The centre of political life has always been seen as Parliament. But as political parties became ever more conscious of the role of the media and, in turn, how this could impact on the public perception of policies they thought less and less about Parliament. Parliament seemed to lose its place but there is now the real possibility of a comeback.
This ‘resurgence’ can partly be attributed as being the product of deliberate change. The shift to elections for chairs of Select Committees has given them enhanced power and standing. Combined with this, some of the committees make calls to the public on ideas for inquiries whilst others have recognised public outcry, for instance over tax, and have moved to investigate. The rise of the select committees has provided a boost to Parliament.
There has been a clear need to rebuild faith in politics following the expenses scandal and the continued low levels of turnout at elections. Unless more action is taken then Parliament will not make the most of the changes.
Enter Angela Eagle MP, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, speaking to Unlock Democracy on Parliamentary reform. She put forward a number of potentially radical ideas but critically focused on public involvement. Parliament is rightly seen as the means of securing effective legislation, not merely a way of keeping politicians busy.
Eagle spoke about a new stage to the scrutiny of all legislation in the Commons including a ‘Whole House Scrutiny Stage’ to take place on the floor of the House. There could be a free-form Q&A session with the relevant Minister, as well as a formal public evidence stage so that members of the public and experts can be heard. Bill committees would then be expected to go through Bills line-by-line.
There is little doubt that improved scrutiny will help to rebuild trust and ensure better legislation. Eagle also suggests that it may mean a move away from a reliance on secondary legislation because of a more ‘outline’ approach to Bills that has come about in recent years. This was particularly true under Tony Blair’s governments. As someone who advises clients on engagement with legislation, I always tell clients to keep watching, the Bill gaining Royal Assent is often only the start.
There are, of course, details to be worked through kin Eagle’s plans and I do wonder how the ‘expert’s will be selected in any new stages.
Another big impact that will be felt by Parliament, one that will place it at the very heart of public attention, will be when the HS2 hybrid bill really gets going later this year. The public and media will be looking at how it progresses. Difficult, controversial issues will be played out and opponents of the scheme will want their day in Parliament to air their issues (some of which may be heard but others could well be disappointed). The Bill was meant to be passed by the time of the General Election and many saw this as ‘challenging’. However, in an interview with the Spectator, the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, has now admitted that it won’t.
But moves to strengthen Parliament also have taken into account what the electorate expects of their MPs in a constituency context as well. Twitter has certainly helped open up the world of the MP so people can see what they really get up to. This understanding certainly helps rebuild trust. But people also expect MPs to be highly active in their constituency and fundamentally local in outlook as well.
There is also an agenda to consider the quality of MPs, how representative they are and whether the political parties centrally continue to act as a filter. Many younger MPs especially are forging campaigns in Parliament and want to be seen to be holding Government to account. This isn’t regardless of the party they belong to but rebellions have been taking place although not many rebel regularly. I’d recommend you keep a close eye on The Revolts run by Phil Cowley and Mark Stuart which is essential reading for politicos everywhere.
People want engagement and the ability to participate. For many, the days of electing an MP who then deals with all the difficult decisions for them are over. There is less trust in the MPs and also people have more access to information, greater tools at their disposal and greater faith in their own abilities. Parliament and the political parties need to come to terms with this.