This Government's two flagship pieces
of legislation are both measures that were "Loony Left" 30 years ago,
namely the abolition of the House of Lords and the redefinition of legal marriage
to include same-sex couples.
The first was most associated with
Tony Benn, while the second was most associated with Ken Livingstone. Both are
now the policy of the successor to the SDP. Both are now the policy of the Conservative
Party. The only party that remains less than convinced is Benn's and
Livingstone's own.
The third leg of the stool, bringing
the IRA into the government of Northern Ireland, was accepted in principle by
all three parties all the way back when John Major was Prime Minister.
Why am I the only person who finds
this mind-boggling shift remotely worthy of notice, never mind of comment,
investigation or analysis?
What about the many Tory backbenchers who oppose both measures? I'd be willing to bet that the rank and file of the Labour party are more supportive of them than are the majority of Conservatives.
ReplyDeleteBelieve in them when you see them, specifically by the later stages of the parliamentary process. Any Conservative MP who votes against either of them, at least after a token gesture at Second Reading, will be announcing his or her retirement at the next General Election. Voluntary or otherwise, of course.
ReplyDeleteThe only serious opposition to Lords abolition is from Labour peers.
ReplyDeleteThe Labour backbench interventions against it are coming thick and fast. They are only voting for Second Reading in order to let the fun begin.
ReplyDeleteDavid Lindsay writes of Tory rebels ..."Believe in them when you see them"
ReplyDeleteWell, the results are in, so can you now apologise to Joshua (above) for being wrong on this?
91 Tory MP's bravely opposed Lords Reform in the second reading last night (many, many more Tories oppose it but have been cowed into backing it by the whips) but just 26 Labour MP's opposed it.
The conservative body you long for does not exist in the rank and file of the Labour Party.
It does, however, exist in the rank and file of the Tories.
It is in the rank and file of the Tories that the main support for an EU referendum came from (remember the 81 brave Tory MP's who defied a three-line whip to vote for one?).
And it's in the rank and file of the Tory party that the main opposition to gay marriage will come from. (They'll be defeated though, because the rank and file of your favourite Labour Party will back it).
Can you also apologise for your ridiculous statement that Labour may opppose Lords reform, when Ed Miliband has publicly written (on the Labour Party website) that he supports it?
"Believe in them when you see them, specifically by the later stages of the parliamentary process."
ReplyDeleteStages that there will probably never now be.
There is no "rank and file of the Tories" anymore, and it wouldn't matter if there were. They never had any policy role, and candidate selection is also now controlled entirely from the centre.
Labour is in fact opposing Lords reform, or at any rate the present Bill, the only one on the table.
Mr Lindsay.
ReplyDelete"Labour is in fact opposing Lords reform"
Ed Miliband wrote (Labour Website, 26th June 2012) "Labour is serious about Lords reform...we support an elected Upper Chamber".
Will you now admit your wrong?
Your wrong, Mr Lindsay. Labour is the same radical Leftist Party its been ever since Roy Jenkins, Tony Crosland and Baroness Williams.
Policies in both Labour and the Tories are now controlled from the centre. That's why both are so out of touch with their voters.
But the "rank and file" I spoke of are the 91 Tory MP's who defied their whips and voted against Lords reform (including the two who resigned), the 81 who voted for an EU referendum, and the many more who will oppose gay marriage.
The conservative movement you long for exists in the grassroots of the Tories. It certainly doesn't exist in the grassroots of the Labour Party.
As Peter Hitchens has explained, the Right of the Labour Party died out long ago with the Gang of Four.
Your optimism is misplaced, sir.
See the post that I have just put up about this. Second Reading is on the principle. Third Reading is on the final text of the Bill. Labour is all ready to vote against Third Reading. In that case, though, hardly any Conservatives will.
ReplyDeleteThe only resignations were PPSes. Who cares? What are they for, anyway?
More than 91 against same-sex "marriage"? Dream on!
Ah, Mr Lindsay, I see you utterly failed to respond to the devastating quote from Ed Miliband's article (26th June 2012) in which he confirms Labour SUPPORTS Lords Reform!
ReplyDeleteYour silence is deafening!
You know the only opposition is on the Tory backbenches. If the Government had allowed a vote on the timetable, over 100 Tories would have voted against it, which is why Cameron told Clegg he would drop it.
The Tories are the only Party to give their MP's a free vote on gay marriage. Because they are the only Party with large numbers of MP's against it.
Give Labour a free vote, and about 2 of them would oppose it (want to take a bet on it?)
Dream on yourself, sir!
You are beyond naive. It is almost touching. You are probably still in school. You certainly ought to be.
ReplyDeleteI see you still have nothing to say to Ed Miliband's article (26th June 2012) in which he explains that Labour will introduce an elected Lords.
ReplyDeleteBecause you know it exposes your analysis as poppycock.
Touching naivety? I think thats a term that can only be used for people who think the Labour Party has a secret conservative underbelly (hahahahaha).
Talk about dreaming, Mr Lindsay.
Unlike the next Prime Minister, Ed Miliband, little Noonan obviously has not read Confessions of an Old Labour High Tory. That, and he has no idea how these things get done, or don't. What is to be his next pearl of wisdom, how conservative Maggie was, before he was born? But give him time. He'll learn.
ReplyDeleteOn topic, please.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to bed.
How does Anonymous's laughable little "contribution" (with his pathetic sycophancy towards the blog author) address Ed Miliabdn's publicly stated, unequivocal support for Lords reform? He's in opposition, yet fully backs Government policy.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying the sneering. You lost the argument on facts the minute I posted Ed Miliband's article exposing everything Mr Lindsay has said as poppycock.
Some newspaper article expressing nothing more than support for the principle? That's all you've got?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Mr L, I'm surprised that you can be bothered to put up this "putting the minor into minor public school" rubbish.
You really should be a whip, or on the policy review, or something like that. I can imagine you as Deputy Leader.
Peter Hitchens has also pulled Paul Noonan's naive nonsense to pieces this afternoon. Take a look.
ReplyDelete