Move comes in response to Tories forcing ‘humble address’ vote in Commons
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Good morning. The government has agreed to release potentially a large amount of information relating to how Peter Mandelson came to be appointed ambassador to Washington. The decision marks a win for Kemi Badenoch, who forced this decision by tabling a humble address motion in the Commons which the government does not have the confidence to fully oppose.
Ironically, it was Keir Starmer himself who encouraged the use of the parliamentary weapon that Badenoch is using. Opposition parties can table motions for debate, but most of them are not binding. However, if they table a humble address (“That an humble address be presented to His Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions to require the government to lay before this house all papers relating to” etc), and it passes, the government has to compy.
In 2017 Starmer, the then shadow Brexit secretary, won a humble address vote that forced the release of documents relating to the economic impact of Brexit. It was the first time for years the device had been used successfully. Since then humble addresses have become almost commonplace.
