Political storm clouds are gathering over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement. What does it mean for Parliament, party discipline and the Government’s economic credibility. We speak to Dr Marie Tidball MP about her first months in Westminster - and the accessibility challenges facing disabled MPs. Plus, why did Peers get a vote on postponing local elections, but MPs didn’t?
With MPs facing a bleak economic outlook, proposed welfare cuts, and local elections on the horizon, how long can Ministers hold the line? Ruth and Mark dissect signs of unrest on Labour’s backbenches, with a growing number of voices warning against what they see as a return to “austerity 2.0.” We explore the growing calls for a shift in economic strategy — from a wealth tax to rethinking the triple lock — and the dangers for Reeves if her current path begins to look like a “doom loop”.
Also this week, Dr Marie Tidball MP joins us to share her first-hand experiences as a newly elected Labour MP (for Penistone and Stocksbridge) — and the accessibility hurdles facing disabled parliamentarians in Westminster’s historic (and often inaccessible) corridors of power. She tells us about the challenges of navigating the place of Westminster’s physical and procedural barriers.
We also explore why the unelected House of Lords got a vote on the Government’s plans to postpone some local elections — but MPs didn’t. It’s all to do with delegated legislation!
And we answer listener’s questions.
Is anonymous evidence to Select Committees common?
What’s behind the Government’s new ‘business motion’ to control time in the House of Lords Chamber on Thursdays, until the end of the Session?
And which podcasts do Mark and Ruth listen to?
Dr Marie Tidball MP
Marie Tidball was elected in 2024 as the Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire. She is a member of the House of Commons Education Committee and has also served as a member of the Public Bill Committee of MPs appointed to scrutinise the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – the bill to legalise assisted dying – which she supported in principle at its Second Reading. She is also Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism. Before becoming an MP, she studied criminology and was awarded a doctorate on autistic adult defendants in the criminal justice system. As an MP with physical disabilities, she has spoken out about the everyday difficulties that she faces navigating the parliamentary estate.
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You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/pm..
Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox.
Mark D'Arcy: And I'm Mark D'Arcy. And coming up in this week's episode.
Ruth Fox: How long can Parliament bear Rachel Reeves' economic doom loop?
Mark D'Arcy: We look at the pressure points where MPs may push the Chancellor for an alternative economic strategy
Ruth Fox: And why the unelected lords got a vote on delaying local elections, but elected MPs didn't.
Mark D'Arcy: But first, Ruth, let's talk about Rachel Reeves' big Spring Statement. It wasn't supposed to be that big. An event, a kind of update, looking at the latest forecasts and bringing the [00:01:00] economic strategy into conformity with the forecasts. Simples, you might think. But not so much when the economic outlook is so dire.
And that's before you take account of Donald Trump planning to slap tariffs on UK exports to America and give another kicking to the British economy. So a lot of gloom and doom surrounding the Chancellor's forecast and a lot of Labour MPs gritting their teeth. I'm not sure that there were many new voices added to the quite predictable list of critics who spoke up during the statement, but I think all the same, there must be concerns for the Labour Party managers now about the discipline of their troops on those green benches.
Ruth Fox: Yeah. What of course is unclear is whether and when the Government's gonna have to bring votes to the House to push through this program. Particularly, of course, the welfare cuts, we know that there's gonna have to be some, but exactly when, you know, will it be imminently, will it be several months down the track by which time [00:02:00] events may have unfolded further and other pressures may be alive. But I think if you, as you say, if you look at who was speaking out in the chamber, pretty much the usual suspects.
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The UK Spending Review outlines how Government funds will be allocated over several years. Unlike the Budget, which raises revenue, the Review decides how it is spent. But how is it approved? What role does Parliament play if it doesn’t vote on the Review itself? This blog explores how the Spending Review works, how it differs from the Budget, and how Parliament holds the Government to account through the Estimates process.
On Friday 13 June, the House of Commons will once again debate the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Specifically, it will hold a second day of Report Stage, during which the whole House will debate and vote on amendments. This briefing explains the structure of Report Stage, what happened on the first day of Report Stage, how amendments are selected and grouped, on which amendments a decision can still be taken, and the likely sequence of events this Friday, including whether a final vote will take place.
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, will deliver a statement on the Spending Review. MPs will resume Report Stage of the assisted dying bill and debate key legislation on football governance, mental health, and planning and infrastructure. Peers and MPs are expected to resolve their standoff over AI and copyright in the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The Commons Defence Committee will hear from the lead reviewers of the Strategic Defence Review, while a Lords Committee will examine the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty issue. The Hansard Society’s Director will give evidence to the Modernisation Committee about access to the House of Commons and its procedures.
In this episode, we explore why ministers keep bypassing Parliament to make major announcements to the media — and whether returning to the Despatch Box might help clarify their message. We unpack the Lords' uphill battle to protect creators’ rights in the Data Use and Access Bill, challenge claims that the Assisted Dying Bill lacks scrutiny, and examine early findings from a Speaker’s Conference on improving security for MPs, as threats and intimidation against politicians continue to rise. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.
Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and why legislative and cultural change are needed to improve Parliament's scrutiny role. Our evidence joins calls for a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant agreements, a stronger role for Parliament in shaping negotiating mandates and monitoring progress, and a sifting committee tasked with determining which agreements warrant the greatest scrutiny.
