Confidence and supply
agreement between political parties that allows a minority party to play a part in government but is less formal than a coalition
In parliamentary democracies, especially those based on the Westminster system, confidence and supply is an arrangement under which a minority government (one which does not control a majority in the legislature) receives the support of one or more parties and/ or independent MPs on confidence votes and the state budget ("supply"). On issues other than those outlined in the confidence and supply agreement, non-government partners to the agreement are not bound to support the government on any given piece of legislation.
A coalition government is a more formal arrangement than a confidence-and-supply agreement in which junior parties (i.e., parties other than the largest) are generally expected to hold the government whip on passing legislation and formally participate in the government, with members holding office in the cabinet and ministerial roles.
Confidence
In most parliamentary democracies, members of a parliament can propose a motion of confidence or of no confidence in the government or executive. The results of such motions show how much support the government currently has in parliament. Should a motion of confidence fail, or a motion of no confidence pass, the government will usually either resign and allow other politicians to form a new government, or call an election.
Supply
Most parliamentary democracies require an annual state budget, called an appropriation bill or supply bill, or occasional financial measures to be passed by parliament in order for a government to pay its way and enact its policies. The failure of a supply bill is in effect the same as the failure of a confidence motion. In early modern England, the withholding of funds was one of Parliament's few ways of controlling the monarch.
List of governments currently under a confidence-and-supply agreement
Examples of confidence-and-supply deals
Australia
Federal
The Australian Labor Party Gillard government formed a minority government in the hung parliament elected at the 2010 federal election resulting from a confidence-and-supply agreement with three independent MPs and one Green MP.
New South Wales
Following the 2023 New South Wales state election, the Labor opposition reached 45 out of 47 seats required for a majority.
“Confidence and supply” enters the record as agreement between political parties that allows a minority party to play a part in government but is less formal than a coalition. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Confidence, supply and agreement can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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