A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left. Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Two prats resign

Surreal fallout from the 42 day detention vote:

Pompous ass David Davis triggers a totally unnecessary by-election, at great public expense, currently he's on TV chuntering on about Magna Carta, fundamental freedoms, blah, blah, blah. Hopefully it really will be a referendum on the issue concerned and he'll lose given that 69% of the public support the Government position. Alternatively his little stunt could be undermined by everyone else not bothering to field candidates.

Jon Trickett MP stands down as Chair of the Compass group of MPs because he and Jon Cruddas voted with the Government rather than with the policy of their faction (well done to the whips' office for causing this little outbreak of infighting on the left, which has also led to John McDonnell boycotting this weekend's Compass Conference).

16 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a leadership contest. With the Conservatives so far ahead their next leader will be Prime Minister. Davis was never happy about the outcome of leadership election and is known to have forced Cameron's hand in the 42 day debate. Davies can stand on principal with the obvious advantage that he passionately believes in this issue. Cameron must have been furious about this decision to force a by election and now being forced to support this election whose outcome is certain even before the LibDems withdrew from the contest. The support for Cameron has always been highly conditional; rumours only a few months ago were that Davis & his camp were considering a challenge, only postponed by the rising polls. Cameron will be bounced into supporting this resignation knowing the threat Davis now poses.

1:40 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Given the speed at which Clegg confirmed the Libs won't be contesting the by-election, it is clear this is a set-up. Quite hypocritical really, complaining about playing politics with civil liberties, when this is just a stunt.

David has a majority of 5,116 - he and the Lib Dem candidate for 82% of the vote at the last election in Haltemprice & Howden. How will this be a referendum on anything to do with the rights and wrongs of this policy - or the Government? Incumbent Tory MP wins election in rural Tory seat is not a shock headline.

Any shock coming out of CCO on this cannot be taken at face value. Labour should burst this bubble by not contesting this unnecessary by-election either.

1:50 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Talking of prats, what about the Labour MPs who voted against the prevention of terrorism act every year when the IRA were merrily blowing people up who now vote for 42 days detention. Hypocrisy starts rather close to home.

1:55 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Blogger Ravi Gopaul said...

Were you not looking for a seat to win, this could be your chance!!

2:09 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Labour leadership should quickly declare that we will not contest this by-election. With no Liberal candidate, it will be Davis versus the minor parties and the public will clearly see it for the cheap publicity stunt which it is. The Conservatives would then have to tie-up time and resources fighting a pointless by-election and trying to turn out a respectable number of voters in a non-contest.

2:10 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Blogger Ravi Gopaul said...

Haltemprice and Howden CLP backed Cruddas in the DL elections did'nt they Luke?

If we do decide to stand is it likely the candidate will be a Compass member?

2:15 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Blogger Peter said...

We shouldn’t dignify this little press stunt with any effort.
His constituency is hardly likely to go Labour in the next fifty elections, and with the Liberals out of the picture, it’s a Tory majority of 31 thousand.

The constituency is hardly representative of the nation. I worry how well the BNP will fare.

Labour shouldn’t put up a candidate; let Davis have his tantrum on his own.

2:20 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"well done to the whips' office for causing this little outbreak of infighting on the left"

Fantastic, I hope you enjoy your moments of pleasure.

Here we are desperately trying to argue that the 42 day issue is one of principle, but it seems obvious that these factional manoeuvrings are far more important than anything else, to you at least.

2:51 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Davis is doing to Cameron what Brown used to do to Blair. Best laugh I've had in weeks!

3:14 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whilst I support the Conservatives, I agree that this is a foolish decision by Mr Davis. I too disagreed with the verdict but the vote was lost fairly and resigning over a lost vote was not the right move at all.

3:29 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Blogger Merseymike said...

I think its a sad day when its a Tory MP who makes a stand for civil liberties. Shows what the Labour party has become and makes me feel that it really ought to lose the next election. They have lost my vote.

It is a publicity stunt, all the same, and has far more to do with internal division within the Tory party than anything else.

As for Trickett, he has made the right decision. The chair of that group should be someone committed to social liberalism and civil liberty, not a workerist.

As for

5:04 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Blogger Chris Paul said...

What Compass Group of MPs?

5:39 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

For anyone who has met David Davis they will know that this isn't a set up. The man is a true gent and always stands firmly behind his views.

His views are shared by many people across the country. Too many civil liberties are being eroded in the interest of national security. Too much electronic policing and now the right of innocence is being put at risk by the Labour Party.

Sometimes you have to make a stand for what you believe in and foolish or not this is what he has done. Maybe more people should be doing the same.

11:07 pm, June 12, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If Labour don't contest this election it will mean that they aren't willing to defend what they apparently beleive.

12:03 am, June 13, 2008

 
Blogger Wat Dabney said...

"currently he's on TV chuntering on about Magna Carta, fundamental freedoms, blah, blah, blah."

What a square!

Can't the state do something to protect us from this agitator with his dangerous ideas, Luke?

1:15 am, June 15, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If Labour don't contest this election it will mean that they aren't willing to defend what they apparently beleive

What on earth makes you think that Labour supported 42 days detention on a point of principle? It's bullshit politics, the sort of antics that nauseates ordinary people and excites politicos. As an ex-Labour voter I hope Labour gets thrashed at the next election. I used to vote for you out of principle and you've just shown what utter unprincipled cunts you are.

12:01 am, June 19, 2008

 

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