I SEE The Telegraph is running with the “Labour whipping the Speaker’s vote” nonsense again this morning.
The problem with this sort of story is that a lot of people who aren’t as familiar with the Commons as some will believe this because they want to believe it. It was the same about a year ago when Nadine Dorries was going round saying that Labour was whipping an abortion vote at Harriet Harman’s behest. Laughable.
The Telegraph’s sub-heading reads: “Anger as whips put pressure on Labour MPs to toe party line”. From that you could be forgiven for assuming that there actually is a party line to toe. There isn’t.
While driving to London yesterday I took a call from a friend who’s a minister. He hadn’t made up his mind who he was going to support yet, but we both agreed it shouldn’t be Margaret Beckett, on the basis that she’s spent most of the last 12 years in the Cabinet. During the entire conversation (I realised after it ended) there was no reference to a “whipping operation”, chiefly, I guess, because even if there was one, neither of us would take any notice of it.
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Monday 22 June 2009 at 9:57 am
How do Telegraph writers think a secret ballot could be whipped?
How do Telegraph writers think?
Do Telegraph writers think?
Monday 22 June 2009 at 10:45 am
Beckett said nice things about Brown to the supposedly crucial PLP meeting after being sacked. She only did that in return for promised support for something, is how it looks.
Monday 22 June 2009 at 10:58 am
Hello Tom,
I would be grateful if you would consider signing Jim Dobbins’ EDM about abortion advertising.
He also says what I’ve been arguing for years when he: “calls on the Government to encourage more normal lifestyles with deferment of sexual activity among under-age children and adolescents rather than introducing measures that will further sexualise them.”
Thank you.
Monday 22 June 2009 at 11:12 am
Hardly just the Telegraph … every paper is running the same story, including the Times and the Grauniad.
Probably because Labour’s Stephen Pound MP told Radio 4 Today program that the whips were trying to influence the vote and that “There is a lot of skulduggery going on.”
If they aren’t, why is Mr Pound saying they are ?
Politicians – you lot are enough to make a sane man scream.
Monday 22 June 2009 at 11:15 am
“Mrs Beckett, 66, claimed second home allowances of £72,537 for her constituency home in Derby in the four years between 2004 and 2008, despite having no mortgage or rent to pay on the property.”
Nice job. Can I have one?
Monday 22 June 2009 at 11:24 am
@Stewart Cowan Monday 22 June 2009 at
10:58 am
Me – I’d like the government to ‘eff right out of what is NOT their business. And social engineering is not only not their business, but very nasty. Given what we are witnessing at the moments, how DARE these people tell us how to live and how to think.
Monday 22 June 2009 at 11:45 am
@ Sergeant Plodder
Exactly right – MPs, not just the people, have to wake up to what is going on.
I have explained what is happening in my latest blog entry.
Monday 22 June 2009 at 11:53 am
If the Telegraph was right, the Labour whips would deserve an award for innovation in the field of ‘dark arts’.
Monday 22 June 2009 at 12:07 pm
“….because even if there was one, neither of us would take any notice of it.”
Hence the reason you’ve not been whipped, I assume. I suspect your off their Christmas Card list now anyway, and if they aren’t chasing lost causes like yours, it’s probably because they think they’ve already got enough votes in the bag.
So much for the renewal of our democracy.
Monday 22 June 2009 at 3:19 pm
Richard Shepherd. You know it makes sense. He walks the walk, rather than just talking the talk, of transparency & openness.
He has claimed modestly and campaigned for full transparency – even before it was popular. Because of that, he doesn’t stand a chance.
Same old game.
Monday 22 June 2009 at 4:44 pm
The whips aren’t going to waste a phone call on you, are they?…..
“Hello Tom”
“Erm, yes?”
“It’s yer old mate Nick here!”
“Oh, yes?”
“We rather think that Margaret would be a great Speaker and want to know if we can count on your support!”
“Last time we spoke, Nick, you were going to remove my cojones with a plastic buffet fork and fry them in butter and garlic..”
“Gordon thinks he was being a bit hasty on that now and wants to be friends again..there could be some more spaces in the Government for the right man and we have always respected party members who speak the truth in love..”
“Nick, erm, sorry, I have another call waiting. Please forgive me. Can I get back to you?”
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