'Hung Parliament Rules Imminent' - report from Charter 2010

In a flurry of confusion last week, the House of Commons Justice Committee published its report and the transcript of the evidence it received on hung parliaments - full text here. Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, will probably publish the final version of the Cabinet Manual chapter that deals with hung parliaments next week.

Distilling the likely truth from the rumour – which had some journalists implying the material in the Justice Committee report was new (it wasn’t - the hearings were in February and the draft Cabinet Manual chapter was also published then); and others confusing the Justice Committee report with the final version of Sir Gus’ chapter (which he hasn’t yet published) – three important proposals emerge:

# Parliament will apparently be asked to return, after the election, a week later than has been usual in recent times (i.e. on the Wednesday 13 days after polling day), with the vote on the Queen’s Speech the following Monday. This would allow 18 days for negotiations between parties to take place in a hung parliament. By a happy coincidence, when Tom (now Lord) McNally prepared a memorandum for Paddy Ashdown in 1997, he calculated it would take 17 days for an agreement with another party to be arrived at and to be approved by the Liberal Democrat policy processes.

# The "caretaker" rules that govern the actions of ministers during an election (preventing them from taking controversial decisions, signing contracts or making appointments) would be extended through that 18-day period. None of this would, of course, stop crucial decisions being taken on matters like managing the economy, protecting sterling, or a terrorist attack - with consultation with the other parties. As Sir Gus himself pointed out, that a stable government was being formed during this period would be more likely to reassure the international financial community than a rapidly formed and probably short-lived minority government that would have no certainty of its measures passing.

# Civil servants would be allowed to assist all the parties during this period by providing any information needed (for example, on the public finances) to arrive at an agreed programme.

If this turns out to be the substance of Sir Gus’ final document it will represent a sound and sensible framework within which the parties - and civil servants - can work if there is a hung parliament. It will also be in line with the evidence Charter 2010 submitted to two House of Commons committees and to the Cabinet Office.

PLUS CA CHANGE...
When Tom (now Lord) McNally sent his memorandum Negotiating Participation in Government to Paddy Ashdown and Tony Blair in 1997 he subtitled it:
“If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly. - Macbeth.I.vii.1”

via charter2010.co.uk

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