The Short Money debate is due to heat up today

A row about the way opposition parties are funded is set to erupt in the Commons today. Labour’s Chris Bryant has an urgent question in the Commons today on Short money, which, as Coffee House readers already know, is causing a rather big row among all the Opposition parties.

The government’s plans to cut the money, which funds the parliamentary activities of opposition parties and allows them to do their job in representing the number of voters across the country who backed them in the General Election, have already caused some behind the scenes problems, but it looks as though the row is going to get a little more serious today.

Ministers were expected to table a written ministerial statement today, but withdrew it. Labour is forcing the urgent question, but is also on the brink of withdrawing all co-operation with the government on the way Commons business is carried out, I am told.

The behind-the-scenes problems have involved MPs on the House of Commons Commission refusing to approve the administration estimate for 2016/17, which sounds dull, but has implications for all MPs, as that budget covers the overseas trips that they make.