Finn Baker
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Finn Baker
@finnbaker.bsky.social
1.7K followers 770 following 270 posts
Former research assistant @instituteforgov
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A screenshot from the Institute for Government's Ministers Database, showing Baroness Sherlock's promotion
December 18, 2024 at 12:22 PM
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The final* ministerial appointment of the year: Baroness Sherlock gets promoted to minister of state at the Department for Work and Pensions

*(or so we hope)
A timeline from the Institute for Government showing the two roles Baroness Sherlock has had at the Department for Work and Pensions since the 2024 general election
December 18, 2024 at 12:22 PM
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The Committee of Selection has met and nominated 23 MPs to the committee examining the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Slightly larger than a standard bill committee, it contains two ministers (both of whom supported the bill at 2R), another twelve bill supporters and nine opponents
A graphic from the Institute for Government showing the 23 proposed members of the bill committee, including MPs like Rachel Hopkins and Danny Kruger
December 11, 2024 at 6:02 PM
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Likewise, this 2000 report on the operation of programme motions gives the example of the Financial Services and Markets Bill, which had two days for Report before a programme motion was even agreed

Again, 20 years later, it would be very unusual for a bill to be given three days for report stage
An excerpt from a report from 2000 entitled 'Programming of legislation and timing of votes' describing the operation of programme motions in the 1999-2000 session. It reads: "Two days had already been given to the consideration of the Financial Services and Markets Bill, most of that time having been spent on new clauses, before a programme motion was agreed for the remaining provisions of the Bill. The motion provided for five blocks of one hour each for various groups of amendments and for proceedings on third reading to be completed by 10pm." [The remainder of the paragraph goes into more detail on the debate.]
December 11, 2024 at 12:44 PM
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This 1998 report recommends giving the Speaker power to vary the time limit on speeches but notes that "in our view [the limit] should never be less than eight minutes"

An 8 minute speaking limit would be a luxury in today's Commons
An excerpt from a 1998 report from the Modernisation Committee entitled 'Conduct in the Chamber'. It reads: "The changes that have taken place over the last few years in the rules governing short speeches have increased the discretion given to the Speaker both as to the time within which the limit can be imposed and the type of debate to which it can apply. We recommend that this discretion should be further extended to permit variations in the length of time allocated for speeches made under the Standing Order. There is nothing sacrosanct about ten minutes. There may well be occasions when, on a rather technical or emotive subject, a slightly longer period of, say, fifteen minutes might be more appropriate. On the other side of the coin, some debates are very severely time-limited. An opposition half-day debate, in which there art likely to be four front bench speeches, is limited to three hours, even if it starts on time. A debate on a piece of delegated legislation is normally limited to one and a half hours. Such legislation can be of great interest, such as the recent beef on the bone regulations. In such exceptional debates there may be a case for a speech limit of less than ten minutes. The formal limit would be for the Speaker to determine, although in our view it should never be less than eight minutes. Again there would be no difficulty in making the necessary Standing Order change, and no insuperable practical difficulty in operating the Table clock."
December 11, 2024 at 12:44 PM
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Reading back reports from the previous iteration of the Modernisation Committee and stumbled across what must be one of the earliest uses of the phrase "poor vibes" in the parliamentary record – by none other than Peter Bone MP, speaking here in 2007
A transcript of oral evidence given by Peter Bone MP to the Modernisation Committee in 2007. It reads: "Mr Bone: First of all, I hate to appear before something called "the Modernisation Committee". I think it would be much better if it were called the "Reforming" or the "Structure" Committee. "Modernisation" has very poor vibes for me."
December 11, 2024 at 12:44 PM
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She described her legacy as maybe 'more of a campaigner' than an administrator - a strength that may well be key in her new role
Margaret Hodge: "So all the big battles have been with others – when I was fighting the BNP in the borough, when I was fighting here [in parliament, as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee] doing the dirty money and tax avoidance and evasion. So maybe I’m more of a campaigner, but I’ve enjoyed both and people think I’m an okay administrator. But it’s weird, the years as a minister were, on the whole, I think good years."
December 9, 2024 at 1:40 PM
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She discussed taking compassionate leave - one of the first ministers to do so - and the handling challenges this involved
Margaret Hodge: "Andy Burnham [then Hodge’s secretary of state at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport] rang me and said, “what the hell are you taking leave for? You’re bonkers.” And I thought he was bonkers to tell me I was bonkers."
December 9, 2024 at 1:40 PM
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Much like the prime minister last week, she expressed frustration at the civil service machine, describing the Department of Health as a 'sort of Stalinist empire' and officials at the Department for Trade and Industry as 'pen pushers'
Margaret Hodge: "[T]hey were the most appalling civil servants. I just couldn’t stand it. They were pen pushers: ‘as long as it’s off my desk’. They’d never do a report in time. They’d never come back in time."
December 9, 2024 at 1:40 PM
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In a memorable interview, she discussed the frustrations of being a junior minister, including battling to make appointments in the face of opposition from her officials
Margaret Hodge: "And I just didn't realise that nothing, nothing you decided as a junior (I was a PUSS)... I didn't have the power to decide, which was completely frustrating."
December 9, 2024 at 1:40 PM
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MPs are set to approve the membership of the liaison committee later today.

