The opposition is a group of politicians who do not support the government and are trying to replace it. It can also refer to a specific political party that is not part of the government, such as Labour. The main role of the Opposition is to question and scrutinise government actions. Its members are able to ask questions of government ministers during oral question time and in the two major debates on the Speech from the Throne and the budget. They are also able to propose amendments to bills during Estimates debates.
The Opposition has a number of privileges and duties well established by tradition. These include access to the floor of the House and to media coverage of its activities. The Leader of the Opposition is allowed to give a ‘right of reply’ after key announcements by the government. It is usual practice for the government to keep the Leader of the Opposition and other Opposition parties informed on issues of national importance. For example, during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, prime minister Boris Johnson called Opposition MP Keir Starmer to let him know he was announcing a three-tier lockdown system for England.
In chess, opposition (also known as direct opposition) is a special type of zugzwang. It occurs when both kings have two squares between them on the same rank or file. They create a mutual blockade, which forces the opponent to move, allowing the player not in opposition to penetrate into key squares such as b6 and c5. Try out our endgame puzzles to see how you can use the opposition in your own games.