PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
FREE VOTES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS (4 November 1999)

That this House notes the emergence of a semi-presidential style of government, by-passing the Cabinet and taking this House for granted, with few effective checks and balances on the power of the Executive; further notes the development of closer front bench links between parties as with the appointment of Liberal Democrats to a Cabinet consultative committee, and the establishment of a high-level all-party Britain in Europe Committee; notes the tendency of the leadership of all parties to centralise power at the top and expect unquestioning support from their own backbenchers for whatever proposals they bring forward, even where these were not the subject of any prior consultation with colleagues, nor were put to the electorate in the last election; notes the growing public cynicism about Parliament and politics which these practices have encouraged, which may damage the reputation of Parliament itself; and therefore invites all honourable Members, while honouring their personal and political obligations and loyalty to their own party and the manifesto on which they were elected, to speak and vote more freely in the House on the proposals put before them, and by doing so to re-assert their historic role as elected representatives, their right and duty to express their own deeply-held convictions and their responsibility for maintaining the role of this House as a democratic legislature holding all governments to account, having been elected by the people for that purpose.

Sponsored by:
Mr Tony Benn (Labour)