Cabinet Manual: Guidelines for Government Formation

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Pack (LD)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)]

My Lords—

[Noble Lords]

Lib Dems!

[Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)]

They have had a go.

[Lord Pack (LD)]

The Rycroft review warned that our fragmented statute book—with redundant provisions left unrepealed, measures passed by Parliament never commenced and consolidation deferred again and again over many decades—poses a genuine practical risk to our democracy and our national security, yet the Cabinet Manual section on legislation omits those basic housekeeping tasks of commencement and consolidation. Will the Minister commit to consulting fully on ensuring that those key tasks are included in the next edition of the Cabinet Manual?

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)]

My Lords, this is a really interesting Question, because none of us knows when the next general election will be—it could be in three years or much sooner—so are the Labour Government thinking about which other political parties they might be prepared to work with? Obviously, now that we are in a five-party or even six-party election, they might be forced to work with all sorts of people, including the Greens.

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My Lords, I wonder if that is a bid for power, for engagement or for negotiation, but I have to say that, given some of the candidates, platforms and personal views of the Green Party, that would be a struggle. Having said that, we are many years away from a future general election, and I think it is fair to say that those of us who campaign regularly will continue to campaign month in, month out regardless of when a general election is called. However, there is a great deal of work to get on with before the next general election.