Prime Ministerial Management of the Parliamentary Party in European Policy

Abstract

This chapter analyses the behaviour of the governmental parliamentary party in European policy. Did it mainly support the government and prime minister or were there regular rebellions? Its voting record on European policy in general is addressed here with particular reference to the ERM and EMU case studies. A broader view of the parliamentary party’s behavioural pattern and its impact on the PM’s political leadership is taken, because it can be assumed to form the trajectory for its likely behaviour on ERM and EMU. This is important as in some cases parliament did not vote on European monetary policy issues as the government did not introduce legislation on it. This chapter also considers the prime minister’s management of his parliamentary party.