All I Want For Christmas…
After failing three times to call a general election under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act (FTPA), the Prime Minister changed tack. The Government tabled a one page Bill – Early Parliamentary General Election Bill – to circumvent the two-thirds majority required to call an election under the FTPA. By doing so, the Government risked the deliberately simple Bill becoming a Christmas Tree Bill, with amendments being hung on it from all parties but this was deemed a price worth paying if it secured the simple majority needed for an election.
Christmas Tree Bill
As predicted, amendments calling for the voting age to be lowered to 16 and voting rights for EU citizens were tabled, alongside one by Labour calling for the election to be held on Monday 9th December, rather than the proposed 12th December. SW1 was holding its breath wondering which (assuming the most dramatic) amendments would be selected by the Deputy Speaker. Lindsay Hoyle, a frontrunner in the race to replace Bercow, cemented his position with Conservative MPs by ruling the votes at 16 and EU citizens’ votes outside the scope of the Bill, leaving the Commons to debate which date the election will be held.
Twelve days of Christmas
The wrangling over the date of the election may seem like a footnote to the main matter of calling the third general election in four years, but those who tabled the amendment argued that the change of date would ensure that students would be able to vote where they study, rather than potentially not voting as term ends and they return home. The amendment was rejected - 315 votes to 295 with the House voting overwhelmingly for the early election, 438 to 20.
Olive branch extended
Whilst the stages of the Bill were going through the Commons, news broke that ten of the 21 MPs who lost the Conservative Whip had had it restored following discussions with the Prime Minister: Alistair Burt, Caroline Nokes, Sir Nicholas Soames, Greg Clark, Margot James, Ed Vaizey, Steve Brine, Richard Benyon, Richard Harrington, and Stephen Hammond. The most notable exclusions to this peace offering were Amber Rudd (who has confirmed she will be standing down), Philip Hammond, Ken Clarke, and David Gauke. Whilst the move was widely praised by Conservatives – healing divisions in the party and increasing the chance of retaining seats – the obvious omissions to this are difficult to ignore.
Ten Lords a-leaping?
The Bill passes to the House of Lords today where it is expected to complete its stages with little to no opposition given the backing it has from elected representatives in the Commons.
Cancel those Christmas parties
So what happens now? Parliament will be dissolved on 6th November to begin the mandated minimum election campaign time of 25 working days. 52 MPs (and counting) have already announced that they will be standing down (1/12 of the House) which will have implications on the fabric and experience of the new House returned in December.
The UK hasn’t had a general election in December for nearly a century and a winter election comes with genuine concerns about campaigners’ safety, voter apathy and low turnout, and the very real risk that this election won’t solve the current Brexit impasse.
We can, therefore, expect a new government to be formed on Friday 13th. Insert jokes here.
