Budget rules explained, parliamentary etiquette tips, and Layla Moran MP gears up for action as Health and Social Care Committee chair

News

Budget rules explained, parliamentary etiquette tips, and Layla Moran MP gears up for action as Health and Social Care Committee chair - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 50

25 Oct 2024

©House of Commons

Next week marks Labour’s first budget in over 14 years, but how exactly do MPs debate the Government's taxation plans, and how much influence do they really have over public finances? With many new MPs unfamiliar with Westminster’s quirky traditions, we ask: what are the ‘Do’s and Don'ts’ of parliamentary etiquette? Plus, the new Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran MP, talks NHS reform, social care, ‘assisted dying’, and the challenge of leading a committee of newly-elected MPs.

LISTEN

With Labour’s first Budget due next week, Ruth and Mark walk through the elaborate process which sets the parameters for Commons debates on the Government’s taxation plans – and which may set limits on MPs’ ability to amend them. They also explore whether a better system is needed to scrutinise both tax policies and government spending.

Amid reports of MPs quaffing cartons of milk and munching apples in the Commons Chamber, they offer a guide to parliamentary etiquette, the ‘Do’s and Don'ts’ that Honourable Members must observe to stay in Mr Speaker’s good books and maintain good-tempered debate. Don’t wear jeans or chinos. Don’t call other MPs “you”. Keep speeches short and to the point and tell the Chair if there’s a good reason why you should be called to speak in a particular debate. And Mark has a warning for MPs scrolling through messages on their phones at the back of the Chamber.

Plus, the new Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, Layla Moran MP, discusses NHS reform, outlines how she plans to highlight the costs of neglecting social care reform, and suggests that her committee won’t need to revisit its earlier reports on 'assisted dying'. With a majority of newly elected MPs on her committee she also describes her plans to build a cohesive and effective team to scrutinise this key area of government policy.

← Back to Parliament Matters homepage

Listen on our YouTube channel (captioned)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Our guest

Layla Moran MP

Layla Moran is the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, a seat she has held since 2017. She was elected Chair of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee in September 2024. In 2020, Layla ran for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, finishing second to current leader Ed Davey. Following the leadership race, she became the party's Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and International Development, a role she held for four years. Prior to that, she was the Education Spokesperson from 2017 to 2020, and she also served on the Public Accounts Committee from 2017 to 2019.

What we talked about on this episode

The Budget: how is it debated?
Government tax and spending plans: how much influence do backbench MPs have?
House of Commons chamber: what are new MPs getting wrong and and what are the "do's and don'ts" of etiquette in the Chamber?
Health and Social Care: how will the new Select Committee tackle the issue of social care?
Will the Health Committee conduct an inquiry into the 'Assisted Dying' Bill?

Resources

Hansard Society

A procedural guide to the Budget process

House of Commons

Rules of behaviour and courtesies in the House of Commons

Health and Social Care Committee

Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide, Second Report of Session 2023-24

Transcript

Please note, this transcript is automatically generated. There are consequently minor errors and the text is not formatted according to our style guide. If you wish to reference or cite the transcript copy below, please first check against the audio version above.

You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Ruth Fox: Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/pm. Finally, it's really here. 118 days after the general election, the first budget of this Labour government will be delivered next week. So we'll take you through what happens in one of Parliament's more complicated events.

Mark D'Arcy: Are you embarrassing yourself with these basic mistakes in parliamentary etiquette? Our guide for new MPs on what they're getting wrong in the Commons Chamber.

Ruth Fox: And the new chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran, stops by to talk NHS reform, assisted dying, and getting new MPs up to speed for life on the committee corridor.[00:01:00]

Mark D'Arcy: But first, Ruth, let's talk about the budget. It's finally here. You can argue that there's been a huge political vacuum left in the absence of Labour having an immediate Budget as soon as they took office, but finally next week, it's going to arrive. An all singing, all dancing financial statement with details of tax and spending plans for the coming year and probably for time beyond that as well.

And all sorts of incredible intricate. technical complexities about how the budget is debated, what the parameters of the debate are, how the documents around the budget are extracted from Exchequer, and much, much more. And it can look quite opaque to people watching from outside, as all sorts of slightly strange rituals are enacted.

Ruth Fox: Yeah, so should we take listeners through it step by step, Mark, so that when they're watching next week, they can follow. And some of this actually happens at quite a bit of speed. So it's quite tricky.

Mark D'Arcy: It's, it's all very rapid. [00:02:00] But the first thing that happens is that the Speaker leaves the chair to be replaced by the senior deputy speaker, the Chairman of Ways and Means.

And this is a historical oddity that goes back to, I think, the Restoration Era, where at one point the Speaker was seen as a tool of the monarchy. And so when the Commons wanted to discuss money matters, it resolved itself into a committee of ways and means that was not chaired by Mr Speaker. And that has persisted pretty much ever since through the ensuing centuries.

It's the one big parliamentary event that the Speaker doesn't chair as of right....

Use the links below to subscribe to the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast on your preferred app, or search for 'Parliament Matters' on whichever podcasting service you use. If you are unable to find our podcast, please email us here.

Apple

YouTube Podcasts

Spotify

More ways to subscribe

Parliament Matters homepage

Latest / Highlights

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 27-31 October 2025

The Attorney General, the Chief Secretary to the PM and the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service will face questions after the collapse of the China spying case. Nigel Farage plans to introduce a Bill to withdraw from the ECHR. MPs will question Yvette Cooper and Pat McFadden, and debate property service charges and end-of-life care. The Conservatives will choose Tuesday’s Opposition Day topic. In the Lords, Peers will debate Ukraine and hear from the Justice Minister and hospice and care sector representatives on the assisted dying bill. The Victims and Courts Bill and the Sentencing Bill have their final Commons stages, while in the Lords the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the Employment Rights Bill face further scrutiny.

News / Parliament vs. Prince Andrew - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 111

This week, we explore how far Parliament can go in holding members of the Royal Family to account, as pressure grows for MPs to scrutinise Prince Andrew’s finances and royal titles. We ask whether Nigel Farage should get a right of reply at Prime Minister’s Questions amid his growing prominence, and examine Labour’s reshuffle of select committee posts and calls for greater transparency in how they’re filled. Plus, a look back at the rebuilding of the House of Commons Chamber, 75 years after its postwar reopening. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

News / Parliament’s spying scandal: Why was the China case dropped? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 110

It’s been a tumultuous week in Westminster, with three ministerial statements on the China spying case and fresh questions about the collapse of charges against two alleged spies. We are joined by Cambridge public law expert Professor Mark Elliott to untangle the legal and political fallout, from espionage claims inside MPs’ offices to confusion over whether China was ever designated an “enemy state.” We also explore looming government challenges — the Budget, Afghan data leak, local election setbacks — and the membership of the new Select Committee to consider the assisted dying legislation in the House of Lords. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

Briefings / Assisted dying - The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Rolling news

Stay informed with updates and analysis on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill as it moves through Parliament. Learn about the debates, procedures, decisions, and key milestones shaping the assisted dying legislation.

News / What are the Usual Channels? A short history of Westminster whipping - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 108

In this episode, we talk to political journalist Seb Whale about his new book, The Usual Channels, which reveals the hidden world of Westminster’s whips. Seb charts how party discipline has evolved – from the stormy politics of the 1970s and the Maastricht battles of the 1990s to the legendary “black book,” the Brexit showdowns and the short-lived Liz Truss premiership. He explains how the whips’ office has adapted to a modern Parliament – especially with the influx of women MPs – and why, even today, whips still wield decisive influence over MPs’ careers and remain indispensable despite the pressures of contemporary politics. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.