Parliament - a point on the scrutiny of Ministers

Back in November 2023, former Prime Minister David Cameron returned to government as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. He did not have a seat in Parliament and so he was created Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton, enabling him to sit in the (unelected) House of Lords.

A previous post looked at that particular situation - post 14 November 2023

 

Under the UK's constitutional arrangements, Cameron's appointment was entirely lawful BUT it raised the question of how elected MPs in the House of Commons could scrutinise his work. This was of concern

to the Speaker of the House of Commons - see his Statement 13 November 2023. The House of Commons Procedure Committee produced a report - Commons scrutiny of Secretaries of State in the House of Lords - January 2024. The 2024 general election followed and, on 5 July 2024, Cameron left government.  Since then, this 'accountability question' appears to have been left without a satisfactory answer.

The Reform UK Party held its conference in Birmingham over 5 - 7 September. In various interviews, there were comments that, if Reform gets into government, they would bring outside expertise into government. 

Expertise can be harnessed by, for example, appointing advisers to Ministers. Alternatively individuals could be created Life Peers and then, as Cameron did, they could sit in the Lords. Of course, the better option is that such individuals are elected to the House of Commons.

In a modern democracy, Secretaries of State ought to be directly accountable to ELECTED MPs and not sit in the Lords which makes accountability much more difficult. Therefore, they ought to be elected MPs. 

Members of the House of Lords do not have constituency work whereas elected MPs in the House of Commons have to attend to constituency matters. 

House of Lords Reform

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill has almost completed its passage through Parliament. This will merit a careful analysis in a later post.

Other constitutional problems 

In a post on his Empty City Substack, legal commentator David Allen Green, argues that an incoming illiberal and radical UK government would have absolute constitutional power. 

Those powers arise from Parliamentary Supremacy, Royal Prerogative Powers, and powers granted to Ministers by numerous Acts of Parliament. 

Green's post is well-worth reading and noting.

Interesting times may lie ahead !

8 September 2025