Labour's 1922 Committee

Lobbydog has learnt that as part of the reforms to be debated and voted on by Labour MPs next week, Ed Miliband is planning on setting up an equivalent to the Tories’ 1922 Committee.

The move would be made in conjunction with already reported proposals to abolish elections to the shadow cabinet.

Margaret Beckett was one of the party veterans that Miliband consulted before broaching the issue with other MPs.

She told me: “The origin of the elected shadow cabinet was that they were also the executive of the parliamentary party – but there were complaints about that system because it meant ordinary backbenchers did not have a voice to connect them to the party leadership.

“For example, if you were a backbencher unhappy with the way our education policy was going, you couldn’t go to the shadow education secretary to complain and expect him to go to the leader on your behalf.”

Beckett explained that when Labour was in Government members of the cabinet shed their role as executive of the parliamentary party and a separate executive was elected that could represent backbench voices.

She said: “If the Prime Minister has time to deal the executive when in Government, then why can’t the Leader of the Opposition do it too? Why can’t we continue in Opposition with the same structure we had in Government?

“It would mean creating a separately elected group to represent backbenchers, a bit like the 1922 Committee, separate from the shadow cabinet.

“We also had evidence about the problems elected shadow cabinets have caused – the elections tend to go with popularity which is not always the same thing as ability, sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn’t.”

The 1922 Committee equivalent will act as a sweetener to those backbenchers who feel abolishing shadow cabinet elections reduces democracy in the parliamentary party, while allowing Miliband to take control of shadow cabinet selection, cementing his power as Leader.

At the moment I get the feeling the changes will go through – particularly because there are members of the new intake who think they have ability, but not the established popularity to be in with a shout for a job under the current system.

The issue will be debated on Monday and decided at a vote of Labour MPs on Tuesday.

Old Labour wounds open over AV…

Margaret Beckett sounded rather frosty when I chatted to her earlier about Neil Kinnock’s comments in the Independent today regarding her and other Labour No2AVers.

In the piece Kinnock said: "I simply cannot understand how experienced colleagues can mistake the lessons of the last 60 years – that the Tories have profited massively from divisions in the continual anti-Tory majority.

"They must recognise the implacable truth – that first past the post is the Tories' lifeline."

He went on: "They haven't been able to explain why they're doing it, to me – they just give me knowing smiles and say first past the post helps us. Well, first past the post almost permanently put the Tories in power for the last 40 years."

But hitting back, Beckett (pictured below with Tory Chief Whip Patrick McLoughlin) told Lobbydog the reason the "anti-Tory majority" had not prevailed in recent history was that it had not existed.

The former Labour Foreign Secretary said Kinnock was guilty of “wishful thinking” if he thought the voting system was the only thing that had kept Labour out of power in 1983, 1987 and 1992.

She wouldn't be drawn on it, but it's hard not to ignore the fact that these were years in which Kinnock was leader.

She said: "When people go into an election they know that they are risking a particular outcome. They know what risk they are running.

"In the 80s and early 90s the people decided that the risk of returning Margaret Thatcher and John Major was less than the risk of returning us – it's sad to have to admit.

"But it's very wrong to suggest people didn’t know what they were doing when they made those decisions, but that they suddenly did know what they were doing when they voted Labour in 1997."

Beckett added that Kinnock had never asked her about her views on AV, but said she would be happy to explain them to him "any day of the week".

Beckett has a dig at New Labour...

Last night Lobbydog had a long chat with the old war horse Margaret Beckett about what went wrong with Labour and where she thinks it needs to go next.

She still remembers how it felt when the party lost power in 1979 to Thatcher – she also lost her Lincoln parliamentary seat that time round.

Her contribution to the post mortem on the party's demise up to 2010 is that for too long the Labour machine mistakenly discouraged people from talking about things it was doing for the vulnerable in society.

“It was part of the philosophy of how New Labour presented itself that even though it was doing things for the more needy, like tax credits and so on, we didn’t talk about it a lot,” said Beckett.

“That side of policy and of Labour was deliberately played down for a long time.

“There seemed to be a fear that if you constantly reminded people what you were doing to help the most vulnerable then you might appear not to be on the side of mainstream families.”

Meanwhile Beckett's dislike of that side of New Labour seemed to slip out again when talking about who was going to be the next leader. She did have something to say about the front runner.

“There are people round David’s campaign who seem to be suggesting that everyone knows who the next leader is going to be already and that isn’t right,” she said.

