Speak up!

Something strange happened in Parliament on Wednesday evening. Labour tabled an Opposition Day motion calling for a pause in the roll-out of Universal Credit. The Tories chose not to vote against it; they whipped an abstention instead. The motion passed by 299 to 0 but, the Tories insist, will have no effect upon Government policy – a policy that, by choosing to abstain, they didn’t even bother to support.

This is not a comment upon Universal Credit, a fine principle that has flaws in its operation, yes, but is worth persevering with. It is a question of how Parliament is supposed to operate in a period of coalition. The challenge faced by the Tories is significant, but is common on the continent and, historically, the British Commons has often operated as a series of shifting alliances between individual MPS representing very different interests. Legislatures are supposed to be as dynamic and powerful as the executive, if not more so. And yet this Government seems to regard a fractious Commons not as a challenge to be confronted through real debate, but to be avoided via parliamentary tactics.

The Tories may come to regret that attitude. Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh has pointed out that in the future there could be a minority Labour government that tries to do something well beyond its moral authority. The Tories might try to stop it – and Labour could also duck out of the vote and disregard the result. Sir Edward has warned: “The road to tyranny is paved with Executives ignoring Parliament.” If the Conservatives believe in a policy then, at the very least, they should stand up for it in the lobbies. Otherwise they imperil public confidence in themselves and Parliament.