Outdated House of Commons rules leave smaller parties out in cold

REFORM says a new academic study vindicates its push to overhaul dated parliamentary rules that sideline smaller parties.

- By Christian Calgie

Research published yesterday by the University of Manchester concludes that entrenched conventions favouring the Conservatives — led by Kemi Badenoch — Labour and the Liberal Democrats are locking other parties out of key debates and committee roles.

It comes after Nigel Farage launched a protest last week by observing PMQs from the public gallery to highlight his exclusion from the weekly showdown.

Despite leading in the past 150 opinion polls,