Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

This is MPs’ chance to reinvigorate democracy. Will they take it?

MPs are rather bewildered today. It’s not just that some of them are trying to understand the intricacies of the Labour Party whipping operation, with frontbenchers saying one thing in broadcast interviews, and the whips saying quite another in private conversations. It’s also that parliamentarians are having to decide what it is they actually want from Brexit. This is a significant shift for all of them, whether they were elected two decades ago or in the most recent general election: MPs’ job is to decide whether or not to let legislation written by the government of the day pass unamended. Now, rather than simply rejecting a bill, or making changes to its detail rather than the overarching principle, they are having to choose from a long list of options.

This is Parliament taking over control of the Order Paper from the government, and Theresa May is right in her insistence that this changes ‘the balance between our democratic institutions’. She has argued that it sets an ‘unwelcome precedent’. Other Conservatives have pointed out that taking power away from the executive like this shouldn’t be done on the hoof, but at the end of a proper debate on constitutional change.

That as may be, but as the government is currently unable to get its business through the House, we are in new constitutional territory, anyway. And given we are where we are, there are opportunities for MPs that go far beyond working out what to do with the Brexit options in the next few days. This could be their chance to reinvigorate parliament.

Brexit has led to such an upheaval in British politics that it is highly unlikely we will be able to return to the old way of doing things, even with a new government in place.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in