Open letter to Harriet Harman - February 2, 2010
In an open
letter to Leader of the House, Harriet Harman, seven organisations
concerned with parliamentary and constitutional reform have come together to
urge the Government and MPs not to act as a roadblock to reform of the House of
Commons before the general election.
The Better Government Initiative, Constitution Unit, Democratic Audit, Electoral
Reform Society, Hansard Society, Power 2010 and Unlock Democracy all support
implementation of the recommendations of the Select Committee on Reform of the
House of Commons (the ‘Wright Committee') which include:
-
a Business Committee for the House of Commons to give MPs a greater
stake in the shaping of the parliamentary agenda, thus offseting the power of
the executive;
-
reforms to the appointment of Select Committee members and chairs;
-
new opportunities for public initiation of House of Commons proceedings,
for example through the trialling of a Petitions Committee.
The proposals are to be considered by the House of Commons on February 23 through the introduction by the Government of up to 21 separate
‘non-amendable' resolutions. Such resolutions can be blocked by the objection
of just one MP raising the prospect that the Wright Committee recommendations
will be derailed by a small minority of members who object either to the
proposals themselves or to the perceived anti-democratic nature of the
procedure being used by the Government to introduce them. If objections to any
resolution are made then the Government will need to make time available in the
parliamentary timetable after the February 23 for the House to consider the
resolution again in more detail. However, thus far the Government has declined
to name a date and with parliamentary time running out the proposals may not be
in place before the general election.
This coalition of parliamentary and constitutional reform organisations
has therefore come together to urge that the Government:
1. Change the procedure for
consideration of the Wright Committee recommendations on the February 23 to
enable MPs to debate and vote on the proposals;
Or
2. At least announce a date when the
House will deal with any outstanding issues to which objections may be raised
by one or more MPs on the February 23 - this should be within a week of the 23rd
if there is to be enough time to implement the proposals before the general
election.
‘The Wright
Committee was set up by the Prime Minister in response to the MPs' expenses
scandal' said Ruth Fox of the Hansard Society. ‘This Parliament more than any
other in recent memory needs to reform itself. The reputation of MPs, of
Parliament and that of the Government itself will be further eroded if, having
established a clear direction for reform, a procedural roadblock is now erected
and the reforms are blocked before the general election.'
‘One of the
objectives in establishing the Wright Committee was to help enhance the
collective authority and reputation of the House of Commons', said Stuart
Wilks-Heeg of Democratic Audit. ‘MPs should have the democratic opportunity to
debate and amend the resolutions on which they vote or at the very least should
know the date on which they might be permitted to consider the reform proposals
in more detail if any member objects to them. It is nearly three months since
the reform proposals were published - any further delay which prevents
implementation before the general election is inexcusable.'
ENDS
Notes for
Editors
-
A
copy of the letter to Harriet Harman from the Better Government Initiative, Constitution Unit,
Democratic Audit, Electoral Reform Society, Hansard Society, Power 2010 and
Unlock Democracy can be
read here.
-
When
the House of Commons has previously considered reform proposals in the last
decade - for example, changes to sittings of the House (May 1999), the
programming of bills (November 2000), Select Committees (May 2002), reform of
sitting hours (January 2005) and the establishment of regional Select
Committees (November 2008) - all MPs had an opportunity on each occasion to
debate and amend the resolutions before them. This right to debate and then
amend resolutions is not permitted under the procedural device that the
Government currently proposes to use for consideration of the Wright Committee
reforms.
For further
information contact:
Kate
Egglestone at the Hansard Society on 0207 438 1210 or Ruth Fox on 07779 666771
Stuart
Wilks-Heeg at Democratic Audit on 07875 696104
Harriet Harman has given a date for discussion of the Wright Committee report as March 4 - Guardian, Tuesday 9 February 2010