She did happen to mention that Ed Balls was rather capable - but wouldn’t commit to anyone just yet.

Beckett back in the chair

By the time the Speaker’s election came round last year Margaret Beckett was already miffed with Downing Street after she was sacked on reshuffle day without being given a reason why by the PM.

Rumours ran rife that Beckett’s subsequent candidacy in the Speaker’s election was encouraged and supported by Number 10 – out of a desire to put an establishment figure in the chair, but also as a sweetener for pushing her out of the cabinet.

The story, refuted by Beckett, was that after the whips went round asking Labour MPs to support her, there was a backlash and her campaign flopped.

But LD discovered that her new job, as the chair of an influential national security committee, was offered to her shortly after the failed Speaker’s election bid.

It feels as though the speed at which the position was offered supports the involvement of Number 10 in the Speakership bid.

Certainly Beckett’s undying support for Brown would also suggest so.

Trying not to speak...

It’s not surprising that Margaret Beckett didn’t have huge influence over the decision to go to war in Iraq, given that she was only Environment Secretary at the time.

None the less, one answer she gave to the Chilcot Inquiry was particularly amusing.

She was asked what she'd said in meetings leading up to the decision to go to war.

Her answer was: “I don’t remember…how much I exactly said. I’m sure there were times when I did contribute.

“I tried to not repeat something that someone else had already said.

“I tried to not take up the time of the cabinet by repeating some contributions that someone else had made or by making obvious statements that were self evident.”

Basically – she didn’t say much. There is however a slightly darker side to her comments.

Yes, she’s admitting she was not a huge contributor, but is she also saying that the contributions of others were pointless – that people sat around repeating each other and stating the obvious in an attempt to make it look like they were useful.

We’ve all seen that sort of thing happen in meetings between a group of employees and the boss. You’d just hope the people running the country were more robust with one another.

Beckett: Mortgage rescue needs to be looked at again

No matter how much people point out how few families the Government’s Mortgage Rescue Scheme has helped, until now the spokespeople have stuck fast to the line – ‘it was only ever meant for the most needy’.

That is despite Gordon Brown saying that it would help 6,000 families most at risk from repossession, when after nine months it has only helped a piddling 92.

But the Government’s defence was knocked today when Margaret Beckett, who launched the scheme when she was Housing Minister, admitted to Lobbydog that it may need reworking.

Having lost her job in the summer reshuffle she is not so constrained anymore, and when told that not a single person in her own Derby constituency – indeed across the whole county of Derbyshire had been helped, she gave way.

“I’m surprised at the results. Certainly it was always thought that not all the families that we would want to be on the scheme would be able to go on it,” she said.

“The idea was to try to prevent people from losing their homes if it was at all preventable.

“But I think that if this picture is being repeated across the country then the relevant people should look at it to see whether there’s a need to extend the help by some degree.”

It’s a flaccid admission, but an admission none-the-less, from the minister who launched MRS that the scheme has not worked.

BECKETT: I’ve still not been told why I got the chop

Margaret Beckett has revealed to LD some details of her final moments as Housing Minister.

After having the job for just seven months she said she wasn’t expecting to get the sack when she went to Downing Street on reshuffle day in June.

“It was a bit of a surprise, yes. But these things happen in politics because there are always more good people than you have room for,” she said.

“It was extremely brief. It was something like, ‘I’m afraid I’ll have to let you go’ and then some suggestion that there might be other things in time.

“I’m not the kind of person to think, ‘how awful, he should have said more’. It’s the decision that matters, and if that’s the decision, then that’s the decision.”

At the time she told me that the PM had made a rather bemusing little speech but had given no clear reason as to why she was being pushed out.

Asked whether things had become clearer she said: “I still don’t really know to be perfectly honest. I presume his planning assumptions changed and the shape of decisions he wanted to make.

“He found himself in an extremely tough position – they hadn’t expected James [Purnell] to leave. The top priority was to get things sorted out and settled.”

Asked if Mr Brown had been in contact since, she said: “I haven’t seen him for a while now. But you don’t see him very often, he’s the Prime Minister.”

Bercow got his worm

Everyone knows that John Bercow had an eye on the Speaker’s chair very quickly after Michael Martin announced his resignation.

He apparently circulated a manifesto for his campaign around fellow MPs within hours of Martin’s official demise.

But Lobbydog got a sniff of the full extent of his machinations earlier today when he was talking with defeated Speaker candidate Margaret Beckett.

