Sir Lindsay Hoyle has accused the Treasury of “riding roughshod” over Parliament by briefing details of Wednesday’s Budget in advance, saying that past chancellors would have resigned over such a breach of convention. In a pointed reference to Hugh Dalton, the Labour chancellor who quit in 1947 after revealing tax changes to a journalist, the Commons Speaker said ministers who authorised the releases should reflect on how standards had slipped.
Speaking during an urgent question on NHS funding, Sir Lindsay noted that the deputy speaker, Dame Eleanor Laing, who chairs the ways and means committee overseeing the Budget, was “very upset at the briefing that’s gone out”. He told MPs: “At one time, ministers did the right thing if they briefed before a budget – they walked.” His remarks were met with cheers from the Labour benches.
The Treasury has committed nearly £26bn of spending in a series of announcements before the Budget and spending review. On Sunday, Rishi Sunak conceded that of £7bn pledged for rail, tram and bus projects outside London under the “levelling up” agenda, only £1.5bn is new money. On Monday, the Treasury briefed that almost £6bn would be allocated to tackle England’s record NHS waiting list, alongside plans for capital investment intended to deliver about 30% more elective activity by 2024-25 compared with pre-pandemic levels.
Sir Lindsay said MPs’ constituents “quite rightly expect the MP to hear it first”, adding: “It’s not acceptable, and the government shouldn’t try to run roughshod over this. It will not happen.” Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for Boris Johnson said the government “recognised the importance of keeping parliament and the public informed when decisions are taken”.
