A MATTER OF MANNERS

FOR such well brought up and educated people the leaders of the Lib-Con coalition have surprisingly bad parliamentary and constitutional manners.
Yeserday's announcement of changes in the timing of the annual Queen's Speech was initially released in the form of a written ministerial statement; the Speaker of the House of Commons correctly agreed with an opposition request for an emergency debate.

The change follows from the government's intention to hold fixed term parliaments rather than retaining the prime minister's right to choose the date of an election. There are arguments on both sides of the change but it is not the substance of the matter that is at stake at the moment; it is the arrogant way in which senior ministers often act, giving the impression that they think they had a landslide victory in the May election whereas Mr Cameron failed even to get a parliamentary majority. Labour was using phrases like “abuse of power” and “an affront to Parliament” yesterday which may be over the top but it is nonetheless extraordinary that a government would decide on a substantial change in parliamentary procedure without formally consulting the official opposition and other parties and without making any provision for a debate and vote on the subject. Doubtless this relatively minor matter will soon be forgotten but the government would be well advised to pay more attention to protocol in future.