Mandelson disclosures: What is a humble address and why are the Tories using one?
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Kemi Badenoch is employing a "humble address," an obscure parliamentary procedure, to compel the UK government to release documents concerning Peter Mandelson's potential appointment as ambassador to the US. This motion, officially a petition to the monarch, aims to extract information, including due diligence reports and communications between Mandelson and a key Downing Street aide. Humble addresses, historically used since 1715, have been revived in recent years as a tool to force the release of sensitive government information. A notable instance occurred in 2017 when Labour successfully used it to obtain Brexit impact assessments. The government has proposed an amendment to Badenoch's motion, stating that documents will be released except those prejudicial to national security or international relations.
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AI-ExtractedJacob Rees-Mogg noted that Erskine May does not use the word “binding” to describe humble addresses.
Keir Starmer used a humble address in 2022 to force publication of security advice relating to Evgeny Lebedev’s peerage.
In 2017, the Tory-led government shared Brexit economic impact documents after Labour used a humble address.
Humble addresses have rarely been used over the past 200 years.
Kemi Badenoch is using a humble address to compel the government to release documents relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment.
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