I just ran into an exuberant David Davis bounding up the stairs of 4 Millbank on his way to do a TV interview. The Government is about to make a statement on the future of 42 days now that the Lords have voted decisively against it at Second Reading. It seems more than 100 Labour Peers never showed up.
Will they now ditch the whole thing? They ought to. And if they do, they will have done the right thing.
"Will they now ditch the whole thing? They ought to. And if they do, they will have done the right thing."
ReplyDeleteThat's your answer then... they won't!
"It seems more than 100 Labour Peers never showed up."
ReplyDeleteThat would be a sacking offence in the real world. These people are paid incredible amounts of money by the taxpayer yet they can't be bothered to represent the taxpayer when it counts.
They should be read the riot act.
It would be a good week to bury bad news.
ReplyDeleteQuagmire for Brown, this one. If he uses the Parliament Act to ram it through anyway, it'll be an astoundingly arrogant and, I believe, unheard of action. If he does nothing and gives up the ghost, it shows his heart was never really in it, and that winning the vote earlier in the year, with all those gifts and bribes, was him trying to play politics with the issue and escape embarrasment.
ReplyDeleteBest news I've heard for weeks, heres mud in your eye Smiffy!
ReplyDeleteTactically, and tactically alone, I for one hope the government keeps pushing, yet fails. It'd be a good story of weakness to flog 'em with, along with giving plenty of opportunity for principled opposition from the conservatives.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Raven but I still expect him to use the Parliament Act because at the moment Brown is under the delusion he is riding high on the back of the credit crunch.
ReplyDelete...quoth the Raven, "Nevermore"....
Iain what was the vote on the 42 days. Davis referred to it as being an extraordinary rejection.
They'll ditch it.
ReplyDeleteIt's all part of the Gordon fight back. Show's he's listening to hard working families etc...
I think your mate David Davis had it right. Now the polls show less electoral advantage in carrying on, as the argument has been lost, the gutless one will back down and hope that destroying the British economy is enough of a distraction.
ReplyDeleteCould you dig out all those states by Brown and his minions to the effect that 42 days was absolutely vital to the national interest?
ReplyDeleteNot so vital that it couldn't be abandoned when it was in his political interest to do so!
Dominic Grieve thinks they've abandoned it, although he deserves a medal for spotting this in Jackie's statement.
ReplyDeleteAnd they have! Rejoice!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 7.15:
ReplyDeleteWrong. Peers are not paid 'incredible amounts of money by the taxpayer'. They receive no salaries and, if they don't turn up, cannot claim any allowances. The people you are referring to won't be able to claim anything.
Iain: The Bill hasn't been defeated on Second Reading. The defeat took place at Committee stage on an amendment moved by Lord Dear. As a consequence of that particular defeat, the clauses relating to 42-days detention will be taken out. Other prvisions of the Bill, including clauses covering holding inquests without a jury, are yet to be debated.
ReplyDelete"It seems more than 100 Labour Peers never showed up."
ReplyDeleteGone to an all night rave with Lord Mandy?
"...voted decisively against it at Second Reading."
ReplyDeleteAnd you want to become an MP?