Wash-up period
Encyclopedia
The wash-up period is the last few days while a Parliament of the United Kingdom
continues to sit after the Prime Minister
has announced the date when Parliament will be dissolved so a general election
can be held but before Parliament has been formally adjourned
, prorogued or dissolved.
s a veto on controversial or unpopular measures. Discussions about which items will progress during wash-up take place between the "usual channels
" - the whips
and other officials of the Government and Opposition
parties.
Traditionally, Parliamentary Bills could not be carried forward from one session of Parliament to another. Although Parliament's standing orders have allowed Public Bill
s to be carried forward to the next session of the same Parliament since 2004 (and on an ad hoc basis since 1999), Bills still cannot be carried forward to the new Parliament formed after a general election. If a Bill does not receive Royal Assent
before Parliament rises, it will be lost, although a new Bill could be reintroduced after the general election.
If necessary, an Appropriation Bill
or short Finance Bill may be introduced and pass all of its legislative stages in both Houses of Parliament during the wash-up period. In rare cases, there may also be time for Private Member's Bill
s that have almost completed the legislative process to be passed.
in order to dissolve Parliament immediately, in which case all outstanding Parliamentary business will be lost. The last time an election was called with no wash-up period was 1924
, when Parliament was dissolved immediately on 9 October and the general election held 20 days later. In 2001
, Parliament was dissolved six days after the dissolution was proclaimed, after Parliament had been adjourned without being prorogued. In 1997
, Parliament was prorogued four days after the date of the election was announced, but Parliament was not dissolved until another 18 days later.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
continues to sit after the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
has announced the date when Parliament will be dissolved so a general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
can be held but before Parliament has been formally adjourned
Adjournment
An adjournment is a suspension of proceedings to another time or place. To adjourn means to suspend until a later stated time or place.-Law:In law, to adjourn means to suspend proceedings to another time or place, or to end them....
, prorogued or dissolved.
Purpose
During the wash-up period, the Government attempts to pass unfinished business which has sufficient all-party support. This may mean compromising some aspects of business to ensure that they can be completed, and effectively gives the Opposition and sufficiently large groups of backbencherBackbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
s a veto on controversial or unpopular measures. Discussions about which items will progress during wash-up take place between the "usual channels
Usual channels
"Usual channels" is a term used in British politics to describe the relationship between the Whips of the Government and the Opposition. Essentially, this is to obtain co-operation between the two parties, in order to ensure as much business as possible can be dealt with in each parliamentary...
" - the whips
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
and other officials of the Government and Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
parties.
Traditionally, Parliamentary Bills could not be carried forward from one session of Parliament to another. Although Parliament's standing orders have allowed Public Bill
Public bill
In the legislative process, a public bill is a bill which proposes a law of general application throughout the jurisdiction in which it is proposed, and which if enacted will hence become a public law or public act....
s to be carried forward to the next session of the same Parliament since 2004 (and on an ad hoc basis since 1999), Bills still cannot be carried forward to the new Parliament formed after a general election. If a Bill does not receive Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
before Parliament rises, it will be lost, although a new Bill could be reintroduced after the general election.
If necessary, an Appropriation Bill
Appropriation bill
An appropriation bill or running bill is a legislative motion which authorizes the government to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending...
or short Finance Bill may be introduced and pass all of its legislative stages in both Houses of Parliament during the wash-up period. In rare cases, there may also be time for Private Member's Bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
s that have almost completed the legislative process to be passed.
Protocol
A wash-up period is not mandatory: the Prime Minister may seek permission from the SovereignBritish monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
in order to dissolve Parliament immediately, in which case all outstanding Parliamentary business will be lost. The last time an election was called with no wash-up period was 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, when Parliament was dissolved immediately on 9 October and the general election held 20 days later. In 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, Parliament was dissolved six days after the dissolution was proclaimed, after Parliament had been adjourned without being prorogued. In 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, Parliament was prorogued four days after the date of the election was announced, but Parliament was not dissolved until another 18 days later.