Shadow Justice Secretary, Jack Straw MP, responding to the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee’s damning criticism of Nick Clegg’s refusal to allow adequate scrutiny of his political reform Bills, said:
 
“This correspondence is further evidence that Nick Clegg’s pre-election commitment to increased openness and accountability was just empty rhetoric. There is a sharp contrast between the way he is handling these major pieces of constitutional legislation and the way in which Labour in government handled equivalent legislation.

"While we published draft bills and allowed for a proper period of reflection, Mr Clegg is attempting to hammer legislation through Parliament with the slightest of scrutiny. If Labour had followed this partisan approach we would never have heard the end of it – especially from the Liberal Democrats.”