How is the British Parliament serving a democratic cause?
universal suffrage - every citizen of age 18 and over is eligible for voting
MPs are elected in general elections, which are direct and by secret ballot
PROS:
any citizen of the UK or the Commonwealth and of age 18 and over may become a candidate for MP, although he may not hold any other official position(s); additionally, members of the House of Lords, prisoners, and mentally ill cannot become candidates; it ensures that each and every citizen of any affiliation and views can become an MP, provided he manages to convince people to vote for him
candidates are required to pay a 500 pounds deposit, which reduces the number of candidates who stand no real chance in the elections (deposit is refunded only if the candidate gains at least 5% of votes), although they can still give it a try, as they only risk losing the deposit
constituencies cover roughly the same number of voters (ca. 91,000), which means each vote has theoretically the same importance
number of seats for each state is proportional to the number of citizens residing in each (obviously England holds the most seats)
most MPs reside in the same constituency in which they stand for election, meaning they have greater connection with the voters of their constituency and are familiar with the problems of the region
the 5-year term (in theory, in practice it may be shorter, often 4-year; Prime Minister decides based on anticipated election results) ensures that citizens have the chance to vote against a party which has proven to not be able to efficiently run the country
government is created by the party which holds the majority of seats in the House of Commons, which means that they are indirectly elected by voters
Acts of Parliament (legislation) define the expenditure of state funds (budget), taxation, and various laws and policies (welfare, education, urban development and so on) which affect the lives of all UK citizens; please note that some (many) laws cannot affect Scotland and Wales due to devolution
all MPs are required to run public offices where citizens can submit inquiries
Speaker maintains order in the HoC and decides who has the right to speak; he can also impose penalties on MPs for breaking the rules of the HoC; traditionally, he is considered to have no party affiliation (for sake of objectivity)
whip system ensures all MPs of a party vote unanimously, which means MPs do not vote against the wishes of their voters; furthermore, whips require attendance of all party members during important voting sessions
all Acts can be repealed (made void) by any Parliament, meaning future Parliaments are allowed to repeal any and all Acts passed by any previous Parliament; no Act can be made immune to this
CONS:
minor parties don't really count in the HoC, especially with the first-past-the-post voting system; it's further demonstrated by their place in the HoC (back benches); coalitions are rare, which leads to minor parties having no real power in the HoC
no real transparency; some MPs hide expenses and misuse allowances (in other words public money), especially "second home" allowances, hire family members and friends (nepotism) and pay them for work which never takes place, evade tax; all this led to the May/June 2009 scandal when details of MP expenses were revealed
second home allowance - MPs could repeatedly switch their "second home" designations and renovate and furnish each property for public money, then sell it; they could also rent out their second home(s) or buy furniture which then was delivered to another property