Most of the time of the Lords is given over to legislative scrutiny. Spare a thought, therefore, for those peers who sit on the Opposition front benches. They have to spend hours in the chamber when a Bill falling within their portfolio is going through the House. It can mean long hours not just on one day but on several: a substantial Bill may spend five or six days in committee and then two days on report. Front benchers also have to be present to comment when statements are being made as well as when questions are being taken that fall within their subject area.
Those who sit on the Government front bench – Ministers and whips – receive salaries and have the support of civil servants. Those who sit on the Opposition front benches (other than the Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition Chief Whip) receive no salaries and have very limited research back-up. Opposition parties in the Lords receive some funds to help them fulfil their parliamentary duties (known as Cranborne money, the equivalent to Short money in the Commons) but it is very limited and space and resources are extremely limited.
Many front-benchers effectively fulfil what amount to full-time parliamentary roles. In many respects, they are the unsung heroes of the House. They ensure that there is systematic scrutiny of a Bill, tabling probing or critical amendments and ensuring that ministers justify its provisions, as well as commenting on amendments tabled by other peers. Commenting on amendments by experts can be as demanding for them as it is for ministers, probably more so given the absence of civil service support. Opposition front benchers get little attention but they deserve recognition for the hard and essential work that they do. They are central to the scrutinising role of the House.
Why aren’t the opposition given the resources they need? If parliament’s job (both Lords and Commons) is there to hold the executive to account, why are Lords sabotaged in that?
Won’t be too long before the next election, be patient. Will you get a salary, etc? Will your time under a Conservative gvt to be any easier, and have you already started making notes on the expected reversal of certain legislation?
As an aside, Iain Dale is promoting guest bloggers throughout the summer (see 5 August). “They should be maximum 750 words, provocative, insightful, moving, humorous or preferably all four.” You should be a shoo-in.
I know from my work for an outside body seeking to lobby Parliament (for a good cause, btw, although for the purposes of anonymity I shall not go into detail) that they are always appreciative of support. Now I know why! The ones with whom I have had contact are unceasingly polite too, which is nice and not something one always gets from MPs.
hifranc: I agree that there is a case for increasing resources. The Cranborne money was a step in the right direction, but the House continues to make too much of a virtue of operating at relatively low cost. There is a powerful case for increasing the resources available to peers, especially oppsition front benchers, not just in terms of research staff but also adequate offices to house them.
ladytizzy: I doubt if ambition for government office is a major motivation. Anyone serving on the Opposition front bench in 1999, for example, was hardly likely to be looking ahead to ministerial office. And in the case of the Liberal Democrat front bench….
Even if ministerial office is a realistic prospect, I am not sure how enticing it is. Ministers in the Lords receive salaries and cars, but the salaries are not notably generous (they receive less than ministers in the Commons) and most ministers are junior ministers. The cars aren’t particularly big either.
Stuart: I think your experience is fairly typical. Opposition front benchers utilise contacts with bodies that have knowledge of a subject – and given their backgrounds they often know the most appropriate bodies to contact – and display the courtesy that I like to think is a feature of members of the House. A combination of knowledge and unfailing politeness facilitates productive contacts.