Business of the House

John Hayes Excerpts

Thursday 31st October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I know from my own constituency that such matters are raised all the time. Fire cover, and having adequate fire officers, is very important to local communities. Budgets have been cut in recent years and I know that Home Affairs Ministers take that very seriously. Home Office questions are coming up shortly, and I am sure that my hon. Friend would get a good response.

[Sir John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings) (Con)]

Debates in this place are increasingly punctuated and populated by references to outside bodies, from the Environment Agency to Network Rail, and from the Migration Advisory Committee to the much mentioned Office for Budget Responsibility. None are elected or accountable to the people we serve—we do not really know who they are. May we have a debate on the increasing blob activism that threatens the separation of powers? We know about judicial activism, but this activism is just as dangerous. Those bodies wield immense power, and Ministers elected to govern should not be stymied, hampered, cowed or chastised by people with no democratic legitimacy.

[Lucy Powell]

The right hon. Gentleman is well known as a blob activist himself—[Hon. Members: “Oh!”] I do not mean it that way. I mean against the blob: I am sorry to be misinterpreted. If he is referring to the important financial—[Interruption.] This will start me off laughing now—

[Sir John Hayes]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think the Leader of the House needs a few moments to calm down.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Leader of the House.