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The Liberal Democrats are pressing to clinch extra debate days and other parliamentary rights from the Conservatives, arguing that a reallocation is due following their record election result and the Tories slumping to become the smallest official opposition in recent times.
Sir Ed Davey’s party is set to petition both the parliamentary authorities and the government to reallocate various Commons rights and responsibilities that by convention are extended to the main opposition party.
At the general election earlier this month, the Tories plummeted to just 121 MPs, their worst-ever defeat. The Lib Dems, by contrast, won 72 seats, their highest-ever number of MPs.
While the Conservatives are titled the official opposition party, they represent just over half (53 per cent) of opposition seats — down from the main opposition representing a minimum of 70 per cent in recent parliaments since 1997.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems are now the biggest-ever third party at Westminster, representing almost a third (32 per cent) of opposition seats. This is up from the third party in Westminster representing a maximum of 20 per cent of opposition seats during the same period.
Former House of Commons clerk Paul Evans crunched the numbers, arguing in an article for the Hansard Society last week that the latest election result had ushered in a “new era of multi-party opposition”. This raised questions about whether the official opposition “should retain the same predominant share of the rights and responsibilities that go with the role”, he said.
The Lib Dems are now planning to formally press for parliament’s rules to be updated to reflect the election outcome, according to party insiders.
This includes seeking a reallocation of the 20 opposition days that take place each parliamentary session, which allow an opposition party to influence the agenda in the House of Commons.
At present, 17 of these days go to the official opposition, while the remaining three days go to the second-biggest opposition party, under the terms of parliamentary procedure rules known as standing orders.
The Lib Dems believe that only 12 days should go to the Conservatives, while they should be given eight days.
Any such change would need agreement from the government to amend standing orders, which would require a Commons vote. A Labour insider signalled the government had yet to formally receive the Lib Dems’ “shopping list”.
Davey’s party has been irked that all five days of debate following Labour’s first King’s Speech last week have, as is customary, been controlled by the official opposition.
“The Conservatives have chosen the topics for each of these days and didn’t dedicate a single day to the NHS and social care, which is what we’ve been wanting to talk about. It’s quite a shocking absence in the debate,” said a Lib Dem official.
In addition, the party is pushing for more questions at prime minister’s questions, which takes place at noon every Wednesday when the Commons is sitting. By convention, the official opposition has six questions, while the second opposition party has two questions.
The Lib Dems believe they should gain one of the Tories’ questions. The decision would be at the discretion of the Speaker, following assessment by the Commons clerks, according to officials.
Hannah White, director of the Institute for Government think-tank, welcomed proposals to reallocate opposition rights. “We have a very bipolar House of Commons in the normal way of things. That has shifted since the election, meaning the current set-up feels really unfair for the second opposition party.”
She said the House amending standing orders or the Speaker agreeing to redistribute questions at PMQs were small, plausible changes that could be made.
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper claimed the situation had been made more urgent because the Tories were in “disarray . . . fighting among themselves instead of doing the job of scrutinising the government”.
She said: “There is a big hole at the centre of British politics and a need for a strong opposition. We are ready to fill that gap and hold the new government to account.”
A Conservative spokesperson hit back against the Lib Dems’ proposal, arguing: “What’s the point when they agree with the Labour party on every issue?”
