed to improve the bill. 3. The controversial amendment as we have seen earlier of requiring a second referendum might have been seen as wrecking but the HoL has rejected this amendment made by the LibDem.

19. Conclusion 

20. Dear listeners, thank you for your kind attention!

21. SOURCES :
The Salisbury Convention : focus-the-salisbury-convention/
convention-pol
110
meddling-8flpjr9qr