UK General Discussion

[ObserverIE]

Not that often, but still not that rare; some administrations with clear majorities can go with no defeats at all.

WTF! Callaghan and Wilson?! <.<

No majority (I think they started in October 1974 with a majority of 3 and then lost seats through defections and by-elections).

[Silent Hunter]

Not that often, but still not that rare; some administrations with clear majorities can go with no defeats at all.

WTF! Callaghan and Wilson?! <.<

No majority (I think they started in October 1974 with a majority of 3 and then lost seats through defections and by-elections).

Minority government in February 1974, majority of 3 in October 1974 and a minority again the day Callaghan took office.

[minionofmidas]

Blair poisoned the well. It took is a generation to get over Suez and it will take the same to get over Iraq. The public don't trust politicians, don't trust intervention and worst of all don't trust intelligence services.

Wtf? The worst thing that can be truthfully said about the British people, or indeed any people, is that they broadly trust their intelligence services.

[rob in cal]

Is there any clear pattern among the Tory no votes?  Would most of them be considered on the right wing? Eurosceptic? Are many from marginal seats?

[YL]

Is there any clear pattern among the Tory no votes?  Would most of them be considered on the right wing? Eurosceptic? Are many from marginal seats?

I think the libertarian tendency is over-represented.  Some are from marginals (e.g. High Peak, Warwick & Leamington) but there's no particular tendency that way.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Here's the list:

David Amess (Southend West), Richard Bacon (Norfolk South), Steven Baker (Wycombe), John Baron (Basildon and Billericay), Andrew Bingham (High Peak), Crispin Blunt (Reigate), Fiona Bruce (Congleton), Tracey Crouch (Chatham and Aylesford), David Davies (Monmouth), Philip Davies (Shipley), David Davis (Haltemprice and Howden), Nick de Bois (Enfield North), Richard Drax (Dorset South), Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey), Philip Hollobone (Kettering), Adam Holloway (Gravesham), Phillip Lee (Bracknell), Julian Lewis (New Forest East), Jason McCartney (Colne Valley), Stephen McPartland (Stevenage), Nigel Mills (Amber Valley), Anne-Marie Morris (Newton Abbot), Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole), Sir Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills), Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth and Horncastle), Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight), Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes), Charles Walker (Broxbourne), Chris White (Warwick and Leamington) and Dr Sarah Wollaston (Totnes)

Odd mixture in general, actually.

LibDem rebels:

Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley), Michael Crockart (Edinburgh West), Andrew George (St Ives), Julian Huppert (Cambridge), Dan Rogerson (Cornwall North), Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove), Ian Swales (Redcar), Sarah Teather (Brent Central) and Roger Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire).

Now here, we see a clearer pattern of obvious electoral self-interest.

[YL]

Blair poisoned the well. It took is a generation to get over Suez and it will take the same to get over Iraq.

I think there is some truth in this, in that the Iraq debacle affected yesterday's outcome to some extent.  However, the Commons were perfectly happy to support intervention in Libya; the UK hasn't become totally isolationist.  To many of us, the case being made this week seems weak, not because we think Assad didn't commit atrocities, but because it's far from clear how our intervention would actually help the situation.

(I admit that I personally tend to be sceptical about the merits of military action in general, so I was never likely to be keen on this.  But with Libya there did seem to be a much clearer aim to the proposed intervention.)

 

[Khunanup]

Is there any clear pattern among the Tory no votes?  Would most of them be considered on the right wing? Eurosceptic? Are many from marginal seats?

Isolationists.

[NewYorkExpress]

I'll be stunned if Cameron doesn't resign/party isn't defeated in next election...

[Leftbehind]

Ian Swales (Redcar)

Ha, did not know this.

[doktorb]

Ian Swales (Redcar)

Ha, did not know this.

What didn't you know?

[Silent Hunter]

I think we're learning what it was like to be French in 2003...

(Ironically enough, the character who first uttered the term "cheese eating surrender monkeys" was Scottish).

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I think we're learning what it was like to be French in 2003...

(Ironically enough, the character who first uttered the term "cheese eating surrender monkeys" was Scottish).

I would have thought it would have been a beefeating appeasement apes rather than a Scot who came up with that phrase.

[Silent Hunter]

I think we're learning what it was like to be French in 2003...

(Ironically enough, the character who first uttered the term "cheese eating surrender monkeys" was Scottish).

I would have thought it would have been a beefeating appeasement apes rather than a Scot who came up with that phrase.

It was Groundskeeper Willie in The Simpsons... and he's pretty Scottish. The writer was American though.

[Leftbehind]

Ian Swales (Redcar)

Ha, did not know this.

What didn't you know?

That he was one of the Liberal rebels!

I think we're learning what it was like to be French in 2003...

What do you mean?

[Silent Hunter]

What do you mean?

Being on the opposite side to the US in regards to a Middle Eastern conflict and some of the rhetoric that results.

[You kip if you want to...]

Some of the bile coming from the right-wing press, aimed at those against intervention, is pretty shocking even for them.

And as much as Labour are being barracked in the press for standing with the public, no one's mentioning the hilarity of some of the neocon statements made by the likes of Clegg and Paddy Ashdown.

[Supersonic]

Some of the bile coming from the right-wing press, aimed at those against intervention, is pretty shocking even for them.

And as much as Labour are being barracked in the press for standing with the public, no one's mentioning the hilarity of some of the neocon statements made by the likes of Clegg and Paddy Ashdown.

Ashdown's statement was one of the few times I've ever nodded earnestly when listening to a Liberal Democrat.

[You kip if you want to...]

Some of the bile coming from the right-wing press, aimed at those against intervention, is pretty shocking even for them.

And as much as Labour are being barracked in the press for standing with the public, no one's mentioning the hilarity of some of the neocon statements made by the likes of Clegg and Paddy Ashdown.

Ashdown's statement was one of the few times I've ever nodded earnestly when listening to a Liberal Democrat.

I agree with him here more than I disagree, but I can't help but roll my eyes hearing this from a LibDem.

[YL]

Ashdown has always been an interventionist; he even supported the Iraq war.

[Silent Hunter]

Ashdown has always been an interventionist; he even supported the Iraq war.

He was in the SBS and apparently SIS as well... so you can't call him a chickenhawk.

[You kip if you want to...]

Malcolm Bruce, Liberal MP for Gordon to stand down at the next election. Last leader of the Scottish Liberal/First leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Many Nats will be smiling today. Bruce held a 13.8% majority in 2010 over the SNP, with Labour not far behind. It's equivalent Holyrood seat was gained by Alex Salmond in 2007 and he now sits on an eye watering 50.5% majority.

[You kip if you want to...]

Dan Hodges was on Daily Politics before. He's still panning to vote Labour. Why does this idiot still get airtime?

[Leftbehind]

Dan Hodges was on Daily Politics before. He's still panning to vote Labour. Why does this idiot still get airtime?

Well the last time I seen him on DP the Labour representative was sat there pandering to him and reassuring him that Owen Jones was unrepresentative of Labour - hardly hurting his credibility.

[You kip if you want to...]

Dan Hodges was on Daily Politics before. He's still panning to vote Labour. Why does this idiot still get airtime?

Well the last time I seen him on DP the Labour representative was sat there pandering to him and reassuring him that Owen Jones was unrepresentative of Labour - hardly hurting his credibility.

Neither Owen Jones or Dan Hodges represent Labour values.