Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Blubbing Brown Begs Rebels Over Heathrow

Jon Craig reports on how a "blubbing" Prime Minister saved the government from defeat in the Opposition Day debate on Heathrow. He called in a succession of potential rebels and gave a "dewey eyed" performance in order to persuade them not to rebel.
Labour MPs claim a "tearful and dewy eyed" Prime Minister called the Labour waverers into his Commons office one by one and pleaded with them to back the Government. "If we lose this vote it will de-stabilise the Government and de-stabilise the markets," said the embattled Prime Minister, according to one MP who voted with the Tories despite the emotional appeal.

Makes you want to weep. For the record the Government won by 19 votes. That margin would have been 9 had 5 DUP MPs not voted the other way. Does anyone know if any Tory MPs voted with the government in favour of a third runway at Heathrow?

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

*This Evening Gordon Brown was said to be in tears in his H of C room talking about leadership elections and speculation.*

There may well be a serious move against Brown by the end of next week as a delegation of "Men in Grey Suits" tells Brown's number is up.

Today has seen Brown rebuked by the IMF, David Cameron and now even Labour MP's are forced to vote for a weeping clown who got the country into this mess.

Next week is the last realistic chance for Labour to change the next election from a Tory "National" Government size majority to something just under 100 seats.

Bye Bye - Gordon!

Guthrum said...

*This Evening Gordon Brown was said to be in tears in his H of C room talking about leadership elections and speculation.*

There may well be a serious move against Brown by the end of next week as a delegation of "Men in Grey Suits" tells Brown's number is up.

PLEASE GOD LET IT BE TRUE

Unknown said...

Did not found any conservatives rebel in quickly scannning the division list at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtoday/cmdebate/20.htm#hddr_2

Trend Shed said...

I would feel sorry for Gordon Brown crying - however - I remember him stabbing Tony Blair in the back repeatedly and smiling the day the knife was finally twisted as he drove away from Downing Street.

Brown has chosen to play 'hard ball' in a big boys world. He is merely reaping what he has sowed.

Juliette said...

The BBC are reporting that they 'understand' that none voted against the Tory Party, but some abstained.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7855522.stm

Brian said...

Oliver Drew: I was made redundant three years ago as a result of a Gordon Brown inspired cost-cutting exercise. I had a breakdown as a result. I hope the bastard has to be talked down from the roof of Number 10. Let him suffer, let him cry and then he can beg my forgiveness.

Simon Gardner said...

Iain Dale wrote: “He called in a succession of potential rebels and gave a "dewey eyed" performance.”

Anything to do with the Dewey Decimal system of classification?

Chris Paul said...

You believe this tripe? I thought you agreed with GB anyway on this runway Iain? And you surely wouldn't rejoice is someone else is having a blubby hissy? Have some fellow feeling man! And do consider some discrimination on these alleged "sources".

Mike Hobday said...

@Chris Paul,
Spot on! I'm looking forward to Iain Dale, who supports expansion, condeming those Conservstive MPs, who support expansion, for voting .. er.. in favour of expansion.

Now, what does integrity mean?

Anonymous said...

I am a Conservative and I want Heathrow to be expanded. Let's hope there were some Tories that rebelled.

The policy of "No to Heathrow expansion" seems to be a policy of cuttings ones nose off despite ones face.

DespairingLiberal said...

Perhaps Cameron should have tried bawling and rolling about on the floor, two can play at that game!

Blackacre said...

Given your keen support for expansion, I would have thought you would be keen for the government to have had a bigger majority? This is an issue that obviously splits both parties so it is hardly one to attack GB over.

DespairingLiberal said...

Yes Blackacre, but Iain never lets logic get in the way of a bit of political bashing!

This issue reminds me of Europe - the Tory leadership all know that in reality we need to be in the Euro and closer to the heart of decision making. But they can't sell this to their own saps for fear of losing ground support. The same is true of Heathrow and all those traditional Tory votes around there to try to take back off the Libdems. Hence people like Cameron coming out against it, even though they actually agree with it.

Did anyone else share my intense feeling of "yeah, sure, pull the other one" in relation to the Tories statement of warning to contractors that they would be cancelled when a Tory govt is elected?!

Anonymous said...

D-liberal -
"This issue reminds me of Europe - the Tory leadership all know that in reality we need to be in the Euro" --- no they don't, so your argument falls flat. Lots of evidence like SPAIN for instance as to why we should not.

I am a tory not in favour of 3rd runway - unlike Mr Dale. but Mr Dales preference is not the point. The point is the pathetic performance of the PM, and the state he is reduced to.

But to be honest I would not take too much notice of the alleged 'state' - it was almost certainly 'put on'. We have seen the tremulous false sincerity note before from this bloke - not least when he pointlessly reads out the list of dead from Afghanistan.

DespairingLiberal said...

That's one of two points trevorsden. The other key point is the obvious cynicism behind the Tory statement that they will cancel the contracts - as nobody with half a brain believes this, and the Tory leadership know that - it casts them as people lacking all integrity and willing to wallow for a few votes.

Now I know that many here say that's what the Liberal Democrats do, and I agree that they do sometimes. I want all the parties to behave better. We need honesty from politicians, not a load of phoneyism and manipulation.

Unsworth said...

@ Chris Paul

"Have some fellow feeling man!"

Why?

The iniquitous Brown has clawed his way to this position. No one has forced him. He can easily step down if he so wishes. His choice, then.

Unsworth said...

@ Despairing

"I want all the parties to behave better. We need honesty from politicians, not a load of phoneyism and manipulation"

I might agree with the sentiment, the folorn hope - but there's no chance at all of that actually happening. With that in mind anyone 'with half a brain' will vote accordingly.

The fact is that they can vote for a continuance or they can vote to eject the incumbents. That is the stark (and only) choice.

Anonymous said...

D-Liberal

Honesty? I know how LibDems behave at local level. I know the sorts of sleazballs who donate to them at national level.

Why should anyone assume that the tories will not cancel the 3rd runway? After all we do not need one.

Word verification 'strupy'. TD's definition 'the attituded taken by Gordon Brown as he avoids answering a question - as in "Brown gave another strupy answer at PMQs"

MethodistCouncilWatcher said...

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2009-01-28&number=26&display=allvotes&sort=vote

No tories rebelled but I can't find the list of abstained.

With Regards

John

Twig said...

"January 28, 2009 9:34 PM Martin Day said...
There may well be a serious move against Brown by the end of next week as a delegation of "Men in Grey Suits" tell Brown his number is up."


Is that why the pound has firmed up?

DespairingLiberal said...

trevorsden - if you think the Tories won't change tack once elected, then the Cameron bull has worked on you. They support the Heathrow expansion because their big business allies all support it. Once elected, there will be a brief hiatus, then after a few months they will announce "oh dear, all those contracts can't be gotten out of without huge extra cost to the taxpayer, etc, etc" and go ahead with it after all.

It's all just silly electioneering tosh and anyone falling for it and voting Tory deserves the moronic Osbornian Chancellorship they are going to receive.

Vole Strangler said...

Ah yes, Dave Cameron reduced Gordon Brown to tears. What an emotional moment in our glorious history, what.

Right. Dream on.