Parliament will be suspended while the nation mourns its monarch
Politics on hold: Parliament will be suspended while the nation mourns its monarch… but ministers still want to get energy bills legislation through
- MPs will sit today for tributes, which are due to be opened by the Prime Minister
- The Commons will, unusually, sit again tomorrow for further tributes from 2pm
- The Government’s plans have been thrown into disarray by the Queen’s death
- A small number of senior MPs will also take an oath of allegiance to the King
- Full coverage: Click here to see all our coverage of the Queen’s passing
Parliament is set to be suspended while the nation mourns the Queen.
But ministers are in urgent talks with the Commons Speaker about whether they can pass legislation to shield households and businesses from soaring energy bills during this time.
Prime Minister Liz Truss yesterday announced plans to limit the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas amid the global energy crisis.
But the intervention requires legislation, and the Government’s plans have been thrown into disarray by the death of the Queen.
Parliament is set to be suspended while the nation mourns the Queen. But ministers are in urgent talks with the Commons Speaker about whether they can pass legislation to shield households and businesses from soaring energy bills during this time
MPs will sit today for tributes, which are due to be opened by the Prime Minister, from noon until 10pm.
The Commons will, unusually, sit again tomorrow for further tributes from 2pm and a small number of senior MPs will also take an oath of allegiance to the King.
By convention, Parliament is then expected to be suspended for the duration of the national period of mourning.
However, the urgency of the energy crisis and challenges faced by families is such that ministers are now in talks to see whether the legislation required to enact the Government’s proposals should be brought before MPs during the mourning period.
It is understood that the Government will continue to work through the details of the energy price guarantee – but it will be communicated to the public in a non-political way.
Miss Truss had also been planning for Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng to deliver a mini-Budget to the Commons to set out the expected costs of the energy support plan, but the timing for this has not been confirmed.
Government press releases, announcements and ministerial visits will pause during the mourning period, though important information will still be communicated to the public.
The intervention requires legislation, and the Government’s plans have been thrown into disarray by the death of the Queen
Regular statistics will continue to be published, however. Guidance on how the national mourning should be conducted will also be issued.
Questions remain about other political events which are due to take place over the coming weeks.
The Liberal Democrats’ annual party conference, which is due to start in Brighton on September 17, falls within the official mourning period.
A party source said: ‘We’ve suspended all campaigning. It is just too soon to even consider that issue [conference] while the nation mourns. We will update everyone on that as soon as we can.’
Labour and the Conservative Party are scheduled to hold their own gatherings later in September and at the start of October. It remains unclear whether these will go ahead.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said yesterday that the Queen’s death is a ‘terrible loss for us all’, adding: ‘We will miss her beyond measure.’
In a statement, Sir Lindsay said: ‘For all of us, the Queen has been a constant presence in our lives – as familiar as a member of the family, yet one who has exercised a calm and steadying influence over our country. Most of us have never known a time when she was not there. Her death is not only a tragedy for the Royal Family, but a terrible loss for us all.’
Sir Lindsay added: ‘During her 70 years on the throne – and even before that, as a teenager, reassuring and engaging with children and families disrupted by the Second World War – she has given our lives a sense of equilibrium.
‘While her reign has been marked by dramatic changes in the world, Her Majesty has maintained her unwavering devotion to the UK, the British Overseas’ Territories and the Commonwealth of Nations – and her gentle authority and sound reason have been felt throughout.
‘She has travelled the world extensively, modernised the Royal Family and is credited with inventing the royal ‘walkabout’, which enabled her to meet people from all walks of life during her visits. As head of state, she has provided advice and the benefit of long experience to 15 prime ministers during her reign – and met more than a quarter of all the American presidents in the history of the US.
‘The Queen has been involved in everything that is important to us and which makes us who we are – from state occasions to royal weddings, and especially at Christmas, with her wise words and reflective annual message.’
Sir Lindsay concluded: ‘She has been a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother – but she has been our Queen, and we will miss her beyond measure.’
Source: Read Full Article