Deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani scolds Labour over early Budget briefings

Deputy speaker condemns government over early Budget briefingsReuters

Transcript

00:00This is not a point of order for the Chair. The Chancellor is about to make her budget statement

00:05and I expect members and their constituents wish to hear from the Chancellor directly.

00:10However, before I call the Chancellor to speak, I nonetheless wish to make a short statement.

00:18For a number of weeks, and yet again yesterday, there have been extensive briefings of the media

00:24on the Government's fiscal policy and public finances.

00:28This disappointing trend in relation to budget briefings has been growing for a number of years

00:34under successive Governments, but appears to have reached an unprecedented high.

00:40Weeks ago, we saw the Chancellor delivering a speech in Downing Street, setting the scene for the Budget,

00:46as well as specific policy announcements being briefed out to the media in advance of today's financial statements.

00:52And just... I don't need any help.

00:56And just a moment ago, it seems the OBR analysis has also appeared online.

01:02This all falls short of standards that the House expects.

01:07The premature disclosure of the contents of the Budget has always been regarded as a supreme discourtesy to this House

01:16and to all the democratically elected members, not to mention to Mr Speaker and to myself, the Chairman of Ways and Means.

01:22The Government's own Ministerial Code cannot be clearer, as set out in paragraph 9.1.

01:29When Parliament is in session, the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance to Parliament.

01:37Mr Speaker has always upheld the rights of this House and its members to be treated with respect

01:45and to be the first to hear major government policy announcements on behalf of their constituents.

01:50As Chairman of Ways and Means, I have responsibility to oversee the House's consideration of the Budget Statement

01:57and the ensuing resolutions, which are described in Erste May, paragraph 3633, as the most important business of Ways and Means in this House.

02:07I want Honourable Members on all sides of the House to have adequate opportunity to hold the Chancellor to account,

02:14rather than to hear and read about new policies on a daily basis in the media.

02:20And, like many, I also expected better.

02:26Before I call the Chancellor of the Exchequer, I remind Honourable Members that copies of the Budget Resolutions

02:31will be available to them from the Vote Office in Members' Lobby at the end of the Chancellor's Statement

02:37and online, shh!

02:39I also remind Honourable Members that interventions are not taken during the Chancellor's Statement,

02:44nor during replies to the Leader of the Opposition or the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

02:49I call the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

02:51Yeah!

02:52Thank you!

02:54Thank you!

02:55Thank you!

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