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Former prime minister Liz Truss is one in every of greater than 25 MPs who haven’t spoken a single time within the Commons Chamber up to now this 12 months, fuelling claims her successor Rishi Sunak is main a “Zombie Parliament”.

The official Parliamentary report reveals that Ms Truss, who represents the South West Norfolk constituency, has not made any spoken contributions in any of the debates in Parliament throughout 2024.

She is amongst a major variety of MPs who’ve failed to talk up in Parliament because the New Year. More than half of those that have registered zero speeches have declared that they aren’t planning to face on the subsequent General Election.

Analysis of the data revealed by Hansard reveals that the typical MP spoke 32 instances in the course of the Parliamentary session which began on January 8 and ended on March 26.

You can see how vocal your native MP has been in Parliament utilizing our interactive device right here.

The most vocal backbench MP within the final session of Parliament was North Durham Labour MP Kevan Jones, who made 79 spoken contributions, together with six speeches and 11 questions.

Rishi Sunak spoke essentially the most instances total within the Commons within the final session, nevertheless, 420 of the prime minister’s 431 contributions had been solutions to questions throughout PMQs.

His predecessor in Number 10, Ms Truss, acknowledged that she had not made any spoken contributions up to now this 12 months, however positioned the blame on “shameless filibustering” by Labour MPs when she tried to current a transgender reform invoice final month.

A spokesman stated: “She was there in the chamber and ready to present the Second Reading of her Private Member’s Bill to prevent children from making body-altering decisions and protect single-sex spaces for women – the Health and Equality Acts (Amendment) Bill – on Friday 15 March.

“Outrageously Labour MPs talked out the previous legislation on the agenda so that she would not be afforded the opportunity to present her important proposals to the House.”

Ms Truss has stored a low profile within the Commons since she resigned as prime minister in October 2022 after simply 49 days in workplace, making her Britain’s shortest-serving chief.

However, away from Parliament, she launched a brand new political motion in February referred to as “Popular Conservatism”.

Also in February, she spoke at a conservative convention in America and this week she was pictured at a celebration held for Nigel Farage.

The official report reveals that Ms Truss’s Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has additionally failed to talk as soon as within the Commons Chamber throughout 2024, nevertheless, he has made two contributions to Westminster Hall debates.

Mr Kwarteng is amongst 99 MPs – two-thirds of them Conservatives – who’ve declared that they are going to be standing down earlier than the following General Election.

Of these, 22 haven’t made a single spoken contribution within the Commons Chamber throughout 2024 up to now, in accordance with the Hansard report, though 5 of those have spoken throughout Westminster Hall debates.

In complete there are over 50 MPs who haven’t made any spoken contributions throughout any of the Commons Chamber debates this 12 months, however that determine contains Government and opposition whips, who don’t converse in debates beneath parliamentary conference, and in addition seven Sinn Fein MPs who don’t attend Parliament.

An extra six MPs have been unable to attend Westminster up to now this 12 months for well being causes.

The figures for spoken contributions embody any speeches, questions or solutions within the Commons Chamber and through Westminster Hall debates.

They don’t embody contributions made in Select Committees or written questions.

Mr Sunak has been accused by Labour of main a “Zombie Parliament” because the nation waits for him to determine on a date for the following General Election, which have to be held by January 2025.

But Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has hit again on the accusations, saying Tory MPs have “never worked harder”.

He instructed reporters final month: “I think that there are lots of things people want from their MPs but more laws being passed is probably not top of the list.

“I think the most important thing is how hard MPs are working in their constituencies, and I would say, certainly when it comes to Conservative MPs, I’ve never seen a parliament where Conservative MPs have worked harder than this parliament to do the right thing for their constituents.”

The Financial Times final month reported that the size of the Commons sitting day over the last session was the shortest on report.

The official Hansard information additionally seems to point out a fall in exercise throughout the Commons within the final 12 months with 94 fewer speeches recorded in comparison with the identical interval in 2023, and 223 fewer questions.