WGPlus (Archive)

‘Too many cooks spoil the Broth’

Scrutiny of Brexit is off to a shaky start, according to a new paper from the Institute for Government (IfG).  The report finds that Parliament is already running over 30 separate inquiries into the issue – even before the election of MPs to chair the new Brexit select committees.

In Scrutinising Brexit: Parliament faces its biggest challenge, the IfG says that turf wars over who should scrutinise the Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) mean the committee has still not been set up – a full four months after the department’s creation.  The think tank warns that without strong leadership and a clear plan to engage the Brexit Ministers, the DExEU committee risks becoming a large but toothless watchdog.

In recent years, select committees have gained a growing reputation for influencing policy and holding Government & individuals - such as Rupert Murdoch and Mike Ashley - to account. The paper argues that Brexit will either be the issue that unravels this progress or embeds the place of select committees in our democratic system.

But a proliferation of parliamentary inquiries into Brexit will lead to overlapping lines of inquiry, competition for media headlines, and ‘witness fatigue’.  So it is crucial that all committees find a way to coordinate & work together to best serve the needs of the electorate.

Researched Links:

IFG:  Brexit scrutiny risks becoming a chaotic competition for limelight

PC&PE:  Brexit should be scrutinised as it happens say Lords

ScotGov:  Scottish Ministers in Brussels

Like removing a plaster; it hurts less if you do it quickly

Ministers call on all parties to support Scotland’s place in EU

Parliament should 'play a central role' in triggering Article 50

David Davis visits Ireland to strengthen commercial ties ahead of EU exit negotiations

Strengthening UK-Ireland relations ahead of EU exit negotiations

TUC: Unions want to play a full part in Brexit talks

'Too many cooks spoil the broth' - Origin, Meaning & Expansion

Facing the Future...find out more