Labour has been accused of recreating the “greatest hits of government mistakes” in the party’s first 100 days in power by releasing Budget details early.
Conservative MP Laura Trott said it appears as if the new Government is “taking lessons from the worst bits of our record” as well as the previous Labour administration.
The shadow Treasury minister’s attack came after Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle expressed further frustration over the Government’s handling of the Budget ahead of Wednesday.
The Speaker allowed the Conservatives to ask an urgent question on whether major policy announcements should be made to Parliament first after he previously accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of acting with “supreme discourtesy” towards MPs given her “premature disclosure” of Budget details.
Ms Reeves, during a round of broadcast interviews while attending the International Monetary Fund meeting in Washington DC last week, signalled she would rewrite the way Government debt is measured.
The Ministerial Code states that the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance in Parliament when it is in session.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman responded to the Speaker’s criticism by saying it is “entirely routine” for the Government to make announcements in the run-up to Budgets and spending reviews.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves: “I’ll be setting out more details in the Budget yesterday, er, tomorrow…” pic.twitter.com/yv3rYewHtS
— Richard Wheeler (@richard_kaputt) October 29, 2024
Ms Trott told the Commons: “The response from Number 10 yesterday seemed to be that their whole argument is ‘Well, we did it because you guys did it’.
“But I’m old enough to remember a fresh-faced Prime Minister coming into Downing Street promising change. Justifying their actions based on things that we’ve done doesn’t really seem like the change that we were promised, now does it?
“We’re learning the lessons of why we lost the election but this Government seems to be taking lessons from the worst bits of our record, and not just ours but the last Labour government too. It’s like the greatest hits of government mistakes being replayed in just 100 days.”
Ms Trott went on to accuse the new Government of “cronyism” and a “gross betrayal” of pensioners following the cuts to winter fuel payments.
She added there have been “disrespectful statements” from Number 10 in response to the Speaker’s remarks, adding that Labour is “potentially breaching the Ministerial Code with abandon about Budget leaks”.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, in his reply, said he has “deep respect” for the House and MPs.
“I’m sure MPs will forgive me if I have a degree of cynicism about the party opposite’s new-found passion for parliamentary conventions given the number of times they failed in their 14 years in office to update the House ahead of major announcements,” he said.
He added that the Tories are “desperate” to speak about anything but the “appalling mess” they left the national finances in.
Speaker Sir Lindsay earlier told MPs on Tuesday: “I’ve noted media reports on the assertion from Downing Street that the pre-announcement of Budget measures is entirely routine.
“For avoidance of doubt, I’m always happy for ministers to come to the House in the run-up to the Budget to make announcements. This discourtesy arises when those announcements are made elsewhere.”
Mr Thomas-Symonds replied: “Can I just reassure you, Mr Speaker, that what you said yesterday, and indeed what you said today a moment or two ago, has been heard not just by me but right across Government as well.
“The Government takes its obligations to this House very seriously.”
