What is a backbench?

What is a backbench? Here are some definitions.

Noun
  1. (politics) In a house of legislature following the model of the Westminster system (such as the UK House of Commons), any bench behind either of the front benches and occupied by rank-and-file members.
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Examples
Labor leader Kim Beazley initially opposed the private members' bills proposed by the backbench Liberals.
Now he is his own man, hardened and scarred by backbench rebellions, geopolitical scraps and a hostile media firing on him from both left and right.
This will be a fractious and unstable government, riven by internal factional struggles and backbench rebellions.
Mr Blunkett's whistle-stop tour of the country as Mr Blair's backbench envoy will see him visit eight regions between now and the end of March.
Tuesday it was Lindsay Tanner's turn to spit the dummy and head for the backbench.
The whip passes on to the party leadership the opinions of backbench members.

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