Starmer survives crucial vote – but at a cost to his MPs and parliament
S.ir Keir Starmer’s sizeable majority in parliament may have shielded him from a difficult and protracted investigation into whether he misled parliament, but this will come at a cost for both him and the MPs who rushed to the ‘No’ lobby on his behalf.
It is true that the Prime Minister has made things difficult and rallied the troops to support him, as he is often forced to do. They are almost certainly trying to make a political show against him, as claimed by opposition parties, especially Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch.
However, the effort to save the prime minister from the consequences of his own wrong decision will have its effect in the near future and in the coming years.
This will also emerge at local and devolved elections on May 7, with the faces of every Labor MP who voted to stop the investigation likely to appear in campaign leaflets and social media posts by opposition candidates trying to defeat a Labor rival.
It will certainly test the claim that this is just a Westminster bubble story and feed into the “all the same” notion so prevalent about politicians in this country.
But what has just happened has a much more serious consequence: precedent.
Just four years ago the Conservatives set a precedent by not using their majority to block an investigation into whether Boris Johnson had lied to parliament. Then Conservative MPs on the Privileges Committee did their job, found Johnson guilty and accepted the sentence.
Johnson had his supporters, but by forcing an investigation into him and then forcing him out of Downing Street, the Conservatives undoubtedly put integrity before the party.
This is what needs to happen for parliamentary processes to work. That’s why MPs are referred to as “honorable” members, they must be honorable.
This was underlined in a powerful speech by senior Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale, who led Johnson’s sentencing for a major personal inconvenience.
But now Labor has actually reversed that precedent. They have now opened the door for the executive to use its majority to obstruct the parliamentary process and protect the integrity of British democracy.
It is important to note that, as many Labor leaders have pointed out, there are some distinct differences between the allegations made against Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer, with former cabinet ministers David Blunkett and Alan Johnson describing any accusations as “absurd”.
But Labor MPs left themselves open to accusations of putting the party ahead of integrity. Indeed, some of the minority Labor MPs who either voted for opposition parties or abstained wondered aloud why Starmer had not sent himself to the committee to clear his name.
The problem is that this situation will repeat itself in the coming years.
For example, if Reform wins a majority at the next election (still possible according to some polls), Nigel Farage could use his majority to block the investigation in the face of any accusations of lying or breaking the rules.
Labor will be in no position to complain because Reform will simply say they will do the same thing they did for Starmer.
The Conservatives are unlikely to subject a leader to this process again if they come to power.
The way the House of Commons works is by convention, not by strict rules. It depends on MPs doing the right thing and following precedent. When Congress breaks down, there is nothing left to fall back on.
That’s what Labor did today by whipping the vote to protect Starmer, whether he’s guilty or not.
