Karoline "von Clausewitz" Leavitt unveils a revolutionary new doctrine of war: Schrödinger's Surrender - where the enemy has already surrendered, they just don't know it yet.
Press Briefing Victory™
Give the international situation the parliamentary Estimate debates today taken on additional significance, particularly those for the Foreign Office & Ministry of Defence.
⬇️
10/ At a time of global volatility and fiscal constraint, these debates are a stress test of the Governments seriousness on policy as Ministers ask MPs to authorise billions in additional spending.
Full analysis here 👇
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/house-o...
9/ Concerns about the Estimates also include:
• a lack of visible strategy;
• weak alignment of spending commitments to stated Ministerial priorities;
• reactive rather than strategic allocations of money.
8/ A striking theme in the Estimate debate applications
from Labour select committee chairs, including
@emilythornberry.bsky.social, @liambyrnemp.bsky.social,
@tandhesi.bsky.social, @sarahchampionmp.bsky.social
& @mattwestern.bsky.social, is their difficulty getting clear answers from Ministers.
7/ Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office – absorbing significant aid cuts and staff reductions amid global instability. “Soft power” institutions including the British Council and the BBC World Service are also affected.
6/ Ministry of Defence – requesting £9bn for depreciation and impairments, attributed only to a “non-routine accounting adjustment”. A significant sum — with no public explanation so far.
5/ We examine the three departmental Estimates selected for debate:
Department for Business and Trade – seeking a 17.8% rise in day-to-day funding, including support for steel + major compensation schemes.
4/ This year’s figures raise serious questions.
What’s driving the £36.9bn increase?
• Machinery-of-government changes
• Industrial interventions
• Accounting revaluations
• Major compensation schemes
And what do they signal about mounting financial pressures?
3/ Estimates Days rarely make headlines. Yet they are one of the few formal opportunities MPs have to question Ministers in detail about how public money is allocated, before that spending is legally authorised.
That makes them far more important than their low profile suggests.
2/ Our latest @hansardsociety.bsky.social blog explores what you should look out for in tomorrow's Estimates debates (the link is at the end of the thread).
It also explains what the Supplementary Estimates are, how the Estimates cycle works, and why these debates matter constitutionally.
🧵1/Tomorrow (4 March), MPs will vote on in-year spending changes the House of Commons Library calls “significant by historical standards”. Through the Supplementary Estimates, the Government is seeking an extra £36.9bn (+6.8%) in day-to-day spending.
MONDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today?
🌍 Statement on Middle East situation
🟢 Introduction of new MP Hannah Spencer expected
🗳️ Representation of the People Bill (2nd Reading)
📜 E-petition on local election cancellations
Read more below 🔽
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...
For fans of parliamentary procedure *and* those nostalgic for the Brexit era, there are a pair of interesting opposition day motions on the Commons order paper today - a humble address (Andrew M-W) & a motion to set aside SO No14 for the day to consider a Bill (online services (age restrictions)
📅 TUESDAY: What’s coming up in Parliament today?
Today's events include a Lib Dem Opposition Day, a motion relating to OBR assessments, Health & Social Care questions, and the Bank of England governor at a select committee.
Full details 👇
🔗 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...
🚨 Parliament returns on Monday — are you ready?
Tomorrow we publish our latest Parliament Matters Bulletin — your essential weekly briefing on what's happening in Westminster.
🔎 What’s topping the agenda
⚖️ Key legislation to watch
Start each week ahead of the curve.
