Glossary
What Parliament's words mean
The words Parliament uses, explained without the jargon. If a term on the site puzzles you, it's probably here.
Division
A formal vote in the House of Commons or Lords. When MPs can't agree by shouting "aye" or "no", they "divide": they walk through the Aye or No lobby (corridor) and are counted. The result and every MP's vote are recorded.
Aye and No
The two sides of a Commons vote. "Ayes" support the motion; "Noes" oppose it. In the Lords the equivalent terms are "Content" and "Not Content".
Teller
An MP who counts the votes in a division, standing at the exit of each lobby. Tellers are not themselves counted as voting, which is one reason an MP can appear not to have voted.
Whip
Two things. The people: MPs appointed by each party to keep their colleagues informed and voting with the party. The instruction: a weekly note telling MPs how important each vote is. A "three-line whip" (underlined three times) is a strict instruction to attend and vote the party line.
Rebellion
When an MP votes against their own party's official position. We work this out by comparing an MP's vote with how most of their party voted, and we always link to the raw division so you can check.
Bill
A proposed law. A bill has to pass through several stages in both the Commons and the Lords, and receive Royal Assent, before it becomes an Act of Parliament (actual law).
First reading
The formal introduction of a bill. There is no debate or vote; it simply marks the bill's arrival and lets it be printed.
Second reading
The first real debate and vote on a bill, on its general principle rather than its detail. Losing a second reading usually kills a bill.
Committee stage
Detailed, line-by-line examination of a bill, where amendments (changes) are proposed and voted on. In the Commons this is often done by a small "public bill committee".
Report stage
A chance for the whole House to consider a bill again after committee, and to make further amendments, before the final vote.
Third reading
The final Commons or Lords debate and vote on a bill, on its final form. Amendments can no longer be made in the Commons at this point.
Royal Assent
The monarch's formal agreement that turns a bill into an Act of Parliament. It is now a formality that has not been refused since 1708.
Reasoned amendment
An amendment at second or third reading that sets out reasons for declining to give a bill a further reading. In effect, a formal way of trying to block a bill.
Statutory instrument (SI)
A form of law made by ministers using powers Parliament has already granted in an Act. SIs let rules be changed without a full new bill, though Parliament can still object to them.
Early day motion (EDM)
A formal motion that MPs sign to draw attention to an issue. Most are never debated; they work mainly as a public petition among MPs, showing the level of support for a cause.
Opposition day
One of the days set aside each session for opposition parties, rather than the Government, to choose what the Commons debates. The motions are often used to challenge Government policy.
Hansard
The official, near-verbatim report of everything said in Parliament. It is published after each sitting and is the authoritative record of debates.
Lobby
The two corridors (the Aye lobby and the No lobby) that MPs walk through to record their vote in a division. "The lobby" can also mean the political journalists who report from Parliament.
Majority
In a vote, the gap between the winning and losing sides. In an election, the gap in votes between the winning candidate and the runner-up. A "government majority" is how many more seats the governing party has than all other parties combined.
Act of Parliament
A bill that has completed all its stages and received Royal Assent. An Act is law.
MSP
A Member of the Scottish Parliament. There are 129: 73 are elected to represent a single constituency, and 56 are elected from party lists to represent one of the eight regions.
Holyrood
A common name for the Scottish Parliament, after the Edinburgh area where its building stands. Used the way "Westminster" is used for the UK Parliament.
Presiding Officer
The MSP who chairs the Scottish Parliament and keeps order, the Holyrood equivalent of the Commons Speaker. On taking the chair they give up party affiliation, so they sit as "No Party Affiliation".
First Minister of Scotland
The head of the Scottish Government, nominated by the Scottish Parliament and appointed by the monarch. Usually the leader of the largest party at Holyrood.
Scottish Government
The devolved government of Scotland, led by the First Minister, responsible for areas such as health, education, justice and transport within Scotland.
List MSP (regional member)
An MSP elected from a party's regional list rather than for a single constituency. Each of the eight regions returns seven list MSPs, chosen to make each region's overall result more proportional to how people voted.
Scottish Parliament region
One of the eight large electoral areas of Scotland, each made up of several constituencies. Every region elects seven additional "list" MSPs alongside its constituency MSPs.
Stage 1 (Scottish bill)
The first stage of a Scottish Parliament bill: a committee, then the whole Parliament, considers its general principles and votes on whether it should go ahead.
Stage 2 (Scottish bill)
The second stage of a Scottish Parliament bill: detailed, line-by-line examination in committee, where amendments (changes) are proposed and voted on.
Stage 3 (Scottish bill)
The final stage of a Scottish Parliament bill: the whole Parliament considers any last amendments and votes on whether to pass the bill.
Motion (Scottish Parliament)
A formal proposal an MSP lodges for the Parliament to debate or agree, the Holyrood counterpart of a Westminster early day motion. Other MSPs can add their names in support.