That is the story of the biggest voting rebellion of last night. Proportionally it wasn't Brown's 29 or even Cleggs difficulties but a a problem for Mr Cameron.
The amendment was co sponsored by John Redwood and Bill Cash, and said this,the Commons also divided on New Clause 9 in the name of William Cash. It stated that nothing in the new Treaty of Lisbon should be construed by any court in the United Kingdom as affecting the supremacy of the United Kingdom Parliament.
The Conservative frontbench line was to abstain. But 40 Conservative MPs, including 12 members of the 2005 intake, voted for Cash’s clause. Europhile Ken Clarke voted with the Government in the no lobby.
This was the largest Conservative rebellion since David Cameron came to power, involving a quarter of his MPs. It was also the largest rebellion by MPs of any party during the passage of the Bill to date.
New Clause 9Brogan has a fasinating insight into the behaviour of the Tory whips.
“Notwithstanding any provision of the European Communities Act 1972, nothing in this Act shall affect or be construed by any court in the UK as affecting the supremacy of Parliament”
A robustly euro-sceptic MP has just shown me the text messages he received from the Chief Whip's office yesterday evening. The first, at 19.17, gave Tory MPs a green-light to go home by telling them there would be "no further official votes". The division on Mr Cash's clause was called seven minutes later, at 19.24.Her Majesty's Official Opposition? More the Emperor's new clods. The votes can be seen here
1 comment:
So our politicians specifically voted for a position that states that Parliament is not supreme above the Lisbon Treaty?
Do these morons have any idea at all of what they are doing? They have just agreed that they are totally irrelevant.
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