Sarah Mann looks at what to expect over the next fortnight.
Parliament’s first week back after the Easter break was not without its dramas, dominated as it has been by controversy around Syria, anti-Semitism and the Windrush generation. Looking ahead, it is not unlikely that urgent topical issues such as these may well have an impact on planned Parliamentary activity as MPs push the front benches to take action.
As things stand, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is due to take questions at the dispatch box on Monday 23rd, where he is sure to face further challenges over the Government’s decision to carry out air strikes in Syria without first consulting Parliament. During an emergency debate on the matter secured by Jeremy Corbyn this week, the Labour leader accused the Prime Minister of demonstrating “flagrant disregard” for the (relatively recent) convention of seeking MPs’ consent before military intervention – but Theresa May remained firm in her stance that the action was legally justified on humanitarian grounds.
Later on, a day of debate on various Private Members’ Bills (PMBs) is scheduled for Friday 27th, including the remaining Commons stages of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill, before it heads to the Lords. Unusually for a PMB – the impact of which are usually limited to raising the profile of a particular issue – this one looks likely to pass into legislation. During the debates, MPs will likely refer to the recent release of statistics from Unison - showing a 9.7% in violent attacks on NHS hospital staff.
A short distance from Westminster, Labour continue to push hard to win over the few Conservative London boroughs at the local elections on 3rd May, and are tipped to perform well nationally. In the capital, Wandsworth and Barnet are receiving particular attention, with the latter Council further weakened by the Tories losing overall control when three of the Party’s councillors were deselected last month. Newington’s London Elections 2018 website will be following all the latest updates in the lead up to election day.
