Hammond accused of ‘running scared’ over Budget amendments

Philip Hammond has rejected Labour accusations that he is trying to block proper scrutiny by MPs of his latest Budget.

The Chancellor was accused of “running scared” amid claims ministers have used a rare Commons procedural device to make it more difficult for MPs to table amendments to the Budget on which the Government could be defeated.

Appearing before the Commons Treasury Committee, Mr Hammond confirmed that for the second year in succession the Government had not tabled an “amendment to the law” resolution, which is the usual way MPs can try to amend Budget-related announcements which are not covered by specific tax changes.

The move comes amid a threatened Tory revolt over plans to delay the introduction of the a £2 stake limit on fixed-odds betting terminals in the wake of the resignation of sports minister Tracey Crouch.

Labour MP Wes Streeting said it was only the sixth time a government has failed to table such a resolution and accused the Chancellor of trying to further limit the already limited scope for MPs to scrutinise the Budget measures.

“I wonder why you are running scared,” he asked.

However Mr Hammond rejected the suggestion that ministers had a “moral obligation” to table an amendment to the law motion.

“It is the role of the Treasury to propose a Budget for Parliament to vote on. It is not our constitutional tradition that Parliament line-by-line amends the Budget in the way the US constitution allows Congress to do,” he said.

“There is no obligation on the Government to table an amendment to the law motion. I don’t think there is a moral one either.”