Conservative peer Ross Kempsell has accused Labour of abusing Parliament by pushing through major constitutional changes without proper scrutiny, singling out Andy Burnham's support for the Chagos Islands deal and the handling of the assisted suicide Bill.
Chagos deal under fire
Kempsell, writing in a commentary, said Burnham's consideration of resurrecting the Chagos deal would cost British taxpayers billions, undermine national security, and strain relations with the US. He argued the deal is unworkable given Burnham's stated desire to spend money at home.
The first session of the 2024 Parliament has already strained the executive's relationship with MPs and peers, and Kempsell warned that Burnham's course would worsen the situation. He noted that No. 10 attempted to railroad the Diego Garcia Bill through Parliament, but colleagues in the House of Lords delayed it until the draft Bill was dropped.
Assisted suicide Bill bypassed scrutiny
Kempsell also criticised the assisted suicide Bill, originally introduced by Kim Leadbeater MP and later taken up by Lord Falconer. The Bill fell after failing to complete its parliamentary stages but has been reintroduced by Lauren Edwards MP, with Second Reading set for 11 September.
According to Kempsell, the Bill bypassed usual pre-legislative safeguards: no consultation, no draft bill, no impact assessment, no mandate, and no pre-legislative scrutiny. He noted that Baroness Hollins highlighted in the Lords that the average Private Members' Bill is 8.8 pages with around five clauses, whereas this Bill ran to 51 pages and 59 complex clauses.
Abortion amendments and Parliament Acts
Kempsell pointed to eleventh-hour abortion amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which introduced major changes with minimal line-by-line examination. He also warned that assisted suicide campaigners openly discussed using the Parliament Acts to force the Bill into law without Lords consent—a tool also mooted for the Chagos deal.
Only seven Bills have become law under the Parliament Acts, and never a Private Members' Bill. Kempsell argued that such a move would set a dire precedent, and that sweeping constitutional change demands careful scrutiny.
Call for restraint
Kempsell concluded that both Starmer and Burnham appear to support rapid social and constitutional change without proper scrutiny, despite lacking a popular mandate. He urged Edwards and Burnham to reconsider their legislative agenda over the summer and focus on delivering the domestic change Labour promised at the last General Election.
