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Overview Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was born in Culcheth, Cheshire.  His father was a telephone engineer father and his mother a receptionist. Burnham frequently references his working-class upbringing. Having been ‘radicalised‘ by the miners’ strike, Burnham joined the Labour Party at 14 and he began his working-life as a researcher to Labour Party politicians. Upon...

Conor Burns, Conservative MP for Bournemouth West

What are bus lanes? Bus lanes are stretches of road in which only busses – or vehicles carrying more than eight passengers – are permitted to travel during operational hours. The world’s first bus lane came into force in Chicago in 1940. Some thirty years later, the UK welcomed its first bus lane on Vauxhall...

The Concessionary Bus Pass Scheme Since 2001, the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme has granted bus concessions to older or disabled members of society. The scheme initially offered a minimum half-fare concession which was limited to the recipient’s local area. This was increased to a full fare (free) concession in 2006. In 2008, the concession...

The agenda is normally decided by the Welsh Assembly Government in the person of the Business Minister (on the advice of the Business Committee), who tables a weekly business motion. If ten AMs have indicated that they object to the motion, it is put to a vote. The Assembly Government can normally rely on its...

The agenda for the parliament is decided by the Parliamentary Bureau, which agrees a weekly business motion. Chaired by the presiding officer, it is made up of representatives of each party with more than five MSPs and meets in private. Representatives’ votes are weighted in line with their parties’ seats in the parliament, so the...

Time is the dominant force in Lords as it is in the Commons. It is not, however, subject to the same tight control at the hands of the Government as it is in the Lower House. While there is a broad consensus that the Government has a right to its business, there is a similar...

Business rates are paid by occupiers and owners of commercial and industrial property to the local authority, but at a rate set by central Government.

The weekly business announcement by the Leader of the House takes the form of a statement, which is followed by requests for debates and changes to business from all sides. This normally lasts a full hour.

Dawn Butler, Labour MP for Brent Central

Rob Butler is‌ ‌the‌ Conservative ‌MP‌ ‌for‌ Aylesbury‌,‌ ‌having‌ ‌first‌ ‌been‌ ‌elected‌ ‌to‌ ‌Parliament‌ ‌in‌ 2019.‌The Aylesbury constituency is‌ ‌found‌ ‌within‌ ‌the‌ ‌county‌ ‌of‌ Buckinghamshire ‌and‌ ‌covers Aylesbury, Wendover and the surrounding area. Rob was‌ ‌elected with‌ ‌a‌ ‌majority‌ ‌of‌ 17,373 ‌over‌ ‌the‌ Conservative ‌Party.‌ ‌ Born‌ ‌on‌ the 19th of June 1967 in Aylesbury, Rob...

Ian Byrne is the Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, having first been elected in the 2019 General Eleciton with a massive majority of 29,984. Born in 1972, Byne worked as a trade union organiser for Unite before being elected to Parliament.  He also worked as a taxi driver whilst studying at the Open University....

Liam Byrne, Labour MP for Birmingham, Hodge Hill

Byron Davies, Conservative MP for Gower

The Cabinet is the pre-eminent body of government of the United Kingdom. It is made up of the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and all other Secretaries of State, including other Ministers of ‘Cabinet-rank’ such as the Chief Whip, any Minister without Portfolio (normally a party Chairman) or some other key Ministers (such as the Chief...

Cabinet Committees are groupings of Ministers designed to take the pressure off full Cabinet and to provide a lower-level forum for decision-making.  Cabinet Committees consider current issues relating to government and resolve inter-departmental disagreement. Cabinet Committees are set up by the Prime Minister, and he or she appoints their membership.  That membership can include Ministers...

Ruth Cadbury, Labour MP for Brentford & Isleworth

Alun Cairns, Conservative MP for Vale of Glamorgan

Amy Callaghan is the Scottish National Party(SNP) MP for East Dunbartonshire, having first been elected to Parliament in the 2019 general election, unseating the then Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson with a very narrow majority of 149 votes. Amy was appointed as SNP spokesperson for Pensions and Intergenerational affairs on the 7th of January 2020....