At 4.10pm, the last business of the day began in the House of Commons. A backbench debate called by Tory Jamie Wallis on residential cooperative power production. There were just two people in the chamber. Wallis and Graham Stuart, the government minister obliged to respond. Both heroically tried to ignore the futility of the situation and heard each other out. As if something worthwhile was taking place. But once they had both said their piece – for obvious reasons there were no interruptions – they looked a bit embarrassed and shuffled off. Shortly before 4.30pm, the Commons adjourned for the day.
Some might call this a zombie parliament. Lifelessly ticking over with no sense of direction. Less than two weeks after returning from a six-week recess, the Commons had already run out of things to do. Rishi Sunak sees it rather differently. Inaction Man regards inaction as a virtue. The fact that parliament could pack up early was a sign of success. That the government was doing its job. That everything that needed to be done, had been done. What cost of living crisis? What stagnant growth? There are no schools falling down. Rather than criticising the government for doing nothing the country should be grateful for what the Conservatives have done.
