Point of Order (Hansard, 26 November 1998)

§ Mr. Tony Benn (Chesterfield)

On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Clearly, you will not be able to give me an answer on this matter today, but it is of great importance. As you will know, the speech from the Throne is the principal occasion on which the Executive disclose to Parliament their policies for the year and we make a lot of it: we keep Black Rod out and we go to the other place to hear it. However, it has come to my attention that the leader of the Liberal party, who was given a copy of the speech the night before, read it to his parliamentary colleagues. So, when the House met on Tuesday to hear the debate, the only group of Members who knew its contents were an Opposition group. I am not raising with you why Labour Members were not told, as that is a matter for my party.

I believe that it has been a common courtesy for some time for Opposition leaders to be given a copy of the speech in confidence to help them to plan their strategy. My point to you is that the relationship between the Executive and the legislature is being fundamentally changed.

The House has many divisions—between left and right, Government and Opposition, Front Benchers and Back Benchers—but the only constitutional distinction is between the Executive and the legislature. If the division between the two is blurred so that an Opposition party has members on a Cabinet Committee and Opposition Members have access to knowledge that is not available to other hon. Members, could it be true to say that the Liberal Democrats are in opposition? They enjoy the right to Opposition Supply Days and so forth.

What is happening—it is for the Prime Minister to determine—is that a private coalition is being established, which has not been disclosed to the House, while those who are party to it still enjoy the full rights of opposition. That merits consideration. I wonder whether you could give us your judgment on that matter at a suitable time.