An attempt by the Conservatives to force a vote on extending Parliament’s sitting so MPs can scrutinise Andy Burnham’s Government has been cancelled.
The planned Opposition Day debate tomorrow when the Tories would have forced the vote, has been replaced with a different debate by Labour whips.
Conservatives pointed out to GB News how Boris Johnson faced MPs for one day before the summer recess when he was made Prime Minister in 2019, succeeding Theresa May.
Instead MPs will break for a six week summer holiday on Thursday.
Last night, it was confirmed Andy Burnham will be the next Prime Minister after receiving an extra 27 nominations from Labour MPs, taking his total to 349.
The additional nominations, on top of the 322 he received last week, mean it is now impossible for any other candidate to gain the 81 endorsements needed to challenge for the Labour leadership.
As the only candidate to replace Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Burnham is expected to formally take over the Labour leadership at a special party conference on Friday.
He will then become Prime Minister three days later, on July 20.
Shadow Commons leader Jesse Norman said the Conservatives wanted a vote on delaying the summer recess, so MPs would have the chance to question Mr Burnham about his premiership when it begins next week.
He said the decision not to debate adding sitting days this side of the recess was "a total humiliation and embarrassment for the Government".
Wednesday was due to be an Opposition Day, one of several days during the parliamentary session when the Conservatives are guaranteed a debate on a motion of their choice.
But Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell announced a change to the order paper, so MPs will instead debate the conflict in Iran and a statutory instrument related to national security.
Mr Norman said: "The Government has a majority of more than 150 and it could not trust its MPs to vote the right way on that motion and it could not bear the idea of a new prime minister facing any scrutiny before September.
"A Prime Minister, let me remind us all, who has been chosen by a coronation not a contest, with no known platform, almost no known policies and no idea of his priorities or indeed his Cabinet team."
Mr Norman also said: "It is the worst possible start for a new prime minister.
"People across this country will see what has happened and they will conclude that this is a man who is frit, running scared of public scrutiny before he can even take office."
Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell defended his decision to change Wednesday’s agenda, saying he had not seen the Conservatives’ draft opposition day motion.
Sir Alan said: "It was not tabled for tomorrow, we did not see the words of the motion...a decision was made on whether or not the House should debate an unfolding international crisis or not."
Referring to the general debate on Iran, which will be going ahead, Sir Alan told the Commons: "I do, first of all, appreciate the frustration of members when business is changed at short notice and debates are postponed.
"But members will appreciate the importance of the House being able to discuss the escalating and fast-moving situation in the Middle East before the recess."
