Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 7 Chwefror 1991.
Mr John Major
, Huntingdon
12:00,
7 Chwefror 1991
The whole House recognises that, alas, Northern Ireland has had far too much experience of the sort of attack that we have seen today in London. The hon. Gentleman will know of the firm Opposition of the Government and their prececessors to that sort of attack in Northern Ireland.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
