Defeating the Government on disability benefits ought to be perfectly possible.
Defeating the Government on the Tampon Tax looks practically certain.
Leaving the chance to defeat the Government on the Sugar Tax.
Make better proposals to address obesity. They are readily available. Then force a vote on the floor of the House of Commons.
The Tampon Tax vote ought to be hilarious, "We need more time to get a better deal", "That's what you always say". They'll try some procedural trick to prevent a division but that can be seen off this time. The funniest thing of all will be the Tories voting on something that acknowledges the existence of periods. Wait for the hysterical terms they'll use instead of saying "periods", "tampons", "sanitary towels", anything like that.
ReplyDeleteOr the bemused looks on the faces around them, utterly unable to begin to comprehend what was going on. Other than for the Division, how many of them will even be able to bring themselves to turn up?
DeleteThis is the obvious victory, but all three are possible. The question is whether Labour will be strategic enough to inflict the one on the Sugar Tax.
The hat trick would force Osborne to resign and the government into meltdown. Problem is Labour frontbench supports the sugar tax.
DeleteIt does in principle. But how hard could it be to find something wrong in the detail, such as would provide a good enough excuse to vote against it, and thus, as you say, bring down Osborne?
DeleteThat threat in itself might bring some potential rebels into line. But Osborne's strongly pro-EU passage in his Budget Speech means that the hardcore Outers (of whom there are not very many, but there are enough for this purpose) hate his guts. And opposing the Sugar Tax would be vintage Boris Johnson populism.
Victory on the Tampon Tax, assured, if there is a vote. Victory on the disability cuts, growing more likely by the hour. And an Osborne-ending third victory, on the Sugar Tax, perfectly possible. If Labour plays the game. The game that you have to play, if you want to win it.