Wednesday 28 August 2013

The Gathering Storm


From Stephen Glover to Robert Fisk.

Daniel Hannan tweets:

Let me get this straight. We dislike the use of gas because it kills indiscriminately. So we'll respond by raining missiles on Syria?

And:

If, as the PM says, the Assad regime has used chemical weapons on 10 previous occasions, why does this one uniquely invite retaliation?

The Liberal Democrat MP on Newsnight, Sir Menzies Campbell, as good as said that he would vote against this war. The Conservative, Crispin Blunt, said so directly.

We can win this one.

17 comments:

  1. a veritable alliance of Old High Labour Tories with a few whigs, and a 'BAPP', thrown in for good measure

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  2. To add to Peter McKay, Mic Wright, Patrick Cockburn, Owen Jones and Giles Fraser.

    Diane Abbott has threatened to resign from the front bench if there is a whip in support of this war.

    She would not have made that threat unless she had already been assured, probably by Ed Miliband himself, that that situation was not going to arise.

    We really can win this one.

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  3. Interestingly there has never been a recall that has effectively resulted in a de facto vote of no confidence. More interesting would be, if a certain element of the Tory Party decide, to get a majority of Tories to vote in favour of it - so as to force a leadership election. It could become Cameron's 'corn law' moment. Having been away all day do we know the actual question that the House will be asked.

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  4. Not yet.

    And I wonder if they are quite that ruthless. Oh, what am I saying?

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  5. then the question will be a fudge allowing cameron to deploy troops if, in his opinion, the situation requires an urgent response.
    Oh for the likes of Peel, Disraeli, and Ritchie.

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  6. I do not think that even that would pass.

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  7. Then we may be about to witness a truly historic few hours....
    is it wrong to still be drinking pimms

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  8. Not while there is still no r in the month.

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  9. i shall have another then...
    and think of old england

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  10. Miliband has signalled his support for war today, alongside Clegg and Cameron's statements.

    As we saw over gay marriage, Miliband finds it tough to pretend to be the Opposition, when he agrees with Cameron on so much.

    Labourites keep complaining that Miliband doesn't have any policies, or a distinct 'identity'-but this is because there's no real disagreement between him and the Government (believe me, Miliband would have to cut spending too, and Labour was already planning to at the last Election).

    Were Cameron to change his mind and introduce legislation to, say, bring back grammar schools or leave the EU, Miliband would suddenly become a real Opposition.

    But of course he won't, so Parliament is just one big liberal rump.

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  11. Further to my last post...

    Max Hastings has also written a scathing piece attacking this planned intervention.

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  12. I was correct - it would be a vote of no consequence.

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  13. Miliband has signalled his support for war today, alongside Clegg and Cameron's statements.

    Posted at 9:45.

    What a difference a day makes...

    And he hadn't, anyway.

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  14. He has maintained his support for intervention today.

    What a difference a bit of wilful blindness makes.

    Tweeting that we shouldn't "write a blank cheque" (and "must agree criteria for action") is hardly opposing intervention on principle.

    Opposing it on principle would be saying "we oppose intervention in Syria". That kind of thing.

    Your naivette is almost charming.



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  15. Is this a sign that the economy is in real trouble?

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  16. One among numerous, Sadie.

    Anonymous, you shouldn't really comment before the late evening. You have no made this kind of mistake repeatedly.

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  17. I can't help the fact that I cannot keep up with Mr Milibands twists and U-turns. Nobody can.

    Even Ed West Tweeted "I'm against Syria war, but Milibands position has no honour".

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