How will Donald Trump's return reverberate in the UK Parliament?

News

How will Donald Trump's return reverberate in the UK Parliament? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 53

8 Nov 2024

©UK Parliament

Kemi Badenoch sparred with Keir Starmer for the first time at Prime Ministers’ Questions. We assess her debut as Leader of the Opposition and the impact she made in the chamber. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s return to the White House is expected to reshape British policy across multiple fronts - we look at how it could influence Parliament’s agenda in the coming years. Finally, we head to Belfast for insights from political expert, David Phinnemore, on the constitutional conundrum unfolding in Northern Ireland.

LISTEN

This week we turn the spotlight on Kemi Badenoch’s debut as Leader of the Opposition at Prime Minister’s Questions, as she sparred with Keir Starmer for the first time. We examine her strategy, topic choices and what it will take to position herself as a credible challenger in the House of Commons Chamber and beyond.

Then we analyse Donald Trump's re-election and its potential ripple effects on UK policies, from trade tariffs to defence commitments. How might a shift in US foreign policy affect British alliances, and what could this mean for Parliament's upcoming agenda? And might Nigel Farage, the new MP and UK Reform Party leader, leverage his connection with President Trump and if so how it could affect Keir Starmer’s government?

The long-awaited Ministerial Code has finally been published. The Prime Minister’s new guidelines set out the do’s and don’ts for Ministers and tighten up some of the rules on ministerial conduct. The “seven principles of public life” – selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership – provide an ethical framework to the document. Ruth and Mark break down the changes, from empowering the independent advisor on ministerial interests to initiate investigations to the newly required quarterly declarations of ministers' interests and monthly reporting of gifts and hospitality.

Finally, we explore Northern Ireland Assembly’s upcoming democratic consent vote on the Windsor Framework, which governs the nation’s post-Brexit trade rules. Professor David Phinnemore of Queen’s University Belfast joins us to explore why this vote matters, how it’s viewed differently by the nationalist and unionist parties in the Assembly, the possible outcomes, and the broader implications for the UK-EU relationship and UK politics.

← Back to Parliament Matters homepage

Listen on our YouTube channel (captioned)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Our guest

David Phinnemore

David Phinnemore is Professor of European Politics at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. His research interests are focused on European integration, EU treaty reform and EU enlargement. In recent years he has focused on the implications of Brexit for Northern Ireland and UK-EU relations, including the Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework. He currently coordinates the ESRC-funded project "Governance for 'a place between’: the Multilevel Dynamics of Implementing the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland".

What we talked about on this episode

Kemi Badenoch’s debut at Prime Minister’s Questions
Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States and its implications for British politics
Changes to the new Ministerial Code
The forthcoming ‘democratic consent vote’ in the Northern Ireland Assembly on whether core parts of the Windsor Framework should continue to be applied

Resources

Hansard Society

Trump, State Visits and Parliament: precedent and process

UK Government

Ministerial Code (November 2024)

Queen's University Belfast

What do voters in Northern Ireland currently think about the Windsor Framework/Protocol? (David Phinnemore, Katy Hayward and Lisa Claire Whitten)
Q&A on the Democratic Consent Vote 2024 (David Phinnemore and Katy Hayward)
The Protocol/Windsor Framework and the 2024 Democratic Consent Vote (David Phinnemore and Lisa Claire Whitten)

UK in a Changing Europe

The Windsor Framework and the 2024 democratic consent process (David Phinnemore)

Transcript

Please note, this transcript is automatically generated. There are consequently minor errors and the text is not formatted according to our style guide. If you wish to reference or cite the transcript copy below, please first check against the audio version above.

Intro: [00:00:00] You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/pm.

Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox.

Mark D'Arcy: And I'm Mark D'Arcy. Coming up.

Ruth Fox: There's a new sheriff in town. Kemi Badenoch takes on Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions. We assess her debut as Leader of the Opposition.

Mark D'Arcy: How will the second coming of Donald Trump reverberate through the UK Parliament?

Ruth Fox: And we go to Belfast to hear from political expert David Phinnemore about the constitutional conundrum unfolding in Northern Ireland.

