Lords Reform and Rebels

Well, there has been a victory of some sorts yesterday. Although the vote was passed there has also been a Government retreat on a time limit.

It reminds me of the Battle of Edge Hill in 1642 where despite heavy fighting and Parliament withdrawing the Royal Army was bloodied enough that it was unable to proceed into London.

Although the Bill's not dead without a time limit we could be facing it being kicked into the long grass and it dropping into obscurity.

Like the Civil War I fear that this will become a long and drawn out affair wrought with ugliness after the first skirmish was inconclusive. We can but wait and see how the Bill and more importantly the Coalition Government are going to weather this storm.

Lord Oakshott said;
Nick Clegg has to hold his nerve, David Cameron has to placate the Tory right who think they have tasted blood and Ed Miliband needs say how long he wants for debate.


Whilst Conor Burns said;
This is a clear victory for Parliament against an irrelevant political obsession of the Libdems.


Which is in contrast to Nick's release last night;

This evening we overwhelmingly won an historic vote on the Second Reading of the House of Lords Reform Bill - a Bill that will finish something our party started a century ago. 
This is a huge triumph for our party, and a clear mandate to deliver much needed reforms to the House of Lords



In the end some 91 Conservative MPs rebelled and within an hour a list was online. Alistair Stewart tweeted that they were;

Tory rebels on Lords reform an eclectic bunch. Career riskers,career wreckers,careerists,people of principle and 'coat-flappers'.Joyful mix.

As you look down the list there are several names that are not a surprise. Some may have voted that way to cause trouble with the Libdems or to show Clegg up...


But in there, there are also those who are fighting for principle and their beliefs that this bill is wrong as much as I feel it is right and defied the three line Whip. 


Napoleon once said that One man fighting for his Country and beliefs is worth ten conscripts
In this case ten people who have been whipped.

Although I don't necessarily agree with them on this, I do respect their stance and their willingness to stand their ground and face the wrath of their superiors. It is rumoured Penny Mordaunt will have voted her way out of a ministerial position, Conor Burns preemptively resigned from his Ministerial aide post.

You have to admire their bravery, and in all seriousness - I do respect those who voted out of principle and belief even though I don't agree with you.

Time will tell how things pan out.