Tories wheel out the 'superwhip'
So the impasse on the Lords over the Voting System and Constituencies has been resolved with deal that will give various concessions, especially to the cross-benchers.
The Tories whips in the Lords had issued what they called a "Superwhip" demanding Conservative peer's strict attendance for between 4pm and 9pm on Tuesday, when the government was threatening to introduce a guillotine motion to get the legislation through.
Tory peers were told this was only the fourth occasion a three-line whip has been issued in the Lords since it was reformed 12 years ago. And peers were even told they could not ignore the whip unless it was a matter of "life and death".
The fact that the Tories' "Superwhip" found its way to the Labour whips was, I presume, all part of the threat.
Comment number 1.
At 31st Jan 2011, jauntycyclist wrote:what right do unelected role gamers have to block voting reform?
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Comment number 2.
At 31st Jan 2011, Phillip wrote:Labour's Lords are acting disgracefully. The will of the Commons must not be blocked by the Lords, especially when it is a manifesto commitment.
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Comment number 3.
At 31st Jan 2011, Briantist wrote:I somehow expected Max Mosley to be involved with this story...
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Comment number 4.
At 31st Jan 2011, DoctorFloyd wrote:Disagree with the comments above. Much prefer the (real - not people like Lord Prescott) Lords to the self serving corrupt politicians in the lower house.
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Comment number 5.
At 31st Jan 2011, Phillip wrote:If only that were true DoctorFloyd! Unfortunately too many of their Lordships are former self-serving money grabbing MPs along with a few 'accidents of birth' hanging on.
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Comment number 6.
At 31st Jan 2011, jauntycyclist wrote:4
the whole monarchy role game system is 'self serving'. Otherwise why would anyone play it?
if you look at the lords hansard before the reforms much of the debate was taken up round the subject of subsidy for land owners.
the uk has no national oath or anthem. the current ones are merely monarchy spells to brainwash the ignorant.
the monarchists keep saying their hereditary beliefs are 'superior' but they never put it to the democractic test. if hereditary is so excellent why not make all state positions hereditary from judges to police chiefs? Why do we not install hereditary in iraq and afghanistan if the model is so good?
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Comment number 7.
At 31st Jan 2011, DisgustedinDERRY wrote:Did I just hear Jeremy Paxman saying an extremely rude word that starts with the letter C?
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Comment number 8.
At 31st Jan 2011, barriesingleton wrote:YES (#7)
He spoonered, just like Mr Maughty. I wonder if we will get a juvenile frenzy again?
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Comment number 9.
At 31st Jan 2011, IanR wrote:If the government had tried to introduce an unprecedented guillotine motion, I'm sure the debate that preceded the vote on whether to curtail the substantive debate on the bill, would in itself have been worthy of a week's dissection by peers. So there would have had to have been a guillotine motion on the guillotine motion debate...
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Comment number 10.
At 31st Jan 2011, worcesterjim wrote:8 "Capitalism" DD?
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Comment number 11.
At 1st Feb 2011, IPGABP1 wrote:No7 Disgusted,
You certainly did, although it was a brilliant attempt to cover up the error. I think he was talking about the tax evaders at the time.
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Comment number 12.
At 1st Feb 2011, JunkkMale wrote:'7. At 11:00pm on 31 Jan 2011, DisgustedinDERRY
8. At 11:27pm on 31 Jan 2011, barriesingleton
11. At 09:22am on 01 Feb 2011, IPGABP1 wrote:'
Goody. Now, when suitably exercised, I can gird loins and let fly.. 'You, you... NaughtieMarrPax'! because, just like the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and all who sail in her, it will be... 'unique'.
Meanwhile, scanning the author text, with talk of guillotines and whips... does Max Mosely know the fun to be had in public 'service'? He seems well qualified to enter the chamber.
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Comment number 13.
At 1st Feb 2011, JunkkMale wrote:It is, of course, in certain clrcles, if not a badge of honour, then a mot du mois...
Maybe it's all that mixin' wiv' da kidz on twitter, innit?
ps: In checking back, I notice that 'events' have overtaken my wildest predictions.
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Comment number 14.
At 1st Feb 2011, barriesingleton wrote:GROUP-JOINING PROTOCOL (#13)
1/ Apply the Groucho test.
2/ Make never being the leader, a conditon of joining.
3/ Ask not . . .
4/ Ask yourself why (no - REALLY why) are you joining.
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Comment number 15.
At 1st Feb 2011, DisgustedinDERRY wrote:7. DisgustedinDERRY
Have a look for yourself: Fast forward to 25:25
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Comment number 16.
At 1st Feb 2011, stevie wrote:what a waste of a guillotine....
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Comment number 17.
At 1st Feb 2011, redrobb wrote:Bring on a Republic in-tandem with guillotine the latter must be rolled out to all who support this corrupt establisment.....well I'm hopeful the Scots will show the way........
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Comment number 18.
At 2nd Feb 2011, stevie wrote:Same old thing from the tories, as soon as they get into power they look to cement it by fixing a boundary change. When are we going to get an elected second chamber so that when it looks to defeat the government it can't be called anti democratic. We don't need a reduction in MP's to save money we need a reduction in the number of minister jobs created, currently standing at about 15%.
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Comment number 19.
At 4th Feb 2011, worcesterjim wrote:18 Apparently Lady Porter is an expert if the Tories need an advisor!
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