Mark D'Arcy: But first Ruth, Kemi Badenoch takes her first PMQs. [00:01:00] It's always an event when a new Leader of the Opposition steps up to the plate, or in this case, the despatch box, to question a Prime Minister, and it's always interesting and it's always dissected, and I don't think anybody should underestimate quite how difficult a gig it is.

Kemi Badenoch. Medium sized cabinet minister in the last government, always looked a bit like the front runner in the Conservative leadership election, once it was clear who the runners were, and once the electorate had eliminated other possible contenders. And there she was, standing in front of Sir Keir Starmer, trying to deliver a blow, establish herself, win the confidence of the troops behind her. Only a third of MPs had, more or less, had voted for her, in the election phase that took place amongst Conservative MPs before it went out to the members, so she had quite a lot at stake.

And I, I find myself remembering David Cameron's debut all those years ago against Tony Blair, where he immediately struck a blow by delivering quite an effective [00:02:00] line. He was the future once.

Use the links below to subscribe to the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast on your preferred app, or search for 'Parliament Matters' on whichever podcasting service you use. If you are unable to find our podcast, please email us here.

Apple

YouTube Podcasts

Spotify

More ways to subscribe

Parliament Matters homepage

Latest / Highlights

Blog / Once again, there is still no alternative: the costed proposals for Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster

The Restoration and Renewal Client Board’s latest report once again confirms what Parliament has known for nearly a decade: the cheapest, quickest and safest way to restore the Palace of Westminster is for MPs and Peers to move out during the works. The “full decant” option was endorsed in 2018 and reaffirmed repeatedly since. Remaining in the building could more than double costs, extend works into the 2080s, and increase risks to safety, accessibility and security. With the Palace already deteriorating and millions spent each year on patchwork repairs, further delay would itself be an expensive course of action, one that defers decisions without offering a viable alternative.

News / A Humble Address: How MPs confronted the Mandelson scandal - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 130

It has been a bruising week for the Prime Minister after the House of Commons backed a Conservative “Humble Address” demanding documents on Sir Keir Starmer’s vetting of Lord Mandelson for the Washington Ambassadorship. We explain how the procedure works, what role the Intelligence and Security Committee may play in decisions on disclosure, and how legislation to strip a peerage could be introduced. Plus, the latest on the Restoration and Renewal of Parliament as yet another report lands with a new set of costings. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / Why MPs can’t just quit: The curious case of the Chiltern Hundreds - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 129

Why can’t MPs simply resign, and why does leaving the House of Commons still involve a medieval-sounding detour via the Chiltern Hundreds or its less glamorous cousin the Manor of Northstead? This week we unravel the history, constitutional logic and legal fudges behind this curious workaround, with some memorable resignations from the past along the way. We also assess the Government’s legislative programme as the Session heads toward its expected May close, including the striking lack of bills published for pre-legislative scrutiny. Finally, as Parliament begins the five-yearly process of renewing consent for the UK’s armed forces, we examine why an Armed Forces Bill is required and hear from Jayne Kirkham MP on how her Ten Minute Rule Bill helped extend the new Armed Forces Commissioner’s oversight to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / Assisted dying bill: How could the Parliament Act be used? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 128

As the assisted dying bill grinds through the House of Lords under the weight of more than a thousand amendments, Lord Falconer has signalled that time is running out. With the Bill unlikely to complete its Lords stages this Session, he has openly raised the possibility of using the Parliament Act to override the upper House in the next Session. In this episode we explore what that would mean, how it could work in practice, and the political choices now facing ministers and Parliament. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / Who really sets MPs’ pay – And why you might be wrong about it. A conversation with Richard Lloyd, chair of IPSA - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 126

What are MPs actually paid and what does the public fund to help them do their job? In this conversation with Richard Lloyd, chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) we explore the delicate balance between supporting MPs to do their jobs effectively and enforcing strict standards on the use of public money. We discuss how IPSA has shifted from a rule-heavy “traffic cop” to a principles-based regulator, why compliance is now very high, and the security risks and pressures facing MPs‘ offices as workloads rise and abuse becomes more common. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | ACAST | YouTube | Other apps | RSS