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| Five things we learned from parliament's tumultuous last day | Five things we learned from parliament's tumultuous last day |
| (1 day later) | |
| John Bercow has lost none of his sense of theatre | John Bercow has lost none of his sense of theatre |
| The Speaker of the House has been nothing if not divisive but there is no doubt John Bercow has an impeccable sense of drama and timing. Announcing he is to step down at the expected moment of Brexit is the coup de théâtre in a career littered with controversy. He drew gasps, laughter and applause. | The Speaker of the House has been nothing if not divisive but there is no doubt John Bercow has an impeccable sense of drama and timing. Announcing he is to step down at the expected moment of Brexit is the coup de théâtre in a career littered with controversy. He drew gasps, laughter and applause. |
| It promptedtributes and afforded Bercow the chance to make a pointed personal statement, reminding MPs they were representatives, not just delegates. He said he had sought to increase the relative authority of the legislature, and issued a warning: “We degrade this parliament at our peril.” | It promptedtributes and afforded Bercow the chance to make a pointed personal statement, reminding MPs they were representatives, not just delegates. He said he had sought to increase the relative authority of the legislature, and issued a warning: “We degrade this parliament at our peril.” |
| His move also ensures something else – the next Speaker will be chosen from and by MPs in the current parliament, not leaving the selection to be influenced by any general election outcome. | His move also ensures something else – the next Speaker will be chosen from and by MPs in the current parliament, not leaving the selection to be influenced by any general election outcome. |
| The Speaker is the chief officer and the highest authority in the House of Commons. They chair parliamentary debate to call MPs to speak, to keep order, and to instruct when votes should be taken. | The Speaker is the chief officer and the highest authority in the House of Commons. They chair parliamentary debate to call MPs to speak, to keep order, and to instruct when votes should be taken. |
| The Speaker is expected to remain politically neutral on all issues, and to continue this even in retirement. On appointment as Speaker, they resign from their political party. They continue to stand for election as an MP, but by tradition they are unopposed in their constituency by the major parties. | The Speaker is expected to remain politically neutral on all issues, and to continue this even in retirement. On appointment as Speaker, they resign from their political party. They continue to stand for election as an MP, but by tradition they are unopposed in their constituency by the major parties. |
| The Speaker has the power to compel MPs to withdraw remarks, to suspend individual MPs, or to suspend the whole sitting of the House of Commons in case of serious disruption. | The Speaker has the power to compel MPs to withdraw remarks, to suspend individual MPs, or to suspend the whole sitting of the House of Commons in case of serious disruption. |
| The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected to the role by MPs on 22 June 2009. He has announced he intends to step down on 31 October. | The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected to the role by MPs on 22 June 2009. He has announced he intends to step down on 31 October. |
| Speakers are elected by MPs in a secret ballot. MPs are given a list of candidates and make their choice. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, the question is put to the house that he or she takes the chair as Speaker. If no candidate reaches 50%, the candidate with the fewest votes and those with less than 5% of the vote are eliminated, and MPs vote again until one candidate succeeds. | Speakers are elected by MPs in a secret ballot. MPs are given a list of candidates and make their choice. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, the question is put to the house that he or she takes the chair as Speaker. If no candidate reaches 50%, the candidate with the fewest votes and those with less than 5% of the vote are eliminated, and MPs vote again until one candidate succeeds. |
| MPs expected to stand for the post include the deputy speakers Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Eleanor Laing, Labour veterans Harriet Harman, Meg Hillier and Chris Bryant, and the Tory MP Sir Henry Bellingham. | |
| Parliament doesn’t really have that many sanctions at its disposal | Parliament doesn’t really have that many sanctions at its disposal |
| MPs took control and passed a motion calling for disclosure of “all correspondence and other communications” about the prorogation of parliament from a named set of government advisers. The aim, it would seem, is to prove that Boris Johnson misled the house, and by extension the Queen, with the reasons he gave. | MPs took control and passed a motion calling for disclosure of “all correspondence and other communications” about the prorogation of parliament from a named set of government advisers. The aim, it would seem, is to prove that Boris Johnson misled the house, and by extension the Queen, with the reasons he gave. |
| Yet there is little parliament can do to actually force the release of this information – or even to establish whether messages on specific services like Telegram or Signal exist. Dominic Cummings was appointed to government despite being found in contempt of parliament in March – what possible sanctions do MPs have to compel him to hand over his phone? | Yet there is little parliament can do to actually force the release of this information – or even to establish whether messages on specific services like Telegram or Signal exist. Dominic Cummings was appointed to government despite being found in contempt of parliament in March – what possible sanctions do MPs have to compel him to hand over his phone? |
| They may have more luck with their request for the publishing of government reports. At least thanks to leaks we know the Operation Yellowhammer documents exist. The last time parliament went through this process, to compel the then Brexit secretary, David Davis, to release the sector-by-sector “impact papers”, which he said had been compiled in “excruciating detail”, it turned out they did not exist. | They may have more luck with their request for the publishing of government reports. At least thanks to leaks we know the Operation Yellowhammer documents exist. The last time parliament went through this process, to compel the then Brexit secretary, David Davis, to release the sector-by-sector “impact papers”, which he said had been compiled in “excruciating detail”, it turned out they did not exist. |
| If this was a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it | If this was a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it |
