Westminster ears deaf to call for order in the House

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 40

Westminster ears deaf to call for order in the House

By PETER GREGSON NZPA-Reuter London The call for “order, order” booms out across the Palace of Westminster more often these days than the toll of Big Ben from its renowned clocktower. But the traditional appeal by the Speaker of the House of Commons for quiet in the Chamber has fallen largely on deaf ears as the present session of Britain’s Parliament rapidly earns a reputation for unparalleled rowdiness. Uproar in the House reached such proportions this month that the Speaker, Mr Bernard Weatherill, who presides over sittings of the Commons, was forced at one point to shout above the baying of squabbling members, “For God’s sake, sit down.” The noise level often forces members, even the Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, on occasion during her twice-weekly question time, to sit sideways and listen to what is being said through small loudspeakers built

into the green-covered benches. But a bad-tempered allnight filibuster and the expulsion of two Opposition Labour Party members within a week have led to wider concern that political courtesies and conventions are being irreparably damaged and the authority of the Speaker undermined. Mr Weatherill gave a dressing down to M.P.s from both the Labour and governing Conservative Party benches after one outburst, telling them they were bringing Parliament into disrepute. “I hope we will give a lead to the nation by good behaviour,” he said. But only days later, four people were evicted from the public gallery for protesting against the Government’s policies towards Wales. Commentators had a field day saying they were only emulating the political equivalent of soccer hooliganism enacted in the House. The Commons runs largely by unwritten rules, but scorn for its traditions was

widely regarded as having reached a new low when more than 100 Labour M.P.s voted against Mr Weatherill’s expulsion of a Scottish member, Mr Tam Dalyell, for five days for calling Mrs Thatcher a liar. Worse, they then clapped -- altogether against convention — as he left the chamber. Concern was such that the chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative Backbenchers, senior party figures who sit behind the Government’s slightly lesscramped front bench, wrote to Mr Weatherill promising him full support in his efforts to maintain ordef. Much of the disruption has been attributed to Labour frustration at a third successive term of Tory rule and a huge intake of new members unused to the ways of Westminster. A total of 128 M.P.s have taken their seats for the first time since the general election in June. But Labour whips, the senior party figures responsible

for discipline, are unrepentant and have no plans to curb the zeal of new boys anxious to cut through what they regard as stuffy, hidebound conventions. Labour’s Chief Whip, Mr Derek Foster, even promised more rowdy scenes. “The cosy little world of Commons’ debates has passed. The Government is going to get a really rough ride,” he said. Veteran Conservative figures, who point out that only 10 per cent of the present Parliament has served for 10 years or more, shake their heads in dismay at what they call the “yahoo mentality.” “Parliamentary courtesies have been cast aside and etiquette can no longer be counted on to prevail,” said a Conservative party member who asked not to be named. “The situation is quite unprecedented. We are all suffering at the hands of inexperienced weaklings,” he said. The history books do

record previous periods of parliamentary boorishness, wit® one unfortunate turn-of-the-century Speaker forced to send for the police after his pleas for “order, order” were ignored. But the spate of rowdy behaviour may have brought an unexpected bonus for Mrs Thatcher by providing her with fresh ammunition to use in her argument against allowing television cameras into the Chamber. A vote on televising the proceedings of Parliament is due around the end of the year after being defeated by only 12 votes when last debated two years ago. In a recent speech, Mrs Thatcher’s parliamentary private secretary, Mr Archie Hamilton, made known her position when he said; “Televised debates will merely provide a larger audience for the hooligan elements in the Commons and... encourage parliamentarians to ■ behave even worse.”