The first proper government ambush of this Parliament is upon us. The Speaker has announced which amendments to the Queen’s Speech will be put to a vote this evening. Along with the official Labour Brexit amendment calling on the government to negotiate an outcome that prioritises jobs and the economy, there are two amendments from Labour MPs that will ruffle feathers on both sides of the House.
Chuka Umunna’s amendment criticising the Queen’s speech for not keeping the option of single market membership on the table could see many Labour MPs rebel from their party’s ‘official position’. Meanwhile, Stella Creasy’s amendment on the abortion rights of Northern Ireland women looks set to cause the Conservatives some bother.
The Creasy amendment says the government should allow women from Northern Ireland to get an abortion in England on the NHS. The DUP are against this and so it is a particularly thorny issue for the Conservatives – putting pressure on the two parties’ confidence and supply agreement. Even though it’s unlikely to bring down the agreement between the two parties, it does expose their differences. The Tories have been at pains to keep the DUP’s more conservative stance on social issues away from their arrangement.
Creasy claims there are around 40 Conservative MPs preparing to rebel on the issue. However, government sources remain optimistic that MPs will not undermine their party at such a pivotal moment. If this does prove to be a miscalculation and the amendment passes, the government will not be brought down. The DUP would still be expected to approve the Queen’s Speech. But what a defeat would do is put the government in an even weaker position. It would show that May can be held hostage on a single issue and inspire future ambushes in the Chamber. It follows that tonight’s vote will be a test of May’s authority.
Update: The government are clearly rattled. The chancellor has said the government intends to fund abortions in England for women from Northern Ireland. This concession suggests that May thought she could lose the vote tonight.
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