In British-style parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament who doesn’t hold government office and isn’t a spokesperson of the opposition. They’re essentially a rank and file ...

As far as the UK government is concerned, its backbenchers are “the most important Members in the House [of Commons]”. This simple insight, from a classic 1976 article by the political scientist ...

Nationals maverick Barnaby Joyce has defended his backbench rebellion on net zero, decrying the opposition’s embrace of the 2050 target as a “singular crusade” that he never voted for. Mr Joyce will ...