Sign up 👇 buff.ly/vtkJnYc
Recommended Options Discounted Options Full decant EMI + Continued Presence EMI Total Programme duration 19–24 years 38–61 years 33–45 years 52–84 years Total Programme cost (including optimism bias and risk but excluding inflation and opportunities) £8.4–11.5bn £11.8–18.7bn £9.7–13.7bn £12.0–19.4bn Average annual cost (excluding opportunities) £440–490m £310–310m £290–300m £230–230m Highest annual cost (including opportunities) £600–760m £430–530m £460–620m £360–410m Total Programme cost (including optimism bias and risk and inflation but excluding opportunities) £11.1–15.6bn £19.5–39.2bn £14.4–22bn £23.3–56.3bn Net present cost £4.2–5.7bn £5.1–6.6bn £4.6–6.4bn £4.5–5.5bn House of Commons Chamber decant period 8–10 years For up to two years to the House of Lords Chamber 11–15 years to the House of Lords Chamber The Chambers are not expected to be decanted. House of Lords Chamber decant period 12–15 years 8–13 years 24–33 years Parliamentary business Delivered with changes in the location and proximity of spaces and services which will require consideration of new ways of working. Delivered with changes in the location and proximity of spaces and services which will require consideration of new ways of working. For areas of continued occupancy there is a risk of later need for an unplanned decant, including for core parliamentary business functions (such as the Chambers or services directly supporting them) if disruption becomes intolerable.
And here's the costed proposals for Restoration and Renewal. Two options recommended: full decant and EMI+. Full decant will be cheaper and quicker - staying in the Palace during the works will means it takes up to 61 years and costs up to £18.7bn. Full link committees.parliament.uk/publications...
NEW: Can the #AssistedDying bill be forced through Parliament using the Parliament Act?
With the Lords facing nearly 1,200 amendments and time running out, Lord Falconer has raised the stakes.
🎧 Our new episode of Parliament Matters explores how it could work.
buff.ly/ldf3eFZ
This afternoon, independent MP @shockatadam.bsky.social will seek to present a Ten Minute Rule Bill to make provision about the detection, treatment and monitoring of glaucoma.
What is a Ten Minute Rule Bill and how do they become law? Our guide explains🔽
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications...
TUESDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today?
🌍 Foreign Secretary faces oral questions
📜 Diego Garcia Bill returns to the Commons
🪖 Former Defence Secretaries give evidence on Afghan data breach
Read more below 🔽
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...
WEDNESDAY: What is coming up in Parliament today?
🪖 Debate on Ukraine, replacing re-scheduled debate on Hillsborough Law
❓ Prime Minister's Questions
🎓 Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill begins Lords Report Stage
Read more below 🔽
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...
The Select Committee Chairs’ letter below highlights the @electoralcommission.org.uk's concerns about cryptocurrency donations. Its Chair, John Pullinger, discussed these and wider risks in the upcoming Elections Bill on our latest @hansardsociety.bsky.social podcast.
🎧 Listen: buff.ly/j3jZKbV
7/ The Commons Procedure Committee @commonsproccom.parliament.uk announced an inquiry into written parliamentary questions before Christmas. So if you have research evidence and ideas do submit. Deadline is soon: 16 Jan.
committees.parliament.uk/work/9454/wr...
6/ Some questions could be resolved with a basic online search. But that points to another problem: the government website is inadequate for researchers trying to access data and reports, particularly if it's historic, pushing some MPs to use PQs instead.
5/ Across all parties, written questions are also used strategically - including putting the same question to multiple/ all depts - to gather data that can be deployed in later campaigns to scrutinise or challenge the government, not just for immediate answers.
4/ The rise in independent and minor party MPs matters too. Many lack access to large research teams, yet must cover multiple departments in Parliament and constituency issues. Written questions help fill that gap.
3/ One issue is the quality of answers. Too many are frankly poor. There’s also a growing habit of not answering MPs’ questions at all, only for the information to surface later via an FoI request.
2/ We discussed this on our @HansardSociety podcast Parliament Matters months ago. AI may explain some of the rise in written parliamentary questions but it's really far more complex.
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...
🧵Sky News has a piece running today about a big increase in written parliamentary questions. @samcoatessky.bsky.social says a
senior government source has suggested MPs may be using AI to submit written questions to ministers.
news.sky.com/story/number...
8/ This isn’t about Parliament revisiting Brexit. It’s about MPs being able to scrutinise decisions that affect their constituents’ jobs, prices and protections. If EU policy still shapes our rules and markets - and it does - Commons scrutiny has to catch up.
