Thursday, January 10, 2008

EXCLUSIVE: LibDem Cock Up Leaves Lembit Red-Cheeked

Oh dear, another LibDem cockup., the Housing and Regenertion Bill Committee met this morning. The LibDems have two MPs on the committee, Andrew George and Paul Holmes. However, in the LibDem reshuffle Lembit Opik has taken over housing matters from Holmes, and turned up at the Committee and sat himself down on the Opposition benches. However, he was somewhat taken aback to be told to scarper by the Committee Chairman because the LibDem whips had failed to inform him of any change in the Committee's membership. As I type this, Lembit is, rather humiliatingly, having to follow the Committee's proceedings from the public gallery, leaving Andrew George (who turned up half an hour late) to speak on the bill's amendments. Poor show.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

My god - you're stooping to whips' office admin errors as EXCLUSIVES.

I remember similar sort of Tory and Labour cock ups from my days in Parliament...

So much for love-bombing...

Anonymous said...

Poor lemb. Never mind, I'm sure the Red-Cheeky will be able to take his mind off it.

Cicero said...

Morning Iain- So a string of anti-Lib Dem stories in the last few days wouldn't be connected with the first run of Mr. Clegg- a figure I have heard you praise- now would it? :-)
For me, and I suspect for you, the major problem in British politics is Labour. However the venom at the moment is between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives- interesting times...

Gareth said...

The public gallery is where Lembit Opik should be.

He was elected in Wales and should have no say on English housing.

Miss Wagstaff said...

Poor Lembit. He never gets any good coverage from the press - just money :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's some "exclusive", Ian.

Anonymous said...

And Andrew George does have a long way to travel from Cornwall. Given the pathetic rail journey from Penzance I'm surprised he was only half an hour late.

Anonymous said...

What is it with Iain's obsession with the Lib Dems, the least interesting and least powerful political party on earth?

Remember when Ming left and a new leader was being chosen? We were getting practically hourly bulletins about people we'd never heard of and knew in our heart of hearts we would never hear of again.

They have no power and never will. So their "policies" are not important enough to enter human consciousness, except Iain's, for whom they have a strange fascination.

I for one don't read these weird bulletins. I see the dread words Lib Dem and it's like a strong sedative,even when I've just got up.

Anonymous said...

Well you obviously read this bulletin, Verity...

I find it interesting to understand the party which is likely to hold the balance of power in a future hung parliament.

Anonymous said...

Yes, if we held the balance of power we could argue over which side to back :) I tend towards Cameron, though not by much, but lots of folks would rather aupport Brown than him. I recall an atricle by Matthew Parris a while back :)

Anonymous said...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article1074517.ece

"The more of us in Parliament the better" indeed! Who could disagree with such a wise observation? :)

Anonymous said...

OK, so the link didn't work before...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article1074517.ece

Anonymous said...

[1:44] "Well you obviously read this bulletin, Verity."

Incorrect. I saw the headline and turned straight to the Comments to register an objection.

David Anthony said...

"EXCLUSIVE: LibDem Cock Up Leaves Lembit Red-Cheeked "

Are the public gallery seats really that uncomfortable?

//ps

There's a much more Freudian pun I could have used here .. but I decided against it!

Anonymous said...

"LibDem Cock Up Leaves Lembit Red-Cheeked"

Is this one of those re-arrange the words puzzles?

Anonymous said...

The LibDems have power in that they can take votes away from Labour and Conservatives; my MP terms it 'using only half your vote'.

I tried asking a bright young friend in London why she votes Liberal - the best she could come up with was that the LibDem MP in her mum's constituency in another part of the country was quite good!

Anonymous said...

verity said...

[1:44] "Well you obviously read this bulletin, Verity."

Incorrect. I saw the headline and turned straight to the Comments to register an objection.


Yeah - right...of course we believe you... deep down, everyone thinks you're a closet liberal!