📬 Point of Order
Commons Chamber
Independent MPs from the Dewsbury and Batley area have been repeatedly ignored by top government officials, including the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, on critical issues like far-right riots and the situation in Gaza. Despite sending multiple letters, they’ve received no substantial responses, leaving their constituents’ concerns unaddressed. The MPs are now seeking advice on how to compel ministers to reply, with suggestions including direct contact with ministers’ offices and potentially tabling questions in Parliament. This ongoing silence from key government figures raises questions about accountability and responsiveness in our political system.
Summary
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Independent Alliance MPs Issue: Iqbal Mohamed, representing the Independent Alliance MPs, raised concerns about not receiving responses from government ministers to their correspondence.
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Letters Sent to Ministers: The MPs sent letters to the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, Chancellor, and Attorney General on various issues including far-right riots, the two-child benefit cap, winter fuel allowance cuts, the definition of genocide in Gaza, and enforcement of International Criminal Court arrest warrants.
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Lack of Responses: Despite sending these letters between August and November, they received either no response or a holding reply without further communication.
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Request for Guidance: The MPs sought advice from Madam Deputy Speaker Caroline Nokes on how to ensure future ministerial responses.
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Speaker’s Advice: Madam Deputy Speaker suggested that the MPs contact the private offices of the ministers involved. If this does not yield results, she recommended using other parliamentary tools such as tabling written and oral questions, and seeking an Adjournment debate. She also advised them to consult with the Table Office for additional strategies to hold ministers accountable.
Divisiveness
In the transcript provided, the disagreement level is low. The session involves a point of order raised by MP Iqbal Mohamed, addressing the lack of responses from various Ministers to letters sent by the independent alliance MPs. The discussion is not about disagreement but rather about procedural guidance on how to ensure ministerial responses. Madam Deputy Speaker provides a cooperative and procedural response, suggesting methods to secure replies without any visible conflict or disagreement between the parties involved. Therefore, the session exhibits minimal disagreement, warranting a rating of 1.