Something’s in the air – and it may not be good news

There is an unmistakable atmosphere around Westminster at the moment.

When you talk to MPs, those who are standing again are increasingly fixated on the looming General Election campaign. The boundary changes have benefitted some and are the source of anguish for others. But what is clear is that minds are accelerating away from focusing on legislation, to planning and scheming about how to hold onto their seats.

Before we criticise this, I’d suggest the government is in a similar position. In November’s King’s Speech, there were only 21 Bills presented, six of which were carried over from the previous parliamentary session. By contrast, the last Queen’s Speech in 2022 had 29 Bills and the one before that had 30 Bills.