Cross-bencher
Encyclopedia
A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords
and Australian Senate
. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and opposition benches, where crossbenchers sit in the chamber; compare frontbencher
and backbencher
.
House of Lords
are not aligned to any particular party
. These include the judges appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876
. In addition, former Speakers
of the House of Commons (such as Lord Martin and Baroness Boothroyd
) and former Lord Speakers of the House of Lords (such as Baroness Hayman), who by convention are not aligned with any party, also sit as crossbenchers.
The crossbenchers are often viewed as bringing specialist knowledge to the House, since they have usually been created peers for reasons other than party or political affiliation. Since 2000, the House of Lords Appointments Commission
has been nominating a total of 57 non-party-political life peers (as of 2011), who joined the House of Lords as crossbenchers.
As of 1 October 2011, there are 183 crossbenchers in the House of Lords—making them the third largest grouping after the Conservative
and Labour
parties. Of this total, 151 are life peers and 32 are hereditary peers (including a royal office-holder). In April 2007, the number of crossbenchers overtook the number of Conservatives in the Lords for the first time.
Although the Lords Spiritual
(archbishops and senior bishops of the Church of England
) also have no party affiliation, they do not sit on the crossbenches, their seats being on the Government side of the Lords Chamber.
who took office in September 2011. While Convenors are not part of the "usual channels
" (i.e., the party whips who decide the business of the House), they have been included in their discussions in recent years.
The following have served as Convenor of the Crossbenches:
The present Australian Parliament, as elected at the 2010 election, is the 43rd Federal Parliament since Federation. It is the first hung parliament
in the House of Representatives
since the 1940 election
, with Labor
and the Coalition
winning 72 seats each of 150 total. Six crossbenchers hold the balance of power
: Greens
MP Adam Bandt
and independent MPs Andrew Wilkie
, Rob Oakeshott
and Tony Windsor
declared their support for Labor on confidence and supply
, independent MP Bob Katter
and National Party of Western Australia
MP Tony Crook
declared their support for the Coalition on confidence and supply. The resulting 76–74 margin entitled Labor to form a minority government
.
In the 76-seat Senate
, where no party tends to have a majority of seats, the Greens gained the sole balance of power with a total of nine of eleven crossbench seats. Labor holding 31 seats, they require an additional eight non-Labor votes to pass legislation. The Coalition holds 34 seats, while the two remaining seats are occupied by independent Senator Nick Xenophon
and Democratic Labor Party
Senator John Madigan
.
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and opposition benches, where crossbenchers sit in the chamber; compare frontbencher
Frontbencher
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
and backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
.
United Kingdom
Crossbench members of the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
are not aligned to any particular party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. These include the judges appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876
Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876
The Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the judicial functions of the House of Lords. The act was repealed by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, which transferred the judicial functions from the House of Lords to the Supreme Court of the...
. In addition, former Speakers
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
of the House of Commons (such as Lord Martin and Baroness Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC is a British politician, who served as Member of Parliament for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000, initially for the Labour Party and, from 1992 to 2000, as Speaker of the House of Commons...
) and former Lord Speakers of the House of Lords (such as Baroness Hayman), who by convention are not aligned with any party, also sit as crossbenchers.
The crossbenchers are often viewed as bringing specialist knowledge to the House, since they have usually been created peers for reasons other than party or political affiliation. Since 2000, the House of Lords Appointments Commission
House of Lords Appointments Commission
The House of Lords Appointments Commission is a non-partisan, non-statutory, independent body in the United Kingdom. It has three roles:*to recommend people for appointment as non-party-political life peers;...
has been nominating a total of 57 non-party-political life peers (as of 2011), who joined the House of Lords as crossbenchers.
As of 1 October 2011, there are 183 crossbenchers in the House of Lords—making them the third largest grouping after the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
parties. Of this total, 151 are life peers and 32 are hereditary peers (including a royal office-holder). In April 2007, the number of crossbenchers overtook the number of Conservatives in the Lords for the first time.
Although the Lords Spiritual
Lords Spiritual
The Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom, also called Spiritual Peers, are the 26 bishops of the established Church of England who serve in the House of Lords along with the Lords Temporal. The Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian, is not represented by spiritual peers...
(archbishops and senior bishops of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
) also have no party affiliation, they do not sit on the crossbenches, their seats being on the Government side of the Lords Chamber.
Convenor
The crossbenchers do not take a collective position on issues, although they do elect from among themselves a Convenor for administrative purposes, and to keep them up-to-date with the business of the House. The current Convenor is Lord LamingHerbert Laming, Baron Laming
William Herbert Laming, Baron Laming, CBE isa British social worker and Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords. On 29 June 2011, it was announced that he had been elected to succeed Baroness D'Souza as Convenor of the Crossbench Peers; he will take up the post in September 2011 when the House...
who took office in September 2011. While Convenors are not part of the "usual channels
Usual channels
"Usual channels" is a term used in British politics to describe the relationship between the Whips of the Government and the Opposition. Essentially, this is to obtain co-operation between the two parties, in order to ensure as much business as possible can be dealt with in each parliamentary...
