One consequence of the mini-parliamentary rebellion on the King’s Speech is that Keir Starmer has decisively disciplined his backbench rebels, but is this firm approach a one-off for the King’s Speech or indicative of a broader strategy? With the Chancellor set to layout the depths of the nation’s financial woes next week, we ask: will the honeymoon period for the Labour government soon be over?
Parliamentary Rebellion Consequences: The recent rebellion during the King’s Speech has significant repercussions. The seven offending MPs are barred from running for Select Committee seats. While negotiations continue over the division of Committee Chairs, the Conservative leadership race could complicate the establishment of these Committees.
The Modernisation Committee: One Committee that might kick off quicker than some others is the new House of Commons Modernisation Committee, a key promise in Labour’s manifesto. Chaired by the Leader of the House, its members will be appointed, not elected. This has sparked complaints from smaller parties about their lack of representation. Do they have a legitimate case?
MPs’ Second Jobs: Fact or Fiction? The government recently tabled a motion claiming to abolish MPs' second jobs. But is this claim accurate? If not, what further actions might be on the radar to reduce MPs' outside work?
Historic Deputy Speaker Election: For the first time, all three newly elected Deputy Speakers are women, with one being the first ethnic minority MP to sit in the Chair. Conversely, the House of Lords is moving to prevent elections for new hereditary peers, pending government legislation to abolish their voting rights.
Government’s Early Performance: After two weeks of parliamentary business, Mark and Ruth reflect on the government's performance. While there’s an increased focus on legislative standards and scrutiny, early signs of teething problems and complaints from various House of Commons members suggest challenges ahead.
Is Keir Starmer’s firm approach to disciplining backbench rebels a one-off for the King’s Speech?
With the Chancellor set to reveal the nation’s financial struggles, will the honeymoon period for Labour soon be over?
What are the repercussions of the recent rebellion during the King’s Speech?
How might the Conservative leadership race affect the establishment of these Committees?
Will the new House of Commons Modernisation Committee get up and running more quickly than other committees?
Why are the Modernisation Committee members being appointed rather than elected?
Do smaller parties have a legitimate complaint about their lack of representation on this Committee?
Has the government truly moved to abolish MPs' second jobs, or is this claim inaccurate?
What further actions might be taken to reduce MPs' outside work?
Why is the House of Lords moving to prevent stop by-elections for new hereditary peers?
How have the first two weeks of parliamentary business gone for the Labour Government?
What early signs of teething problems and complaints from House of Commons members are emerging?
Parliament Matters is supported by a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, a Quaker trust which engages in philanthropy and supports work on democratic accountability.
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[00:00:00] You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety. org. uk slash PM.
Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox.
And I'm Mark D'Arcy. Coming up
Labour tightens its grip on Parliament.
Sir Keir Starmer stomps on his first set of Commons rebels.
And does the honeymoon end on Monday, when the Chancellor is due to set out the depth of the nation's financial woes?
Ruth, let's start with that because I suspect that what's going to happen on Monday is that Rachel Reeves is going to set the tone for what happens really over the next year or 18 months or beyond. We're [00:01:00] talking here about really underlining the depth of the financial crisis. The British state is running on empty.
Almost everywhere any minister looks in the departments that they're now running, they will see places where a vast injection of money is needed. But the money to do it isn't available. So you're looking at public sector pay settlements. The junior doctors will just be the start on that. Uh, defence spending.
Defence spending. The need for a vast boost in that which may not be able to wait on a all singing, all dancing defence review taking a leisurely 18 months. And almost every other sector. You know, the crisis in the prisons that they were talking about last week. The state of the schools. The state of almost any part of the public realm.
And I suspect that an awful lot of Labour MPs, when they came in, had a very nice couple of weeks. It's marvellous setting up an office. It's marvellous making your maiden speech. But now comes the moment when they're going to have to start saying no to the general public.
Indeed, so that's the sort of tone that has been set on the King's speech, of course, with the decision by Keir Starmer [00:02:00] to discipline his rebels.
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In our latest ‘Whipping Yarn’, we talk with Simon Hart, former Conservative Chief Whip during Rishi Sunak’s Premiership. Hart opens up about his time in one of Westminster’s most demanding and discreet roles, chronicled in his new book, ‘Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip’.
If a crisis or major national event occurs during a period when Parliament is adjourned, there are often demands from MPs, the media and the public for Parliament to be ‘recalled’. But the House of Commons Standing Orders stipulate that only Government Ministers - in reality, the Prime Minister - can ask the Speaker to recall the House. In recent years the House of Lords has generally been recalled at the same time as the House of Commons.
In response to the Modernisation Committee's call for views on 17 October 2024, we submitted evidence outlining key areas we believe the Committee should prioritise. Our submission recommended a focus on: strengthening legislative scrutiny, with particular emphasis on reforming the delegated legislation system; enhancing financial scrutiny, especially in relation to the Budget and the Estimates; addressing strategic gaps in parliamentary scrutiny; making more effective use of parliamentary time; and reviewing the Standing Orders, language and rituals of the House of Commons.
This briefing explains what to watch for during the Second Reading debate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 29 November. It outlines the procedural and legislative issues that will come into play: the role of the Chair in managing the debate and how procedures such as the 'closure' and 'reasoned amendments' work. It looks ahead to the Committee and Report stage procedures that will apply if the Bill progresses beyond Second Reading. It also examines the government's responsibilities, such as providing a money resolution for the Bill and preparing an Impact Assessment, while addressing broader concerns about the adequacy of Private Members’ Bill procedures for scrutinising controversial issues.
In this ninth instalment of our special mini-podcast series, we continue to explore the latest developments in the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, often referred to as the assisted dying bill. We are joined by Dr Marie Tidball MP to discuss the amendments she has secured for a Disability Advisory Board and an independent advocate for people with learning disabilities.
