Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Why is Lindsay Hoyle telling off Rachel Reeves?

Credit: Getty Images

Is the Speaker being a bit precious with his complaint about pre-Budget announcements? Lindsay Hoyle made a statement in the Commons this afternoon in which he issued a stinging rebuke to Rachel Reeves and other ministers for going ‘around the world telling everybody’ about significant Budget policies, rather than making the announcements to MPs first. He was very clear that he meant the Chancellor in particular, saying:

While this can hardly be described as a leak – the Chancellor herself gave interviews on the record, and on camera – the premature disclosure of the contents of the Budget has always been regarded as a supreme discourtesy to the House; indeed, I still regard it as such.

Downing Street pushed back against this, pointing out that it is ‘entirely routine for government to make announcements in the run-up to Budgets and spending reviews’. The going ‘around the world telling everybody’ line from Hoyle’s statement was a reference to Reeves going to Washington to confirm that she was changing the fiscal rules.

Isabel Hardman
Written by
Isabel Hardman
Isabel Hardman is assistant editor of The Spectator and author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians. She also presents Radio 4’s Week in Westminster.

Topics in this article

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in