She revealed that while she was canvassing support for her campaign MPs told her they’d been approached by Bercow for their backing up to three years earlier.

It seems he had been gathering names, possibly as early as 2006, and was waiting for the opportunity.

Between 2006 and 2009 came the years that Bercow was also active in working with the Labour Government, leading to defection rumours but boosting his cross-party credentials.

It seems the early bird got the worm.

The garden path comes back to haunt Beckett

When I spoke to Margaret Beckett last night she sounded angry – if I was her I would be too.

Just over two weeks ago she was sacked from the Government, without really being given a good reason by the PM.

Then, some say by Gordon Brown’s design, she was encouraged to stand for the Speaker’s position – possibly with the promise of support from whips.

No doubt many a Labour MP will have pledged support and there was the prospect of back-up from Tories disgruntled with Bercow.

The whips’ involvement back-fired, the Tory support didn’t come and her backing fell away after the first ballot – despite more votes being available.

She wasn’t willing to speak openly last night, but I suspect she feels as though she has been led up the garden path.

All over for Beckett?

Technically she goes through to the next round, but the voting figures look ominous for Derby MP Margaret Beckett.

She got less than half the number of front runner, John Bercow, and the votes of the bottom four candidates, who got knocked out in the first round, don’t look likely to be redistributed her way.

Those who voted Parmjit Dhanda will be looking for a reform candidate, which Beckett ain’t.

Meanwhile Tories who voted for Sir Michael Lord, Sir Patrick Cormack and Richard Shepherd will be drawn to Sir George Young.

But Bercow is looking like a very strong favourite to win overall.

On another note – how did Sir Michael Lord only manage nine votes when you need between 13 and 15 to get nominated in the first place?

Full results:

John Bercow, 179, Sir George Young, 112, Margaret Beckett, 74, Sir Alan Haselhurst, 66, Alan Beith, 55, Ann Widdecombe, 44, Parmjit Dhanda 26, Richard Shepherd, 15, Sir Patrick Cormack, 13 and Sir Michael Lord, 9.

Speaker election tit-bits

Just nipped in to blog while they're voting in the first round.

Beckett called herself a "House of Commons Woman".

She was solid but will have confirmed the fears of those who don't think she'll push reform hard enough.

She said she would not instigate change, but would "facilitate" it.

Bercow tried to do the "speaking without notes" trick, but his oddball mate Julian Lewis was sitting next to him holding up prompts.

I think we'll probably need another two rounds of voting after the first.

Beckett emerging as front runner

It’s looking more and more as though Margaret Beckett is going to clinch the Speaker’s position later.

A coalition of Tory MPs who want to keep John Bercow out and Labour MPs who want someone who will be “kind” – that very word was used to me – will seal the deal for the former Foreign Secretary.

Word is that Labour whips have even been employed to garner support for Beckett, the thinking being she would also be “kind” to the Government.

Accordingly her odds have been shortened by the bookies.

There is a big question over whether Beckett would bring the kind of radical change called for.

Actually, there is a question over whether any Speaker has the power to bring about that type of transformation.

How Ken Clarke will vote in the Speaker's election

The shadow business secretary told Lobbydog he's planning to vote for Sir George Young.

He says Sir George has the experience and knowledge of parliamentary procedure behind the scenes and in the House.

"It needs to be someone with great personal respect and an air of authority," he said.

"He is a man of impeccable integrity."

Clarke added that Margaret Beckett has enough authority to do the job, but he wants it to be a Tory.

So if it comes down to a choice between her and John Bercow, he'll go for Bercow.

Here's a little "snubbage" nugget for you

Brown sent letters to all the ministers who either quit or were sacked in the reshuffle, a transparently ad hoc affair.

In those to both Caroline Flint – who later slated the PM – and Tony McNulty, who had scandalous expense claims, he told them he didn't believe it would be long before they returned to Government.

But in Margaret Beckett's – who even yesterday morning had been tipped for promotion – the phrase was conspicuously missing from the template letter.

In your face Beckett.

UPDATE: The Number 10 "list" had Beckett as a resignation, but Beckett told Lobbydog clearly that she'd been sacked.

Hoon and Beckett will survive, says Lobbydog source

Lobbydog has been informed by a usually reliable source that Geoff Hoon, Margaret Beckett and Vernon Coaker will all survive any reshuffle.

If it plays out that way Hoon, Transport Secretary, will be the biggest surprise of the three East Midlands ministers.

His face has been in the Daily Telegraph recently more than most people's.

