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General election 2024: What would a 'supermajority' really mean for parliament?

What would a large government majority mean for Parliament and British politics?

Houses of Parliament in the sunshine. A red London bus is driving by.

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The Conservatives have been warning voters of the 'dangers' of Labour winning a huge – or 'super' – majority at the general election on Thursday. But what exactly is a supermajority, and do these warnings add up?

With just under a week to go until polling day, this Institute for Government webinar explores the Conservatives' claims – and set out what a government with a large majority would mean for parliament and British politics. Does it really make a difference if the government has a majority of 100 or more? How hard is it to be a small opposition party? And what is most important in enabling parliament to scrutinise government properly and hold it to account?

To discuss these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel, including:

  • Robert Saunders, Reader in Modern British History at Queen Mary University of London and Co-Director of the Mile End Institute
  • Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government
  • Lord Willetts, Conservative MP 1992-2015 and former government minister

The panel was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. 

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