‘Right and proper’ that Parliament should be recalled to scrutinise PM’s plans, says Jacob Rees-Mogg

Parliament should be recalled so policy announcements by Prime Minister Andy Burnham can be scrutinised, according to Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

He said on GB News: “As you all know, our constitution is uncodified, but it works by consent and by a following of tradition, acceptance of broad rules. So there is no constitutional rule that says Parliament should be recalled. The ministerial code says that statements should be made to Parliament when it is in session, and it’s obviously not in session.

“But it seems to me we are nonetheless being cheated of the ability to hold the government to account and to scrutinise because so many policies are being announced without any ability for MPs, your representatives, to ask questions about them. Normally, when you have a change of prime minister, you have a new government coming in, you have a king’s speech, you have seven days debate in the House of Commons over what is happening.

“Even when a prime minister changes in mid-term, it’s usually whilst Parliament is sitting and there’s an opportunity to question the new incumbent. On this occasion, none of that has happened, and the prime minister has been very busy.

“It’s not as if he’s just continuing with Sir Keir Starmer’s proposals. Day after day, something new is being announced, even though it was a small tax change.

“I cannot think of an occasion previously when a prime minister has announced a tax change other than to Parliament, the tradition was that tax changes were held back to a budget, and that ministers, the prime minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, would not commit to tax changes until there was a budget.

“That convention has been broken, and so a little tax change is promised without any accountability, we now have the ridiculous situation where government policy is being announced not to Parliament, not in this country, not to a press conference, but by the President of the United States.

“Now, I’m not unsympathetic to Donald Trump, but I’m not entirely convinced that that is the right place for changes in British policy for drilling in the North Sea to be announced. I like the new policy. I think it’s a good new policy, but it should be quizzed in Parliament as to what is happening, and that’s why I think the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham should ring up Mr. Speaker and say I think Parliament should come back for a few days to discuss what I have been announcing and to hold ministers to account.

“Bear in mind, Parliament came back because there were riots in London, when David Cameron was prime minister because of the use of chemical weapons by Syria. Parliament comes back when important things happen. Important things are happening every day at the moment, but they are being announced to invited audiences…

“Parliament needs to be recalled. It’s not a constitutional requirement, but it’s right and proper in a democracy that the prime minister is held to account.”