Loyal opposition and the political constitution

Abstract

In studying Parliament, special attention is regularly awarded to the interactions between government and Commons, with the Commons identified as a singular body, united in its claims against or in support of the government. These and other commonplace understandings trade on an insufficiently political study of the constitution, highlighted by the relative neglect of the Official Opposition in public law thought. With the aim of rehabilitating the place of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in political and constitutional theory, this essay explores the historical rise and present day responsibilities of the opposition and highlights how government and opposition are carried on by agreement and how the Opposition’s critical function is channelled, facilitated, and complicated by its pursuit of office.