Half Term Report: Must do better

The Commons continue to play a bigger role, but mostly because the government remains disengaged from domestic matters. At the February half term break, Ministers will return to their constituencies with report cards that read: must do better.

Is a government technically doing a bad job if it isn't doing anything at all? This is a pertinent question as Parliament heads into the February half term recess. That's because it's hard to report on how on the government is handling it's main job - that is, managing the legislative programme - when it doesn't seem to have one.

Back in January our preview of 2018 pointed out that last year, little of the government's legislative programme made any progress. Some was dropped, some was delayed, some disappeared into consultation never to be seen again.

So far, 2018 hasn't been much better. Theresa May's recent, and criticised, announcement of a new electoral offence of Intimidation received much fanfare - but turned out to only be a pledge to consult on the recommendations of a committee report.

A promised update to domestic violence legislation, touted last year in the Queen's Speech, has still yet to appear - despite a similar bill passing the Scottish Parliament in less than a year with bipartisan support.

What about the policies already passed? Those being overseen by ministers either already in place or being implementation? In short, the core elements of the Conservative agenda are besieged as major Tory policies are failing on all sides.

The government's restrictions on Personal Independence Payments for those with mental health conditions have been successfully challenged in court and now all claims are now under review with bigger payouts expected.

The rollout of Universal Credit has been a rolling disaster, stumbling from one mess into the next. At the end of last year the government was forced to concede ground and make some changes. Now, a committee report has questioned it's overall feasibility.

Whether the government's devolution agenda is working might be a matter of perspective. Last week a Conservative county council, Northamptonshire, effectively declared bankruptcy. Even earmarked reserves are being eaten away and council taxes are set to rise across the country.

The strain of funding poor needy neighbourhoods is shifting away from redistribution at a national level, and towards communities trying to support themselves. That might seem like a win for Conservatives uncomfortable with redistribution and what they term 'dependence'.

But it is grinding down communities that need resources for essential frontline services - and councils will know exactly were to point fingers when angry locals come knocking. It also plays right into the hands of Corbyn's pitch for a renewal of municipal socialism.

And that isn't helped by the collapse of outsourcing giant Carillion, the trouble facing other outsourcing firms like Capita, or the fact the government had to take the East Coast Mainline rail franchise away from Stagecoach, who had got their numbers wrong and were losing large amounts of money. These are all simply embarrassments for the government.

While the government seems to have largely abandoned legislating while it pours it's focus into Brexit, backbenchers and the opposition are doing their best to keep things moving forward.

In a remarkably constructive day for the Commons, two private member's bills made it through the second reading gauntlet on 19th January. There was the Fitness for Human Habitation Bill, sponsored by Labour's Karen Buck, and the Stalking Protection Bill, sponsored by Conservative Sarah Wollaston.

Layla Moran of the Liberal Democrats also made use of the final Prime Minister's Questions before the break, to promote a campaign to abolish an old law Still used to criminalise homelessness. It's a push with a good chance to gain traction, thanks to some recent controversy - such as in Bournemouth.

The opposition, as a whole, has also been very effective at forcing issues onto the agenda, with motions on matters like rail franchises and the NHS winter crisis passing. This has continued on from last year when the government stopped taking part in opposition motions - a decision for which they faced criticism even from the Speaker.

While it is good to see the Commons having an impact in political life - plurality should be at the heart of how we make the law - backbenchers picking up the slack, while the government is too busy, is not why we should be seeing it.

Is the government taking it's time? Is it seeking means other than legislation to achieve it's aims? The lack of transparency from the May Ministry makes it difficult to tell the difference between inertia and working around the limitations of a minority government.

However, one of the main arguments for having a standing government is leadership - and being seen is a necessary part of that. It is one thing for the government to give the Commons a spotlight, to let it take the lead on legislation. It is another to let it through absence and abstention.

In January, we argued that there were big issues that needed tackling. That hasn't changed. Neither has the government's lack of engagement with domestic matters. The government remains more talk than action.

When government ministers return to their constituencies for the February half term break this week, they'll do so with report cards that read: must do better.

References

'Last year, May let Brexit overshadow much bigger priorities - that can't continue in 2018'; in The Alternative; 8 January 2018.

May Bulman's 'Domestic abuse legislation hailed by Theresa May as ‘life saving' sees less than 20 charges in half of police forces: 'It is essential that the police give the right response, support and protection to survivors so that more women have the confidence to come forward and report domestic abuse''; in The Independent; 24 November 2017.

Libby Brooks' 'Scotland set to pass 'gold standard' domestic abuse law: Legislation will cover not only physical abuse but psychological abuse and controlling behaviour'; in The Guardian; 1 February 2018.

'Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill'; from the Scottish Parliament; as 11 February 2018.

'Personal Independence payments: All 1.6 million claims to be reviewed'; on the BBC; 30 January 2018.

Patrick Butler's 'Universal credit all-party report raises fears over workability of system: Findings flag up ‘considerable uncertainty about its costs and benefits’ seven years on'; in The Guardian; 8 February 2018.

Patrick Butler's 'Rough sleeper numbers in England rise for seventh year running: An estimated 4,751 people bedded down outside overnight in 2017, up 15% on previous year'; in The Guardian; 25 January 2018.

'The collapse of Carillion has thrown open the door to Municipalism, but there is work to be done to make it a success'; in The Alternative; 5 February 2018.

'Stagecoach East Coast deal to be probed by MPs'; on the BBC; 12 February 2018.

'Shelter responds to the Fitness for Human Habitation Bill passing a second reading in Parliament'; from Shelter; 19 January 2018.

Karen Buck's 'I've fought hard to make homes fit for habitation. Here's why: A pensioner suffering hypothermia because of a cold home, is just one example of why we need support for the bill on 19 January'; in The Guardian; 18 January 2018.

'Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill 2017-19'; from Parliament; as of 11 February 2018.

'Devon MP calls for change to stalking laws'; on the BBC; 19 January 2018.

'Stalking Protection Bill 2017-19'; from Parliament; as of 11 February 2018.

Layla Moran's 'Today I presented my first Bill to Parliament. Its the first legislative step in my campaign to change the law and scrap the Dickensian, archaic and cruel Vagrancy Act from 1824 which is still used to criminalise rough sleeping'; from Twitter; 7 February 2018.

'Bournemouth's 'anti-homeless' bench bars to be removed'; on the BBC; 5 February 2018.