There have been rumours that Beckett, Housing Minister, may even get promoted back to full cabinet.

Police Minister Vernon Coaker has come out of the expenses scandal relatively unscathed.

Back benchers have told me, however, that only a sweeping change will suffice to get the party through the "next period of time".

If it’s not the cabinet, one said, it'll be Brown. So I’m not sure how wise keeping Hoon around will turn out to be for Brown.

His main plus is that he's been staunchly loyal - he was one of the few members of the cabinet appearing on TV defending the PM today.

Beckett tries to do a Foulkes, but doesn't get that either…

After Lord Foulkes embarrassed Carrie Gracie by getting her to admit that she earned £90,000, our Housing Minister thought she’d try the same thing today.

She was being harangued by Dermot Murnaghan on Sky who was questioning her about staffing arrangements and what her workers really did for her.

“I would not have said this to you normally, it’s not a tactic I’ve ever adopted – I don’t know what you earn, but I bet it’s a hell of lot more than they do.”

The presenter replied: “What I earn is not an issue is it? That’s between me and my employer. I’m not a public servant. I’m not making claims and I can assure you I’m not making claims for pot plants and food.”

Obviously it only worked for Foulkes because Gracie, as a BBC presenter, is also paid from the public purse. Never mind Margaret.

Tracking Labour

In a single carriage of the train I took yesterday was Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling, David Miliband, Hazel Blears, Jacqui Smith, Ed Balls, James Purnell and John Denham.

Now, now bloggers. I know what you're thinking. But remember - I was on the train too.

Caroline Flint and Margaret Beckett joined the pack later.

A Labour spokesman admitted that it was an unusual display of politcal strength outside of a general election campaign.

The party leaders know that to escape a voting booth battering they need all the strength they have.

It was notable that they rolled the big guns into Derbyshire too - one of three Midlands counties that the Tories think they can take.

Just ONE family helped by Mortgage Rescue Scheme

Only one household has been helped by the Government’s Mortgage Rescue Scheme.

Lobbydog reported last month on how officials were saying the criteria for the scheme – designed to rescue those most at risk from becoming homeless – was far too tight.

At that point most applications were getting turned down – but I’m still shocked to find out today that only one family has been helped.

If Darling is right and the recession is over by the end of the year, the downturn might finish before this scheme gets into double figures.

People still wait for mortgage help

Lobbydog has discovered that the Mortgage Rescue Scheme has hardly helped anyone so far.

Proper monitoring procedures won't be set up till later this month, but DCLG has done a survey of sixty councils – the scheme is being run by local government.

There have been 500 applications but only 180 met the strict criteria.

I called a couple of councils myself – in one city they’d had only 20 enquiries to the scheme, announced in November last year, with not a single one being approved.

In another they’d had 50, but again, not a single one had yet been approved.

Part of the problem seems to be the eligibility criteria – the scheme doesn’t accept anyone in negative equity for example.

To be fair the Government said it would only help 6,000 in the first place.

But people at the Citizens Advice Bureau claim the criteria is so tight that there are people who need help who won’t get it.

Other councils haven’t got it going yet saying it’s just too early.

Housing Minister Margaret Beckett told me: “It does have a limited budget, but we are keeping that under review

"If it looks like the criteria might need to be changed then we will consider it.”

A second initiative which might be broader – the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme – doesn’t come on-line till April.

Jar therapy

There was a time when Margaret Beckett must have had a jar in the bottom draw of her desk which, at the end of each day, she opened when no-one was around, whispered into it what she really thought and then tightly screwed the lid back on – packing it away relieved.

Only that way does Lobbydog believe the Housing Minister could have held her tongue while giving the guarded answers she is so known for.

This conclusion was reached after hearing from a Labour MP that Mrs Beckett voted against Michael Martin at every stage of the ballot to elect the Speaker eight years ago – believing him unsuitable.

But she still managed to point out in recent days, albeit through gritted teeth, that it was a tradition for MPs not to criticize the Speaker.

The MP from Derby had also previously said the Government was not, and never had been, tied to building any number of eco-towns – a confusing statement for anyone who has followed the story and one possibly leaving her in need of some jar therapy.

But Lobbydog now fears the jar may be full, after the minister made an uncharacteristic slip the other day – highlighting that a bank thought a Government mortgage help-package might only help 9,000 families.

It may also have been a lack of anywhere else to put her thoughts that led her to “do a Flint” and flash some private papers while walking into Downing Street recently.

Either way, the Prime Minister can’t be happy with it all.