 Taking Stock: The Order Paper Top 25 Annual Review (Posted June 3, 2019) Tweet Since The Order Paper launched in November 2018, has tracked the parliamentary activity of MP's from both the front and backbenches, and maintained a list of 25 members whose work on behalf of their constituents and whose dedication to the public interest contribute most to the role of Parliament as a model of political discourse in civil society. Our rankings reflect our contributors' evaluations of MP performance according to the following criteria: assiduousness of representation and constituency service; incisiveness of questions put by the member; precision and depth of knowledge of responses to interventions and questions put by other members; conformity to accepted parliamentary procedure; wit and humor of spoken contributions; influence and/or weight of opinion in all parts of the House; and amount and frequency of parliamentary activity. The list has remained mostly unchanged since it was first published. Several members were added to, and a few others removed from, the list of Others Receiving Votes over the last few months, but the Top 25, through the ebb and flow of urgent matters that came before Parliament, changed only once, when Dominic Grieve took the place of Maria Eagle in recognition of his role in scrutinizing the government's management of Brexit-related business. Indeed, the MP's included in the Top 25 were selected because of their principled and reasoned policy positions, and their responses to events and the political climate, in our eyes, justified their inclusion and, throughout, preserved the rankings. With Theresa May's premiership shortly coming to a close, the rankings will almost certainly change in the weeks ahead, with further changes likely after Sir Vince Cable's retirement as leader of the Liberal Democrats on July 23 and Speaker John Bercow's retirement all too near on the horizon. Before the next issue of the rankings, then, we review a few important events that shaped, and were shaped by, our Top 25. Others Receiving Votes: Dame Cheryl Gillan, Iain Duncan Smith, Harriet Harman, Alistair Burt, Philip Hammond, James Brokenshire, Jess Phillips, Chris Bryant, David Davis, Dr. Therese Coffey, Tracey Crouch, Tom Tugendhat, Dame Margaret Beckett, Geoffrey Cox. Tom Tugenhadt, the chair of the Foreign Affairs select committee, was labelled a "mutineer" in November 2017 for his opposition to the government's Brexit policy. Given his work on the committee and military background, it seems likely that he will be a candidate for a position in the ministry of defense or foreign and commonwealth affairs in the government of the next Prime Minister. Chris Bryant also serves on the foreign affairs select committee, but the object of his ambition is the Speaker's chair. Although John Bercow has not announced a date for his departure, Bryant, to no one's surprise, declared his intention to stand for the office once Bercow vacates the chair. Bryant is a compelling candidate for the Top 25, but many of his recent contributions, though they usually encourage unity in Parliament and across society, also sound like the non-controversial pronouncements of a politician harboring progressive ambition. The Top 25: Dominic Grieve emerged as a leading voice among MP's who shaped the government's Brexit position, tabling amendments that formalized Parliament's "meaningful vote" on the EU Withdrawal Agreement, and required the government to update the House within three sitting days, rather than three weeks, on alternative arrangements if the proposed Withdrawal Agreement were voted down. Fellow "Brexit mutineer" Anna Soubry furthered her criticism of the government's handling of Brexit by crossing the floor (along with Heidi Allen and Dr. Sarah Wollaston) to join The Independent Group. As one of the first influential MP's to advocate for a second referendum while still a member of the Conservative Party, she became a leading figure among opposition MP's calling for a People's Vote on the Withdrawal Agreement. Like Chris Bryant, Sir Edward Leigh announced his intention to stand for the office of Speaker but, unlike Bryant, Sir Edward has been a vocal critic of attempts to undermine the office since at least 2014 when he spoke against his colleagues' interrogation of the Speaker via points of order. Many observers also consider Deputy Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and procedure committee chair Charles Walker strong candidates to replace Bercow, but, to their credit, neither has engaged in any activity even remotely resembling a campaign. Amber Rudd resigned as Home Secretary in April 2018 over findings that emerged from parliamentary scrutiny of the government's Windrush immigration policy, but returned to the treasury bench in November as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Observers often include her in their lists of potential Prime Ministers, and Rudd herself said she was open to a bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party, but when Theresa May announced her resignation in May, Rudd indicated that she would not enter the leadership contest. Four others, however, have declared their candidacy for the leadership. Sam Gyimah resigned his post as a minister for education and business, energy, and industrial strategy because of his opposition to the EU Withdrawal Agreement and, as a backbencher, gave a compelling electoral argument for a second referendum. Michael Gove stood for the leadership in 2016, and while his last bid may have been doomed by the circumstances of his entry, his bona fides as a Leave campaigner and his commitment to the May ministry could bridge the gap between the Eurosceptic and pro-EU factions within the Conservative Party. Rory Stewart, in our view one of the most capable ministers in government, may not have the celebrity of other candidates in the field, but as a well-prepared debater his participation in the race could highlight the policy weaknesses of candidates whose campaigns rely chiefly on their celebrity. Jeremy Hunt, the long-time Secretary of State for Health, ascended to a Great Office of State when the Prime Minister appointed him as Foreign Secretary. Hunt has not drawn the level of attention that his predecessor Boris Johnson did to the Foreign Office, but his extensive experience in government is, naturally, a key advantage of his candidacy. 25. David Lidington 24. Antoinette Sandbach 23. Sam Gyimah 22. Rory Stewart 21. Dominic Grieve 20. Angela Eagle 19. Sir Lindsay Hoyle 18. Sir Bernard Jenkin 17. Sir Vincent Cable 16. Luciana Berger 15. Alison McGovern 14. Jeremy Hunt 13. Dennis Skinner 12. Amber Rudd 11. Michael Gove 10. Sir Desmond Swayne 9. Charles Walker 8. Dr. Julian Lewis 7. Sir Edward Leigh 6. Anna Soubry 5. Yvette Cooper 4. Kenneth Clarke 3. Theresa May 2. Jacob Rees-Mogg 1. John Bercow |