Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 6 July 1925.
Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSON:
46.asked the Prime Minister whether, having regard to the fact that if the Government had not promised to take up the Summer Time Bill and provided the necessary facilities for its passing into law this Session, it would, as the first Private Members' Bill to pass through Committee stage, have been put down for Third Reading on the first Private Members' Friday after Whitsuntide, he will undertake to see that facilities are given for the Third Beading, so that the wishes of the Majority of Members may prevail?
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
