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People may be gathering that there's new anti-no-deal Brexitry afoot in the House of Commons tomorrow (Weds 12/6) so here's a quick thread re: what's going on in terms of HoC procedure in case it's useful. 1/
Tomorrow (Weds 12/6) in the HoC is a so-called Opposition Day. Normally, the government decides what the Commons will debate & vote on. On Opposition Days, an opposition party does. 2/
There have to be a certain no. of Opposition Days in each parliamentary session. The Official Opposition (currently, Labour) gets the vast majority of them, with some of the smaller opposition parties the rest. 3/
Lab's had its quota of Opp Days this session. But gov started allocating extra days in early 2018, presumably 'cos it's a long session. From Nov to Apr, gov didn't allow any Opp Days. But since Apr, they're back - presumably 'cos gov has so little legislative business itself. 4/
When it has an Opposition Day, an opposition party gets to table the motion/motions that HoC will debate & vote on. Normally, an opposition party tables a motion on a policy issue. But, for its 1st motion tomorrow, Lab has tabled a motion to do with HoC business. Here it is: 5/ 
Lab's motion seeks to set aside, on 25/6, the priority that government business normally enjoys & guarantee that HoC will on that day debate *another* business motion - specifically, a motion "relating to the Business of the House in connection with matters relating to" Brexit 6/
In turn, a business motion on 25/6 relating to future Brexit business could, if it were passed, set aside the priority enjoyed by government business on 25/6 and/or further days, in favour of non-government Brexit business. 7/
*If it has enough MPs supporting it to pass* (big 'if'), this process opens the way to the gov no longer controlling the HoC Order Paper on the relevant days, & the opposition/backbenchers being able to try to pass their own Brexit business, as happened back in March/April. 8/
Labour's move tomorrow is unprecedented AFAIK. Former HoC Clerk Simon Patrick wrote for us in Jan about HoC business motions, & said that using an Opposition Day to move one had not been done. 9/ hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/what-are-…
And there's a lot more detail about where such an Opposition Day move fits into the broader current House of Commons procedural/legislative picture in this from me today. /ends hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/waiting-f…
