Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has employed a little-known parliamentary procedure known as a humble address to push for the release of documents related to Peter Mandelson's appointment as Britain's ambassador to the US. The move aims to secure the disclosure of documents, including those related to the due diligence work carried out by the Cabinet Office and emails between Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney, an ally of the former peer.
A humble address is a rare parliamentary procedure that allows opposition parties to table a motion for a return, essentially forcing the government to release sensitive information. Officially petitioning the monarch, this process has been used on occasion over the past two centuries to extract documents from departments headed by a secretary of state.
However, the use of humble addresses has become increasingly politicized in recent years, with opposition parties using it as a means to gain access to confidential information and embarrass governments. In 2017, Labour's then-leader Jeremy Corbyn used this procedure to force the release of previously confidential documents assessing the economic impact of Brexit, while Keir Starmer's use of humble address in 2022 led to the publication of security advice related to Evgeny Lebedev's peerage.
Critics argue that the government can be held in contempt of parliament if it fails to abide by a motion for a return. With the Conservative-led government now using this procedure, critics warn that the practice could become even more entrenched and potentially used as a tool to exert pressure on governments.
It remains to be seen how effective Kemi Badenoch's use of humble address will be in securing the release of Mandelson-related documents, but the move highlights the power of parliamentary procedures in shaping government policy and holding those in power accountable.
A humble address is a rare parliamentary procedure that allows opposition parties to table a motion for a return, essentially forcing the government to release sensitive information. Officially petitioning the monarch, this process has been used on occasion over the past two centuries to extract documents from departments headed by a secretary of state.
However, the use of humble addresses has become increasingly politicized in recent years, with opposition parties using it as a means to gain access to confidential information and embarrass governments. In 2017, Labour's then-leader Jeremy Corbyn used this procedure to force the release of previously confidential documents assessing the economic impact of Brexit, while Keir Starmer's use of humble address in 2022 led to the publication of security advice related to Evgeny Lebedev's peerage.
Critics argue that the government can be held in contempt of parliament if it fails to abide by a motion for a return. With the Conservative-led government now using this procedure, critics warn that the practice could become even more entrenched and potentially used as a tool to exert pressure on governments.
It remains to be seen how effective Kemi Badenoch's use of humble address will be in securing the release of Mandelson-related documents, but the move highlights the power of parliamentary procedures in shaping government policy and holding those in power accountable.
, this is getting ridiculous 
. If opposition parties just wanna get info from gov, why can't they just ask nicely? 
Instead, they're using some super obscure procedure that's all about embarrassment 
. I mean, what's the harm in keeping those documents classified for once? 
Is it really worth going through parliament to get them? 
Kemi Badenoch is just doing her job, but this whole thing feels like a power play 
. Can't we just have a straightforward conversation about national security or whatever? 
. I mean, come on, can't they just be transparent about what's going on? It feels like they're more interested in playing games and scoring points against each other than actually doing their jobs 
. And now Kemi Badenoch is using some fancy parliamentary procedure to get what she wants... it's all so manipulative 
. I just wish people would focus on the real issues instead of just trying to score points 
. I mean, who really cares about Peter Mandelson's old appointment documents? 
It seems like Kemi Badenoch is just trying to stir up some drama and get her name out there 
.
. It sounds like a way for the opposition parties to get their hands on confidential info and embarrass the gov 
. I'm all for transparency, but not at the expense of national security 
.
. Like, isn't that just a fancy way of saying "we're gonna ignore the rules and do whatever we want"? 
or if it all blows up in her face 
️
. can be used for good or bad, depending on who's pulling the strings. it shows how important transparency is in gov, but also makes u wonder if its all about politics as usual 
i think its kinda cool that they r usin dis parliamentry procedure 2 hold gov in account. critics say its just gonna be another way 4 oppo parties 2 get sensitive info & embarass gov but im like "hey, whos 2 judge" 
anywayz, its defintley gonna b interesting 2 c how this plays out 
.
. And who knows, maybe it'll even lead to some interesting disclosures that will blow our minds 
so like if kemi badenoch gets her way, thats def a positive move 
.
I'm also curious to see how the government responds - will they cave in or push back against this unprecedented use of power? 
.
. It's like, if we want to create positive change, we gotta be willing to stir up some trouble (in a good way) 
. The fact that critics are worried about this procedure becoming more entrenched just shows how important it is to stay vigilant and make sure our voices are being heard 
.
On one hand, Kemi Badenoch's using this humble address procedure is like, totally legit, right? It's about getting some transparency on Peter Mandelson's appointment, which is actually pretty cool. 
. And what about when the government says "no" and they're just trying to be stubborn? Does that really mean they can ignore parliament? 
but at the same time its also a bit sketchy that they're doing it just to get info, like what's their real motive? should be interesting to see how this plays out 
she's like a superhero for transparency 