Conservative Lords have launched a rare Parliamentary ambush by tabling a motion in the House of Lords to drag ministers before peers and grill them on Andy Burnham’s plans. It comes after Labour was accused of pulling the shutters down on Parliament – axing a Tory Opposition Day debate last week, fearing MPs would force a vote extending the sitting to question the new PM.
Labour swapped it for a General Debate on Iran, which fizzled out early, branded by critics as a smokescreen to dodge scrutiny. With MPs set to break for summer, the country now faces the prospect of a Prime Minister who has made no statement to the Commons, and won’t for weeks.
The Lords is still sitting, so the Tories want a Government minister hauled in to answer questions before recess.
Lord True, Leader of the Opposition in the Lords, said: “Andy Burnham is running scared of Parliamentary scrutiny because he hasn’t done the hard work to craft a coherent plan for Government.”
He added: “Our democracy relies on the Government being held accountable, and the Conservatives will fight to make sure that happens.”