Newington's Emma Sisk looks ahead to the next fortnight in Westminster and the issues we can expect to dominate the political agenda.
Article 50 will be triggered on Wednesday 29 March
Next Wednesday (29 March) marks the day that Prime Minister Theresa May will invoke Article 50, effectively giving the country’s notice that it is formally set to leave the European Union. Alongside May providing a date for the Brexit process to formally begin, her spokesperson was keen to emphasise that the Prime Minister had ruled out a snap election this year, despite rumours to the contrary. So canvassers can put their clipboards and rosettes back into the cupboard for a little while yet.
In an effort to combat May’s formal move on Article 50, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, will present a Ten Minute Rule Bill to Parliament to petition for a second EU referendum today (22 March). Ten Minute Rule Bills have little to no chance of becoming law, so this effort from Farron should be seen as an attempt to gather plaudits from the 48% remain voters, scared by the potential of a 'hard' Brexit.
Debate on Parliament ‘moving house’ touted
On Thursday (23 March), Leader of the House David Lidington will make his usual Business Statement. But parliamentarians will be keenly watching his speech to see if he takes his last opportunity before Easter to announce a debate on moving Parliament to an alternative location. This follows recommendations from the Joint Committee of the Palace of Westminster that Parliament ought to be relocated from its current location temporarily, with Department of Health buildings touted as Parliament’s temporary home.
Boris Johnson takes questions after visits to US and Africa
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will take Foreign and Commonwealth Office questions on Tuesday (28 March), following his recent diplomatic trips to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. But journalists from across both sides of the Atlantic will be waiting to see if Johnson will comment on his state visit to Washington to smooth relations following President Trump’s accusations that GCHQ was involved in illicit intelligence sharing. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry is likely to enquire into the mechanics of the visit. The pair has previously clashed over Trump, with Thornberry attacking the Government’s response to the President’s travel ban, saying “we need a prime minister who's prepared to tell him to stop, not one who simply [offers] her hand and simply helps him along”.
