David Cameron to be summoned to Commons – however he’ll have to face by doorway

On Jan 24, 2024

David Cameron have to be compelled to return to the House of Commons chamber to reply questions from an obscure spot, MPs have demanded.

The Procedure Committee, which has a majority of Tory MPs, mentioned in a report the Foreign Secretary ought to be summoned to the chamber. The ex-PM’s political profession was resurrected final 12 months after Rishi Sunak appointed him Foreign Secretary in a shock reshuffle.

Lord Cameron, who’s now not an MP, was additionally handed a life peerage within the House of Lords to be able to do the £104,360-a-year job. But of their report, the group of MPs mentioned it was “unusual” for a peer to be serving in such a high-profile position within the Cabinet.

The MPs mentioned inviting Lords to look on the despatch field, from the place MPs tackle the Commons, would “risk blurring the boundaries between the two Houses”. Instead, they mentioned Lord Cameron ought to seem on the “bar” – the white line boundary on the Commons flooring the place guests should not move whereas Parliament is sitting. It comes at a time with enormous tensions in international affairs with the warfare in Ukraine, the battle within the Middle East, and the current UK-US air strikes in Yemen.

The Bar of the House - the white line at the bottom of the picture - marks the point which vistiors can not pass when the Commons is sitting

The Bar of the House – the white line on the backside of the image – marks the purpose which vistiors can’t move when the Commons is sitting

Tory chairwoman of the Committee Dame Karen Bradley mentioned: “As elected representatives, Members of the House of Commons have a duty to question the Foreign Secretary. This is especially pressing in light of the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine.” The former Cabinet minister added: “The committee has considered various mechanisms of scrutiny and taken the views of Members, while bearing in mind the practicalities of each proposal.

“We have ultimately concluded that all MPs should be afforded the opportunity to question Secretaries of State who sit in the House of Lords, with the Commons Chamber providing the best forum to do so. We hope the Government implements our proposals as quickly as possible, so that MPs can best scrutinise all Secretaries of States on behalf of their constituents.”

Labour’s shadow Commons chief Lucy Powell mentioned: “This weak and chaotic Government is operating frightened of Parliament failing to permit MPs to scrutinise the Foreign Secretary. This welcome report from the Procedure Committee have to be enacted shortly. The Tories have given up on governing, tainting politics with chaos and sleaze.” A Government spokesman said: “We will rigorously think about the committee’s report and can reply sooner or later.”

Since being appointed Foreign Secretary final 12 months Lord Cameron has confronted questions on China after hailing a “golden period” of relations while he was PM. His work lobbying ministers for the collapsed firm Greensill Capital during the pandemic has also come under the spotlight. Earlier this month he repeatedly refused to say how much he earned at the bank because he was a “non-public citizen” earlier than rejoining the federal government.