The Liberal Democrats are pressing to clinch extra debate days and other parliamentary rights from the Conservatives, arguing that a reallocation is due following their record election result and the Tories slumping to become the smallest official opposition in recent times.
Sir Ed Davey’s party is set to petition both the parliamentary authorities and the government to reallocate various Commons rights and responsibilities that by convention are extended to the main opposition party.
At the general election earlier this month, the Tories plummeted to just 121 MPs, their worst-ever defeat. The Lib Dems, by contrast, won 72 seats, their highest-ever number of MPs.