A Parliament for the People

From Graham Allen

MP’s are the only people in our nation’s democracy who are directly elected by the British people. In order to represent the electorate we need to ensure that Parliament speaks much more to their agenda and is not just the rubber stamp for Government.

As a first step Parliament First* is proposing that Parliament takes back control of its own agenda by the creation of a Parliamentary Business Committee** and we have produced a draft [below] of what one of its reports would look like.

We have produced a Business Committee report*** for next week, which more accurately represents the issues of concern to the British people and their elected representatives. It is lively and full of ideas. We hope it grabs the attention of MP’s and also the electorate who we represent and the media.

It gives a glimpse of what a free independent Parliament could actually be like if MPs and Parliament, rather than governments, proposed the agenda – i.e. it is topical, relevant and the forum of the nation . New demands will be made on MP’s as they must be if we are to become self-respecting and serious players in our democracy.

We obviously leave room – we suggest 50% of the time – for government business. However, the Committee will timetable all business and agree speech limits. The Business Statement will be formally moved by a member of the Business Committee, each Thursday and would replace the current Leaders statement. It could be votable though not debated-since it should already have extensive discussion and all party agreement through the Business Committee.

We will produce another Business Committee report next week hopefully incorporating ideas from MP’s and others.

Parliament First will produce a report this weekend and next in the first instance, we have no wish to become repetitive, lose media interest or be targeted by front-bench whips on both sides.

We also propose a Phase Two to crank up the interest. This would involve having a secret ballot of all colleagues, or just backbench MPs (conducted by the Electoral Reform Society?), electing their representatives to the Business Committee, which would meet to produce a shadow business statement. We should allow for nomination from the minority parties since it is important, indeed vital, that they are represented. In addition we will nominate ex officio members to get the broadest possible representation from those of good will. After the election is completed we suggest once again that we have no more than two weeks worth of Business Committee reports then adjourn and stock-take on what progress we have made. The Business Statement could read like this:

*** Business Committee Report to the House, Thursday 5th March 2009

Member of the Business Committee of the House of Commons (Ms Jo Smith): With permission, I should like to formally move the Business Committee’s statement about the business for next week:

Monday 9 March – Parliamentary Questions (takes place each day and only one working day’s notice required) followed by Members Early Day Motion [the EDM with most cross party support in the previous week] “Charging policies of Power Companies”-votable.

Tuesday 10 March – Motion to renew under sunset clause [which will pertain to all bills suspending Human Rights] the draft Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 Order 2009 (the legal advice for MP’s on the international legality of this from the new Counsel to Parliament is available in the Table Office), followed by debate on the proposals from the Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the Criminal Justice Bill, followed by motions to agree the election of Select Committees by secret ballot, followed by motions relating to the long term settlement of Members’ Pay and Reimbursements.

Wednesday 11 March – Parliamentary consent for Heathrow expansion [all Government spending over a limit will require parliamentary consent] followed by the Government proposal to take all stages of the Northern Ireland Bill only if accompanied by an Emergency Situation Certificate (suspension of normal parliamentary process)from the Speaker.

Thursday 12 March – Speakers statement and Secretary of State for Health response on his Department’s replies to PQ’s, (new power for The Speaker to summon ministers) followed by General debate on the Parliamentary Inquiry on “The causes of the financial Crisis” and vote on the recommendations.

Friday 13 March – Private Members’ Bill No 1.The Autism Bill, second reading [votable to a conclusion,sponsoring member must specify savings equivalent to proposed spending].

The Business Committee reminds colleagues of the new convention on Parliamentary Privilege that Bills not included in the manifesto’s are subject to free votes.

The provisional business for the week commencing 9 March will include:

Monday 16 March – The Speaker has selected the Pensioners Parliament as the organisation which may convene in the chamber this morning.

Select Committee Reports (2nd allocated day). There will be a debate and vote on the recommendations of the Treasury Select Committee Report on “Pensions and Bonuses in banking”, followed by a Children’s Select Committee debate and vote on recommendations on “HMG’s Schools Admissions Policy”. Details of the recommendations and the Government response will be given in the Official Report.

