MPs clocked off early on almost half of all sitting days last year as government ‘ran out of things for them to do’ with 134 hours of parliamentary time wasted

Rishi Sunak has been accused of leading a ‘zombie government’ after new figures showed that MPs clocked out early on almost half of all working days in the past 18 months.

Of the 213 sitting days in the 2022-23 Parliamentary session, the Commons chamber rose more than 10 minutes ahead of schedule on 100 of them – some 47 per cent of the total.

In total some 134 hours of legislative time was wasted because there was no work for MPs to do, in terms of debates or votes.

Analysis by Labour of official Commons data also shows that this was despite a spike in the amount of ‘backbench business’ –  debates put forward by MPs rather than based on Government work – to fill the yawning gap. 

Lucy Powell, the shadow leader of the Commons, said: ‘With families struggling with the cost of living and Tory mortgage mayhem the Conservatives have given up on governing, making MPs clock off early half the time.

‘Whilst the government flails around, Labour MPs are desperate to use this time the Tories are wasting.’

Of the 213 sitting days in the 2022-23 Parliamentary session, the Commons chamber rose more than 10 minutes ahead of schedule on 100 of them – some 47 per cent of the total.

Analysis by Labour of official Commons data also shows that this was despite a spike in the amount of ‘backbench business’ – debates put forward by MPs rather than based on Government work – to fill the yawning gap.

Lucy Powell, the shadow leader of the Commons, said: ‘With families struggling with the cost of living and Tory mortgage mayhem the Conservatives have given up on governing, making MPs clock off early half the time.’

The Commons usually sits from 2.20pm to 10pm on Mondays and then from 11.30am – 7.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and 9.30am – 5.30pm on Thursday. It rarely sits on a Friday.

The data reveals that the Commons rose more than a minute early on 138 of the 213 sitting days in the last session, which ended last week.

The earliest was on June 6 this year, when the Commons rose at 2.20pm, almost five hours early. 

The next session is due to start tomorrow with the King’s speech.

Ministers will be required to consider new licences for North Sea oil exploration each year under legislation included in it designed to strengthen Britain’s energy security – and skewer Labour.

Rishi Sunak will use the speech to bring forward legislation to ‘mandate’ an annual regime for licensing new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea to ‘safeguard the prosperity of our country’.

A government source said the plan would ‘bolster energy security, reducing reliance on imports from hostile foreign regimes such as Russia’ and ‘leaving us less exposed to unpredictable international forces’.

Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said it was ‘common sense’ to try to meet demand for fossil fuels from domestic sources rather than ‘importing dirtier fuels’.

But Tory strategists believe the plans will also cause Labour trouble by highlighting Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial pledge to ban new exploration in the North Sea.

Source: Read Full Article