HM Opposition Party

   The second largest party in the House of Commons following a general election becomes the official Opposition party. Its importance in British politics is recognised by the payment of an official salary to the Leader of the Opposition and Opposition Chief Whip. The Opposition also gets a share of the Short money, the grant payable to opposition parties to help them carry out their work.

   The Opposition plays an essential role in the day-to-day affairs of Parliament, at best providing a structured and regular challenge to the measures and actions of government. It has three main functions: it opposes the government, at best providing sustained scrutiny, questioning ministerial proposals and testing them through debate; it supports the government, acting in a bipartisan manner when the national interest is at stake, not opposing for the sake of opposition (this is the concept of responsible, constructive opposition); it is also an alternative government which involves regular review of its policies as circumstances change so that it can offer convincing alternative courses of action.