| Johnson has set an unenviable record as prime minister – losing every single vote he has faced in parliament. It took 11 years for Margaret Thatcher to lose four government votes, John Major lost three in three years, and Tony Blair lost four in a decade. Johnson, on the other hand, has managed to lose six times in the seven weeks he has been in charge. | Johnson has set an unenviable record as prime minister – losing every single vote he has faced in parliament. It took 11 years for Margaret Thatcher to lose four government votes, John Major lost three in three years, and Tony Blair lost four in a decade. Johnson, on the other hand, has managed to lose six times in the seven weeks he has been in charge. |
| He had another uncomfortable day at the dispatch box, surely the first prime minister to have to be asked directly whether he intended to obey the law, and to not answer the question. It prompted Jeremy Corbyn to call the way Johnson operates, and the government he leads, “a disgrace”. | He had another uncomfortable day at the dispatch box, surely the first prime minister to have to be asked directly whether he intended to obey the law, and to not answer the question. It prompted Jeremy Corbyn to call the way Johnson operates, and the government he leads, “a disgrace”. |
| The government still can’t get an election | The government still can’t get an election |
| The word “frit” was in the air as for a second time MPs voted down attempts to call a general election. The Tories’ attack line may be a little confused – with Johnson having repeatedly said he does not want an election, while also calling Corbyn a chicken for not agreeing to one – but it remains to be seen how the public feels about MPs frustrating a plan to give them a vote at a crucial Brexit juncture. | The word “frit” was in the air as for a second time MPs voted down attempts to call a general election. The Tories’ attack line may be a little confused – with Johnson having repeatedly said he does not want an election, while also calling Corbyn a chicken for not agreeing to one – but it remains to be seen how the public feels about MPs frustrating a plan to give them a vote at a crucial Brexit juncture. |
| Almost certainly, the next administration will want to look at modifying or repealing the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, which is seemingly keeping a government in office against its own wishes. | Almost certainly, the next administration will want to look at modifying or repealing the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, which is seemingly keeping a government in office against its own wishes. |
| Introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, the act set in place five-year, fixed-term parliaments with elections to be held on the first Thursday in May in 2015, 2020, 2025 and so on. | Introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, the act set in place five-year, fixed-term parliaments with elections to be held on the first Thursday in May in 2015, 2020, 2025 and so on. |
| In theory, the act makes the calling of any general election outside this term the decision of the House of Commons, not the prime minister. A vote by at least two-thirds of the Commons in favour of an early general election would formally fire the starting gun on the process – the input of the House of Lords is not required. The act also provides for an early poll if a majority of MPs pass a vote of no confidence in the government and no new government is formed within the following 14 days. | In theory, the act makes the calling of any general election outside this term the decision of the House of Commons, not the prime minister. A vote by at least two-thirds of the Commons in favour of an early general election would formally fire the starting gun on the process – the input of the House of Lords is not required. The act also provides for an early poll if a majority of MPs pass a vote of no confidence in the government and no new government is formed within the following 14 days. |
| The Commons closed in unprecedented chaos | The Commons closed in unprecedented chaos |
| It wasn’t quite 1629 and MPs sitting on the Speaker to prevent Charles I dissolving parliament, but by the close of play in the Commons we were treated to the sight of MPs protesting, holding up signs saying they were being “silenced”, and at least delaying the Speaker leaving his chair. | It wasn’t quite 1629 and MPs sitting on the Speaker to prevent Charles I dissolving parliament, but by the close of play in the Commons we were treated to the sight of MPs protesting, holding up signs saying they were being “silenced”, and at least delaying the Speaker leaving his chair. |
| For his part, Bercow was not going to leave without having his say, telling MPs: “This is not a normal prorogation. It is not typical, it is not standard. It is one of the longest for decades and it represents not just in the minds of some colleagues but huge numbers of people outside, an act of executive fiat.” | For his part, Bercow was not going to leave without having his say, telling MPs: “This is not a normal prorogation. It is not typical, it is not standard. It is one of the longest for decades and it represents not just in the minds of some colleagues but huge numbers of people outside, an act of executive fiat.” |
| There had been talk of MPs setting up an alternative parliament or squatting in Westminster to continue discussing Brexit. We are yet to see whether this form of protest will materialise. Thankfully, unlike the last set of protesters in the chamber, MPs kept their clothes on, although you can be the judge of how great their singing is. | There had been talk of MPs setting up an alternative parliament or squatting in Westminster to continue discussing Brexit. We are yet to see whether this form of protest will materialise. Thankfully, unlike the last set of protesters in the chamber, MPs kept their clothes on, although you can be the judge of how great their singing is. |
| I know you’re not meant to film in the chamber, but everyone on the opposition benches is singing and this moment was beautiful. pic.twitter.com/MfQzpdTHRa | I know you’re not meant to film in the chamber, but everyone on the opposition benches is singing and this moment was beautiful. pic.twitter.com/MfQzpdTHRa |
| But has anything really changed? | But has anything really changed? |
| It was high drama but ultimately everything remains up in the air. No election that might break the logjam. No guarantee that Johnson will obey a law preventing a no deal Brexit. No joy from his meeting with the Irish PM, Leo Varadkar. No guarantee the EU would grant an extension anyway. And now no parliament to resolve these issues for the next five weeks. | It was high drama but ultimately everything remains up in the air. No election that might break the logjam. No guarantee that Johnson will obey a law preventing a no deal Brexit. No joy from his meeting with the Irish PM, Leo Varadkar. No guarantee the EU would grant an extension anyway. And now no parliament to resolve these issues for the next five weeks. |
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