Harman: Ministers must address MPs first

The leader of the House has made clear her determination that the government take Parliament more seriously.

In her first despatch box appearance in the role, Harriet Harman told MPs on Monday that she and Gordon Brown believe that ministers must make major statements in the Commons before briefing details to the media.

The comments by the new Labour deputy leader, who will combine the roles, will be seen as an implicit criticism of previous prime minister Tony Blair, under whom details of policies regularly appeared in newspapers before being officially announced.

"The ministerial code makes it clear that when Parliament is in session, the most important announcements of government policy should be made in the first instance in Parliament," Harman said.

"I stand strongly behind that principle. As the prime minister has said at the weekend, Parliament should hear the contents of statements before the media does."

Conservative MP Peter Bone welcomed the sentiment, but said that the government had already breached it.

"Two statements to be made this week - one by the prime minister tomorrow on the constitution and one on Wednesday about health - have been leaked to the press in advance of members of this House," he claimed.

However Harman said he was confused between announcements on the contents and notification of statements.

"I don't think it is the case that the contents of statements have been given to the press in advance," she said.

"What is less important is that it is announced outside the House that there is going to be a statement. I think that for the public it is important for them to know that there is going to be a statement.

"But the contents of statements need to be made to the House first. Because it is to members of this House that the executive is accountable [to] and it is members of this House [who] should be the first people to ask questions of government ministers, not journalists and broadcasters."

Trust

Earlier shadow leader of the House Theresa May also accused Harman of undermining trust in MPs by appearing to backtrack on her stance on Iraq.

The Tory spokesman said it was "important to our democracy that the public find debates in Parliament more engaging".

"But does she agree with me that the public will be more engaged with Parliamentary debate if they feel they can trust politicians?" she asked.

"During the Labour deputy leadership campaign the new part-time leader of the House said 'I agree that the government should apologise over the Iraq war'.

"Now she says 'I never said the government should apologise over the Iraq war'.

"Does she agree that examples like this merely increase public cynicism and disengage people from Parliament."

But Harman denied she had ever called for an apology on Iraq.

"If she's got something which has got me quoted as saying that, she can send that to me," she told May.

"But I think it is a pity when we need to work closely together in the interests of the House - and this House is important for all sides and for democracy - it is a pity that she should make that point.

"We need strong government. But strong government works better when it is held to account by a strong Parliament and that is what I am aim to achieve."