Tuesday 17 March – Opposition Day (7th allocated day). There will be a debate on an Opposition motion, subject to be announced, followed by proceedings on the Budget (Amendment) Bill. At 10 pm the House will be asked to give specific Parliamentary authority to any changes proposed by Government to the agreed Budget over £20M or to defer them for decision on a named day.

Wednesday 18 March – Remaining stages of the Local Government Financial Independence Bill, followed by a motion in response to the Public Petition -one selected each month-on Graffiti (fixed penalty notices), followed by a motion to consider the Care System and the family, followed by report on the confirmation hearings of the Chair of the FSA and the Chief Rail Regulator.

Thursday 19 March – If necessary, consideration of Lords amendments (which have to be submitted within 6 months of referral), followed by a report on all this week’s Statutory Instruments and Orders which have been considered by Select Committee and vote if necessary. Details will be given in the Official Report.

Friday 20 March – Private Members’ Bill No 2 Fuel Poverty Bill Second Reading (votable to a conclusion and committed to standing committee given the abolition of “talking out”)

** BUSINESS COMMITTEE COMPOSITION
(1) Paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 14 (Arrangement of public business) is repealed.

(2) The Business Committee to be established in accordance with this order shall have as its principal function the preparation of a rolling fortnightly forward programme of the public business of the House, to be put to the House for decision every week. The programme shall include the dates of legislative proceedings, and of Opposition days under Standing Order No. 14(2).

(3) Notice of the proposed programme of business must be given at least two days before it is put to the House. Changes to the agreed programme may be proposed in case of urgency.

(4) The question on any proposal from the Business Committee relating to the programme of business, and on any amendment selected thereto, shall be put forthwith, and may be decided at any hour, though opposed.

(5) The Committee shall consist of
(a) The Speaker or named deputy, who shall be the Chairman
(b) Seven Members elected by the House.
(c) One member from the minority parties appointed by The Speaker

*Parliament First
Parliament First is open to MP’s of all Parties. It aims to promote genuine, radical Parliamentary reform which will give individual MPs more autonomy and more power to scrutinize the executive, initiate policy proposals and raise issues of concern to their constituents and to voters generally. Above all, we want to restore public confidence in Parliament itself. We want people to believe that Parliament makes a real difference to their lives.

We will not succeed in these big objectives unless we attract significant favourable interest in the media and public opinion generally. We will not allow Parliament First to be treated as another little cosy club for Parliamentarians, or worse still, as a cell for malcontents and rebels and plotters.

To avoid this, we make a very clear “offer” to the public: what will Parliament First do for them

“Parliament First aims to reform Parliament to give the British people more influence on its agenda, more control over their government, better laws and better public administration. In particular, we want MPs, as elected representatives, to have far more power to decide what the House of Commons actually does.”

In support of this proposition, we point out how much control Government now exerts over the work of the Parliament which is supposed to hold them to account. Its stranglehold on Commons business means that the public have very little opportunity through their elected representatives to raise issues of concern to them. Debates are rarely topical (unless the Speaker grants an emergency debate) and when the Opposition parties get to use their limited time they tend, not surprisingly, to use it for point-scoring and propaganda.

Another less-noticed consequence of government control on Commons business is that the House is given far too much government legislation and far too little time to analyse it properly. When the government knows that it can drive its programme through the House of Commons it loses much of its motive to concentrate on important legislation, or explain its legislation to MPs and the people. It does not even need to prepare Bills properly – their drafting is frequently shoddy and the government all too often relies on the Lords to clean them up. Below the level of primary legislation, an immense amount of important business – SIs, European business, regulations, government circulars and directives, administrative decisions – gets very little scrutiny of any kind. That too is a recipe for bad government.

This raises a wider agenda: how the government controls not only the content of Parliamentary business but the processes by which it is analysed and discussed. Here we need to question the government control of Select and Standing Committees, the influence of the whips (on all parties), Parliamentary hours and voting procedures, timing of General Elections and much else. Again we stress the same over-riding themes: too much power for the executive, too little power for the people.

Our proposals will give the people more say in the business of Parliament, more say in what laws are made and the content of Bills, better and more transparent government.

We propose that Parliament First adopt the above and convene a press conference to launch it.

John Bercow, Graham Allen and John Hemmings