(Image: PA)
The furious Commons Speaker accused the UK Government of “shameful” and “appalling” treatment of MPs as he erupted over the handling of Jackdaw announcement.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle delivered a scathing dressing down after the decision on the North Sea gas field was announced to the media before it could be scrutinised in Parliament.
He accused Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh of an “immense discourtesy” for failing to appear in the Commons herself and suggested Energy Minister Michael Shanks had been left as the “patsy” to take the flak.
“I’m sorry that Aberdeen is more important than the MPs they’ve elected,” Sir Lindsay Hoyle told the chamber.
He added: “It is shameful that this announcement was not made to the House first, and it is an immense discourtesy to the House that the Secretary of State did not come here to make the statement.
“I’m sorry that Sky News is more important than the members on both sides. It is appalling treatment.”
But Miatta Fahnbulleh, speaking to The Herald in Aberdeen, defended her decision to remain in Scotland and said she would “make my peace with the Speaker”.
She said: “So we’re a team, and minister Shanks is in the Commons and look, we had to make the announcement first thing because as soon as the consent is given you have to put it out and there is a commercial entity involved so we’ve got to get it out.
“I thought it was important to be here to meet people, to speak to them. But we’re a team so we put a written ministerial statement at the same time as we put the information out and then critically Michael is doing the oral statement.
“I will make my peace with the Speaker but we have tried to do everything in the right way.”
The row came after the Government announced on Wednesday morning that the North Sea Transition Authority could grant consent for gas to be produced from Jackdaw.
The Speaker had made his anger clear before Mr Shanks rose to deliver the statement in the Commons.
“It is simply not good enough that it was trailed by the press last night and announced all over the media this morning by the Secretary of State before it could be properly scrutinised in this House,” he said.
He then questioned whether the department had deliberately briefed the decision ahead of the Commons statement.
“I’m sure there will be a leak inquiry, or is it that this department is deliberately briefing out to the media?” he asked.
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The Speaker reminded ministers of the ministerial code, which states that the most important government policy announcements should be made first in Parliament.
But his reprimand went further as he turned directly on the Energy Secretary for leaving Michael Shanks to face MPs.
“There is no excuse,” he said.
“I am sorry [Shanks] is having to take the flak for a Secretary of State who doesn’t care about members on this side, that side, over there, wherever.
“Because in the end we are elected. We’re elected by our electorate to hear statements here, not via the media.”
He added: “I’m sorry that you’re being set up as the patsy that has to take this ridiculous situation.”
In a dig at the previous UK Government under Sir Keir Starmer, he said he had hoped lessons had been learned from previous rows over announcements being made outside Parliament first.
Mr Shanks, a Rutherglen MP, said he would take the Speaker’s comments back to his department.