" (i.e., the party whips who decide the business of the House), they have been included in their discussions in recent years.
The following have served as Convenor of the Crossbenches:
- Lord StrangWilliam Strang, 1st Baron StrangWilliam Strang, 1st Baron Strang, GCMG, KCB, MBE was a British diplomat who served as a leading adviser to the British Government from the 1930s to the 1950s and as Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office from 1949 to 1953....
(1968–1974) - Baroness Hylton-FosterAudrey Hylton-Foster, Baroness Hylton-FosterAudrey Pellew Hylton-Foster, Baroness Hylton-Foster DBE , was the daughter of Douglas Clifton Brown, 1st Viscount Ruffside, and Violet Cicely Kathleen Wollaston...
(1974–1995) - Lord WeatherillBernard WeatherillBruce Bernard Weatherill, Baron Weatherill, PC, DL, KStJ was a British Conservative Party politician who became Speaker of the House of Commons.-Tailor:...
(1995–1999; Alternate Convenor 1993–1995) - Lord Craig of RadleyDavid Craig, Baron Craig of RadleyMarshal of the Royal Air Force David Brownrigg Craig, Baron Craig of Radley, GCB, OBE , is a retired Royal Air Force officer and member of the House of Lords...
(1999–2004) - Lord Williamson of HortonDavid Williamson, Baron Williamson of HortonDavid Francis Williamson, Baron Williamson of Horton GCMG, CB, PC was a senior British and European civil servant and is an active member of the House of Lords....
(2004–2007) - Baroness D’SouzaFrances D'Souza, Baroness D'SouzaFrances Gertrude Claire D'Souza, Baroness D'Souza, CMG, PC is a British scientist and life peer in the House of Lords. She is currently Lord Speaker, having taken office on 1 September 2011.-Biography:...
(2007–2011) - Lord LamingHerbert Laming, Baron LamingWilliam Herbert Laming, Baron Laming, CBE isa British social worker and Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords. On 29 June 2011, it was announced that he had been elected to succeed Baroness D'Souza as Convenor of the Crossbench Peers; he will take up the post in September 2011 when the House...
(2011–present)
Australia
The term refers to both independent and minor party members in various Parliaments of Australia.The present Australian Parliament, as elected at the 2010 election, is the 43rd Federal Parliament since Federation. It is the first hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
in the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
since the 1940 election
Australian federal election, 1940
Federal elections were held in Australia on 21 September 1940. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
, with Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
and the Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
winning 72 seats each of 150 total. Six crossbenchers hold the balance of power
Balance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
: Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
MP Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt
Adam Paul Bandt is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer. Bandt was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in the 2010 Australian federal election for the Division of Melbourne...
and independent MPs Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Damien Wilkie is an Australian politician and independent federal member for Denison...
, Rob Oakeshott
Rob Oakeshott
Robert James Murray "Rob" Oakeshott is an Australian politician. He is the independent Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lyne in New South Wales, which he won in the 2008 by-election following the resignation of former Nationals leader and Howard minister Mark Vaile...
and Tony Windsor
Tony Windsor
Antony Harold Curties "Tony" Windsor , an Australian politician, is an independent member of the House of Representatives since 2001, representing the Division of New England, New South Wales...
declared their support for Labor on confidence and supply
Confidence and supply
In a parliamentary democracy confidence and supply are required for a government to hold power. A confidence and supply agreement is an agreement that a minor party or independent member of parliament will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes by voting in favour...
, independent MP Bob Katter
Bob Katter
Robert Carl "Bob" Katter is an Australian federal politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993 for the Division of Kennedy, and the leader of Katter's Australian Party...
and National Party of Western Australia
National Party of Western Australia
The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity....
MP Tony Crook
Tony Crook (politician)
Anthony John "Tony" Crook is an Australian politician. He has been the member of the Australian House of Representatives seat of O'Connor for the National Party of Western Australia since the 2010 federal election...
declared their support for the Coalition on confidence and supply. The resulting 76–74 margin entitled Labor to form a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
.
In the 76-seat Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
, where no party tends to have a majority of seats, the Greens gained the sole balance of power with a total of nine of eleven crossbench seats. Labor holding 31 seats, they require an additional eight non-Labor votes to pass legislation. The Coalition holds 34 seats, while the two remaining seats are occupied by independent Senator Nick Xenophon
Nick Xenophon
Nicholas "Nick" Xenophon is a South Australian barrister, anti-gambling campaigner and politician. He attended Prince Alfred College, and studied law at the University of Adelaide, attaining his Bachelor of Laws in 1981. Xenophon established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co....
and Democratic Labor Party
Democratic Labor Party
The Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...
Senator John Madigan
John Madigan (Australian politician)
John Joseph Madigan is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Democratic Labor Party , elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal election, serving a six-year term since July 2011.-Early life:Born into a Catholic family, Madigan...
.