Parliament Matters

This week's bruising Commons exchange between the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and the man she replaced at the Treasury, Jeremy Hunt, is just the opening encounter in what promises to be a long running parliamentary battle over the state of the public finances. MPs can expect to be asked to approve extra spending estimates in the autumn, and there'll be a Budget and a full-scale Comprehensive Spending Review as well.

But why were MPs asked to approve £1.04 trillion in extra spending in July, without ministers pointing out that they believed the departmental budgets on which the spending was based to be dangerously flawed? And why the rush to push that extra spending through before the summer holidays.... Ruth reveals the link to a Victorian decision to ensure that gentlemen MPs could start their grouse-shooting on the Glorious 12th.

The carve up of select committee chairs between the parties has also been announced, with most going to Labour, while the Conservatives will provide the chair of the Home Affairs Committee (a good vantage point from which to attack the Government on immigration) while the Lib Dems will provide the Chair of Health and Social Care (perhaps foreshadowing a cross party deal on Social Care?). And does the decision to scrap the European Scrutiny Committee mean MPs won't be able to monitor important changes in Britain's relationship with the EU?

With more than a thousand new bag-carriers set to be hired by MPs to work with them in Parliament, Ruth and Mark talk to former union rep Max Freedman, who has just stepped down after 15 years chairing the Unite staff branch in Parliament about the perils and rewards of being a Westminster aide -cautioning that the reality is far from the glamour depicted in shows like the ‘West Wing’.

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Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Producer: Leo Bayles, The Podcast Company

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Could one of the most consequential Private Members’ Bills in nearly fifty years - the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which seeks to legalise assisted dying - be sidelined not due to its content but because MPs fear they won’t have time to scrutinise it properly?

Ruth and Mark look at increasing concerns in the House of Commons that the time constraints around private members legislation could prevent Kim Leadbeater’s bill from receiving the level of debate and scrutiny the issue demands.

If MPs are perceived to have reached a decision on anything other than the merits of the Bill, the House of Commons will risk looking ridiculous. So, should the Government step in to ensure there’s enough time for consideration in the Chamber and in Committee, while remaining neutral on the merits of the policy? Or might Ministers prefer to sit on their hands?

Also, as the Government’s proposal to remove the remaining hereditary peers from the House of Lords clears the Commons, how will the denizens of the Upper House respond? The Shadow Leader of the Lords warns the “execution will be up close and personal,” with Peers having to march through the lobbies to approve the Bill, under the watchful gaze of the colleagues they will be voting to exclude.

And finally, an embarrassing blunder: the Government has discovered that it has been unlawfully charging fees for UK visa applications for years and is trying to quietly regularise its mistake. The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee is not impressed with the Home Office. It’s a painful example of the perils of delegated legislation.

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Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Producer: Richard Townsend

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It’s Parliament Week, and Ruth and Mark are joined by researchers Cristina Leston-Bandeira and Richard Huzzey to celebrate an unsung hero of Westminster: the petitioning system. Once on the verge of irrelevance, this mechanism has seen record levels of public engagement, sparking debates and inquiries on an avalanche of citizen-driven issues. Together, they explore how petitioning adds value for both petitioners and MPs, and what has driven this surprising revival of a centuries-old tradition in the digital age.

As the news of the death of Tony Blair’s Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, reaches us, Ruth and Mark reflect on his unique place in British politics. Prescott was more than a brawler; he was a symbol of working-class pride in a political landscape increasingly dominated by career politicians from privileged backgrounds. With the decline of working-class representation in the House of Commons, they ask: could Angela Rayner, the current Deputy Prime Minister, step into Prescott’s shoes? Can she wield the same influence within Sir Keir Starmer’s government and hold Labour’s coalition together as Prescott once did?

With the select committee system kicking into gear - launching inquiries and grilling cabinet ministers - Ruth and Mark explore whether this quieter venue could outperform the raucous Commons Chamber in scrutinising the Government. In a Parliament where Labour’s dominance looms large, how might committees leverage their tools to ensure Ministers are held to account, especially when their reports are ignored, or responses fall short?

From nostalgia for a working-class titan to the mechanics of modern parliamentary accountability, Ruth and Mark delve into the past, present, and future of how Westminster engages with the people it serves.

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Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Producer: Richard Townsend

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With Labour’s first Budget due next week, Ruth and Mark walk through the elaborate process which sets the parameters for Commons debates on the Government’s taxation plans – and which may set limits on MPs’ ability to amend them. They also explore whether a better system is needed to scrutinise both tax policies and government spending.

Amid reports of MPs quaffing cartons of milk and munching apples in the Commons Chamber, they offer a guide to parliamentary etiquette, the 'Do’s and Don’ts' that Honourable Members must observe to stay in Mr Speaker’s good books and maintain good-tempered debate. Don’t wear jeans or chinos. Don’t call other MPs “you”. Keep speeches short and to the point and tell the Chair if there’s a good reason why you should be called to speak in a particular debate. And Mark has a warning for MPs scrolling through messages on their phones at the back of the Chamber.

Plus, the new Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, Layla Moran MP, discusses NHS reform, outlines how she plans to highlight the costs of neglecting social care reform, and suggests that her committee won’t need to revisit its earlier reports on 'assisted dying'. With a majority of newly elected MPs on her committee she also describes her plans to build a cohesive and effective team to scrutinise this key area of government policy.

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Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Producer: Richard Townsend

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The legislative sausage machine has cranked into action so Mark and Ruth dissect the government’s programme following the King’s Speech. They examine the proposals for major new bills on planning and devolution aimed at galvanising the economy, along with revamped legacy bills the Government is adopting from the previous administration. Where might political tensions and difficulties arise? What insights did the King’s Speech offer on parliamentary matters, and can we expect more bills beyond those identified in the legislative programme?

This week, parliamentary rebellions expert Professor Philip Cowley joins the podcast to discuss the challenges of managing a mega-majority in Parliament. What lessons can Labour learn from the Blair years? Have changes in Parliament over the last 25 years made rebellions more likely? And in a surprising revelation, Phil explains why Keir Starmer reminds him of Robert Redford!

As the initial exhilaration fades and the hard legislative grind begins, many new MPs in previous parliaments have struggled with the enormity of the job and its impact on their lives. We look at what will it be like for the generation of 2024?

🎓 Learn more using our resources for the issues mentioned in this episode.

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£ - Support the Hansard Society and this podcast by making a donation today.

Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Producer: Richard Townsend

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.