Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

George Howarth Excerpts
Thursday 20th October 2022

(2 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Penny Mordaunt Portrait Penny Mordaunt
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I thank my hon. Friend for his witty question. I shall certainly raise it with the relevant Department.

George Howarth Portrait Sir George Howarth (Knowsley) (Lab)
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The Leader of the House will be aware that an important principle of our constitutional arrangements is that of the mandate. Given that the Government’s mandate, derived from the last general election manifesto, has now been either abandoned or exhausted, is it not time that we had a general election?

Penny Mordaunt Portrait Penny Mordaunt
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When it would have been in this country’s interest to have a general election, when this Parliament was in paralysis due to Brexit before the 2019 general election, the hon. Gentleman’s party blocked it. I am not going to take any lessons from him on that front. We stood on a manifesto that we are delivering, but that work is not yet done, and we will continue to deliver the manifesto that gave us this sizeable majority.