The 32-strong membership, drawn from the chairs of the other Commons select committees, oversees the committee system and holds regular evidence sessions with the PM
A graphic from the Institute for Government showing the 32 chairs that make up the House of Commons liaison committee, including the 20 chairs of departmental select committees and containing figures like Meg Hillier (chair of the Treasury select committee) and Liam Byrne (chair of the Business and Trade select committee).
December 4, 2024 at 10:15 AM
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Very unusually for a private members' bill, Kim Leadbeater has put down a motion that would allow the public bill committee on the assisted dying bill to take evidence
A motion on tomorrow's order paper that the committee on the Terminally Ill Adults Bill be given the power to send for persons, papers and records
November 28, 2024 at 10:56 PM
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Finally, there are seven opposition whips in the Lords, led by Baroness Williams of Trafford
A graphic from the Institute for Government showing the 7 members of opposition whips' office in the House of Lords, led by Baroness Williams of Trafford.
November 21, 2024 at 12:46 PM
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Lord True is supported in the Lords by 28 other shadow ministers. This is a larger Lords team than he led in government, perhaps reflecting a desire to lighten the load placed on shadow ministers (all of whom are unpaid)
A graphic from the Institute for Government showing the 29 members of shadow Lords team, including figures like Viscount Camrose and the Earl of Minto.
November 21, 2024 at 12:46 PM
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Rebecca Harris is joined in the opposition whips' office by another 19 MPs, eight of whom also shadow departmental briefs
A graphic from the Institute for Government showing the 20 members of opposition whips' office, including figures like Nick Timothy and Alicia Kearns.
November 21, 2024 at 12:46 PM
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There are a further 26 junior shadow ministers in the House of Commons
A graphic from the Institute for Government showing the 26 junior shadow ministers in the House of Commons, including figures like Helen Grant and Danny Kruger.
November 21, 2024 at 12:46 PM
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Kemi Badenoch's shadow frontbench in full 🧵

There are 25 members of the shadow cabinet. Julia Lopez (not shown here) also attends shadow cabinet as Kemi Badenoch's parliamentary private secretary
A graphic from the Institute for Government showing the 25 members of Kemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet, including figures like Robert Jenrick and Victoria Atkins.
November 21, 2024 at 12:46 PM
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Kemi Badenoch has finalised her shadow frontbench and, notably, 15 of her shadow ministers currently hold select committee posts (exc. ex officio members of the Modernisation/Procedure committees)

Will there be a reshuffle on the committee corridor or will these shadow ministers double hat?
A graphic showing shadow ministers who are also select committee members, featuring individuals like Jesse Norman and Alicia Kearns
November 20, 2024 at 6:14 PM
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Sneak preview: assuming it passes 2nd reading, these particular clauses of the bill will need what's known as a 'money resolution' at committee stage. This is required to authorise new spending (in this case the possibility of funding assisted dying through the NHS) and must be moved by a minister
A screenshot of section 32 of the bill ('Secretary of State’s powers to ensure assistance is available'). The italic text indicates that these clauses introduce new expenditure and will require a money resolution.
November 12, 2024 at 9:30 AM
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And the challenges of balancing ministerial and parliamentary duties
Robert Halfon: "The workload is crazy, because you're expected to deal with stakeholders, you're expected to be able to answer debates in parliament... And do a bill. And do your constituency stuff."
November 8, 2024 at 9:56 AM
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He remembers with pride his role in developing the lifelong learning entitlement
Robert Halfon: "Developing the lifelong learning entitlement... is going to be life-changing and one of the most transformative things we've done as a government, in my view, in the last 10 years"
November 8, 2024 at 9:55 AM
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Finally, Robert Halfon remembers being George Osborne’s parliamentary private secretary – a appointment which required, unusually, the minister to carry the bags
Robert Halfon: "Because of my legs George Osborne occasionally helped me carry my briefcase, so I said that I was the first PPS in history where the secretary of state carried my bags, not the other way round!"
November 8, 2024 at 9:54 AM
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And he describes the ‘toughness’ required to block the Gender Recognition Reform Act – describing it as his biggest impact in post
Sir Alister Jack: "I'm not going to write the story of those behind the scenes who disagreed with the [section 35] decision, but let's just say it wasn't unanimous"
November 8, 2024 at 9:53 AM
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He recalls conflict with the Scottish Government over the possibility of a second referendum
Sir Alister Jack: "I wasn't in any way rattled by [Nicola Sturgeon's] announcement that she was having a referendum. I never believed for a minute it would happen."
November 8, 2024 at 9:53 AM
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Sir Alister talks about his frustrations at the lack of UK Government presence in Scotland
Sir Alister Jack: "I felt that devolution had eroded not so much our powers but had eroded our presence in Scotland, and I wanted everyone to know that they had two governments in Scotland"
November 8, 2024 at 9:52 AM