The role and significance of the opposition

Opposition parties are not in a strong position to hold the government to account in Parliament unless its majority is small. Even a leader of the opposition who is judged to be an effective performer in the Commons, such as William Hague in the period of Tony Blair's first government, may make little real impression on the general public, as his defeat in the 2001 general election showed. Opposition leaders may choose instead to concentrate on attacking the government through the media, where they reach a larger audience. They have a constant dilemma in that they need to criticise ministers, while also projecting themselves in a statesmanlike light as a government in waiting. The leader of the opposition does, however, have certain opportunities to hold the government to account. He or she takes the leading role in responding to the government programme, as set out in the annual Queen's speech, and replies to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's budget speech.

• Scrutiny: The primary role is to question and challenge the work of the government, holding ministers to account through parliamentary questions, committee hearings, and debates.

• Alternative Government: The Opposition develops its own policies to offer voters a clear alternative.Tories would ban under-16s from social media 2026

• Opposition Days: Under Standing Order No. 14, 20 days per session are set aside for the Opposition to choose the agenda for debate; 17 of these days are allocated specifically to the Official Opposition. Opposition DaysThe opposition parties are allocated 20 days a year to propose subjects for debate. Of these, 17 days are at the disposal of the leader of the official opposition — the largest opposition party — leaving the other 3 days to the second-largest opposition party. The SNP, for example, used its allocation in November 2015 to instigate debates on the Trident nuclear defence system, to which they are strongly opposed, and on the closure of HMRC offices. These occasions are of only symbolic importance, allowing opposition parties to register their views on aspects of government policy. The government will usually table an amendment to the opposition motion, cancelling it out by commending its own policy. With an in-built majority it will usually have no difficulty in carrying the amendment.

Significance and Privileges

The Official Opposition holds unique constitutional rights that smaller opposition parties do not:

• PMQs: At Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), the Leader of the Opposition is granted up to six questions to ask the Prime Minister, the most of any MP.

• No-Confidence Motions: If the Leader of the Opposition tables a motion of no confidence, by convention, the government must allow time for it to be debated promptly.A motion of no confidence remains the most powerful constitutional tool for the UK Parliament to hold the executive branch accountable. Since the repeal of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act in 2022, the rules governing these motions have reverted to longstanding constitutional conventions While often threatened, successful no-confidence motions are extremely rare in modern British politics because of strong party discipline and the high stakes of a potential general election. Last Success: The most recent government to fall via a formal no-confidence motion was James Callaghan's Labour administration on March 28, 1979. Recent Attempt: In January 2019, the opposition tabled a motion against Theresa May's government after her Brexit deal was heavily rejected; however, the government survived the vote.

• Funding (Short Money): To perform their constitutional duties, they receive public funding, known as "Short Money," for research and administrative support. Assistance is available to help opposition parties carry out their parliamentary business, in the form of 'Short money'. The fund also provides help with the running costs of the leader of the opposition's office. The purpose of Short money is to compensate for the fact that, unlike the government, opposition parties do not have access to support from the civil service.

• Salaries: The Leader of the Opposition, the Opposition Chief Whip, and certain other senior figures receive an official salary in addition to their MP’s pay.

• Privy Council: Senior members are typically sworn into the Privy Council, allowing them access to confidential national security briefings on "Privy Council terms".