Theresa May MP: Gordon Brown’s respect for Parliament - A glorious epiphany, or just a new type of spin?

If the new Prime Minister is to be believed, Parliament is to become, once more, the “crucible” of our political life.  I thought I’d use my first weekly Conservative Home article to examine whether Gordon Brown really has experienced a glorious epiphany, or whether it’s just a new type of spin.

Certainly, Gordon Brown’s record as Chancellor of the Exchequer never indicated any sort of respect for Parliament.  Every year, he announced a budget that left those watching feel like they’d won the lottery, only to discover in the next few days that he had neglected to mention his customary stealth taxes.  He became an expert at burying bad news.  And he refused to answer all sorts of reasonable Parliamentary questions, from serious issues of policy, to harmless information such as whether he uses email. 

But that was the past.  Maybe he’s done the unthinkable, and undergone a personality transplant?

Last week, he came to the House of Commons to make a statement about his proposals for constitutional reform.  Much was made of the fact that he had come to the House to make a statement to MPs, without going on the Today programme first.  Wow.  But it did sound awfully familiar.  It sounded familiar because – you’ll never guess what – most of it had already been trailed in the media.  Danny Finkelstein kindly did the Research Department's work for it at Comment Central.  So much for talking to MPs before talking to the media.

And this week, Gordon Brown came to the House of Commons to make a statement on his legislative programme, in advance of the Queen’s Speech.  Now it might be a bit mean to say that he spun this to the media beforehand – because he’d already spun it to MPs too.  He announced plans for more housing – which he first announced as Chancellor, and which he failed to deliver.  He announced plans for 25 year mortgages – which he also announced as Chancellor, and which he also failed to deliver.  And he announced plans for universal education until the age of eighteen – which he announced as Shadow Chancellor back in 1996.  So voters, and not just MPs, will harbour serious doubts about whether Gordon Brown is ever going to deliver.

But back to Parliament.  Only this week, the Prime Minister said he’d add the findings of the Flanagan Review into policing policy to the Criminal Justice Bill later in the year.  So Parliament will be asked to give the Bill its second reading when half of it hasn’t even been written.  And after his cryptic message in PMQs about super casinos, the media was briefed that the Manchester casino was “dead in the water”.  So Parliament came second, again.

For all Gordon Brown’s bluster about putting Parliament first, he has failed to address three key problems.  He has failed to address the democratic deficit in how Parliament scrutinises European legislation.  He has failed to answer the West Lothian Question.  And he has refused to hold a referendum on the latest European treaty.

On this latter subject, the conclusions of the last European Council stated: “National parliaments shall contribute actively to the good functioning of the Union”.  This is important, as the word “shall” places on Parliament an obligation to whatever the European Court of Justice decides should be the “good functioning” of the EU.  This would constitute a fundamental change in the relationship between Parliament and the institutions of the European Union. 

And this brings me back to the beginning.  If Gordon Brown believes that Parliament is the crucible of our political life, he should act like he means it.  He needs to address the West Lothian Question.  He mustn’t subordinate Parliament to the European Court of Justice.  And he must treat Parliament with the respect he claims he has for it.  Otherwise, “putting Parliament first” will be seen for what it is: just a new type of spin.

Comments

[Jennifer Wells]

Thank you Mrs May. We need to do much more to show that every Brown budget was a deceit.

[Man in a Shed]

Perhaps its time to give a new name to the West Lothian Question ? Mostly because I doubt the broader electroate really gets excited by that phrase, even if they should.

The English Question, or the English freedom agenda ?

The point is that it needs to get into the broader imagination of the people of England that Gordon Brown is trying to slice them up as the British Regions, and serve them a government which didn't even gain the most votes in England.

The English people understand fairness and are offended by cheating and underhand advantage. They need to the fact that Labour is cheating them explained again and again.

[David Belchamber]

Thank you very much for your pertinent and tempered comments. Exactly the right tone. Where GB is concerned we must confuse the issue with facts and do not let him do a Blair - or particularly an Ed Balls - where he avoids the question and then turns it into a false accusation against the tories.
The three points in your final para must be repeated ad nauseam until they are properly addressed.

[Tapestry]

Gordon Brown's relationship with reality has always been at best tenuous.

Blair lied in a way that made you feel you had somehow made a mistake in believing the truth.
Brown is not even aware of a difference between aspiration, promise and delivery. It's all just a blur.

Thank God Theresa May can put a little definition into the Brown blur, showing herself a skilled communicator in writing, as well as on TV.

[Matt Wright]

Brown is a master of spin. All he is doing is just new spin from the same old new Labour,

Matt

[Graham]

Keep pushing "The English Question" and state that the regional assemblies will be scraped and replaced with an English Assembly with the same powers as the Scotish one.

[TaxCutter]

I've not necessarily been supportive of Theresa before, but this was a very effective article. I'd now like to hear her views of making the House of Lords democratic

[TFA Tory]

The lack of respect for Parliament arises from the fact that we are now ruled by unelected bureaucrats from Brussels. To have an effect national Parliament that is worthy of the name, Britain must leave the EU.

[Andrew Lilico]

TaxCutter@01:32

Theresa produced a YourPlatform article on Lords reform a few months back: http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2007/03/theresa_may_mp_.html

[Evan Price]

On the constitutional questions, I have been posting a detailed commentary on my blog ... my own view is that most of the much vaunted changes are little more than an attempt to shift the focus or changes that will have little practical effect.

[Patsy Sergeant]

Mr. Brown is like a tank ploughing his way forward.... Mrs. May illustrates the problems clearly and concisely, and I think she manages to describe the way Mr. Brown is ploughing his way forward whether we like it or not, and that, worryingly even he doesn't have a clue where exactly he is taking us. I think it is fairly alarming!

[Tory T]

Theresa May impresses yet again as she has done with her last three ConHome articles. An excellent example of a politician ignoring the brickbats and getting on with the job. She's been holding Labour's feet to the fire and this article has a lot of support from all sides.

[Blaise Matthews]

Once again an exemplary article by Theresa May, if only more of the shadow cabinet had her conviction. Browns abhorrent use of spin is typical of labour and I hope that Theresa is put in a senior capacity from which she can bring about his inevitable downfall.

[Joe James Broughton]

Lots of good ammunition here from Theresa, and I'm very grateful for this & to use it.
We need to capitalise on our 911 gains in the May elections.
I would urge Theresa, and the Shadow team, however, to go a bit harder on the specifics on tax and incompetently run government projects.
We can't expect specific tax cuts as opposition pledges, but a greater sense of urgency that it will be done when affordable - and the economic case needs to be repeated - if individuals, families and businesses are taxed less, they will create more wealth - and - longer term - more revenue for the Exchequer.