SPEAKER'S LECTURE 2015

SPEAKER'S LECTURE 2015

On 2^nd March, WPGP attended the Speaker’s Lecture at Portcullis House. The title of the lecture was ‘A House Rebuilt – Progress, Governance and an Agenda towards 2020.’

Mr Bercow used the lecture as a chance to reflect on reforms to parliament since he became speaker in 2009, and to propose foci for future reform.

He opened with some comments on the recent BBC series ‘Inside the Commons,' describing how some MPs had feared letting cameras into the Commons in such way would be as if ‘letting light in on magic.’ He argued that, overall, the series had been a success, and had been met with sympathetically by the public.

He then went on to lay out three factors he considered important for parliament to be successful in the modern world. These were:

1. That it be an effective legislature
2. That it be closely connected to the public
3. That it be a model employer

He commented that the 2010 election had brought 227 new MPs into the Commons, and that this shot of ‘new blood’ had coincided with considerable changes to parliament, many stemming from the expenses scandal of 2009.

Mr Bercow listed examples of reforms and results already achieved, which included:

• The resurrection of the Urgent Question (UQ) as a method for making minsters accountable to parliament. Between June 2008 and June 2009 (before Bercow became Speaker) the UQ was used twice. From June 2009 to the beginning of March 2015, there have been 211 UQs.
• The increasing likelihood of ministers making statements to the House, instead of in the press, resulting from the more prolific use of UQs.
• The election of Select Committee Chairs by MPs, rather than their appointment by the main parties. This has entrenched the independence of Select Committees and increased their power and significance. Examples given included:
  • The role of the Home Affairs Select Committee in investigating the issue of FGM
  • The importance of the Treasury Committee's continued work on the banking crisis
• The formation of the Backbench Business Committee and its effectiveness, for example in securing a Commons debate on disclosure of documents connected to the Hillsborough Disaster.
• Changes to sitting hours in the Commons.
• Over 750 events held in Speaker’s House, making it a public resource.
• The commissioning of a new parliamentary education centre.
• The institution of the Speaker’s Lecture series, aired on BBC Parliament.
• The development in a number of universities of ‘Parliamentary Studies’ as part of degree-level Politics courses.
• The raised profile of the UK Youth Parliament, which is chaired by the Speaker every year.
• The opening up of Westminster hall for major speakers (e.g. Barak Obama) and concerts.
• The formation and work of the Digital Democracy Commission.
• The opening of a nursery for MPs and parliamentary employees.
• The abolition of zero-hours contracts for parliamentary employees.
• The accreditation of parliament as a London Living Wage employer.
• The setting up of the Speaker’s Parliamentary Placement Scheme, led by Hazel Blears.
• The separation of the roles of Clerk of the House and Chief Executive for Parliament.

He also set out three aims for the future:

• The formation of a House Business Committee, as recommended by the Wright Committee and proposed in the Coalition Agreement.
• The reform of PMQs.
• The development of the work of the Digital Democracy Commission.

Mr Bercow responded to questions after the lecture and discussed possible reform to Bill Committees and the importance of improved post-legislative scrutiny. When asked about MP Angela Eagle's recent call for a parliamentary sin-bin he said, 'I think there is merit in it. Its not for me to decide, it's for the house to decide.'

As a side note, it was interesting to observe the following day how a two-minute response to a single question as to whether repairs to the Palace of Westminster may cost in the region of £3 billion and may necessitate parliament temporarily abandoning the house, became the major story to come out of the lecture.

The text of the lecture can be found here

Audio can be found here