Updates:
- Contradictory amendments show only way forward is a people’s vote
Press Release:
1 Labour MPs who sided with the Tories have become handmaids to Brexit
2. The only compromise that the PM should consider is a people’s vote
3 Tory cuts have made it easy for ‘county lines’ drug traffickers
4. Time to scrap cruel Vagrancy Act
Updates:
Contradictory amendments show only way forward is a people’s vote
Following both Sir Graham Brady’s and Dame Caroline Spelman’s amendments passing last night in the House of Commons, note following comments:
- Liberal Democrats have been fighting for over two years to give the people the final say on the deal with the option to remain in the EU. Theresa May’s Conservatives are making a mess of Brexit – it’s become a national embarrassment – and Labour is helping the Tories to deliver Brexit.
- It is clear from votes in the House of Commons that divisions in the Labour Party are as deep as they are within the Tory party.
- The 14 Labour MPs who sided with the Tories on Cooper’s amendment and the 11 who abstained have become hand maids to a Tory Brexit. As a result, a no-deal Brexit is still a step closer. People will be worried about what the future holds.
- The best way out of this mess is to go back to the people and give them a final say on Brexit with the option to stay in the EU. That is what the Liberal Democrats will continue to unequivocally fight for.
- By passing the Spelman amendment Parliament has shown that crashing out of the EU should be taken off the table by May as a matter of urgency. The Spelman amendment wasn’t legally binding and so until the Conservative Govt recognise the result of that vote the threat of no deal is still looming.
- The EU have repeatedly made it clear that it is not possible to reopen negotiations on the Withdrawal Agreement – the Brady amendment demonstrates that the Conservatives have lost touch with reality.
- The Tories are so preoccupied with trying to unite their own party that they are toying with the future of the country. It is absolutely essential that the Conservative Government take no deal off the table. They now have a mandate to do so – through the Spelman amendment – so they must rule it out immediately.
- It is not a case of May’s deal or no deal. There is another option: Liberal Democrats will continue to fight to give the people the final say with the option to remain in the EU.
- The negotiation period of the last two years is over. It is time that the Tories focused on the reality of the current situation and a way out of this mess – it is time for a People’s Vote with the option to remain in the EU.
Press Release:
- Labour MPs who sided with the Tories have become handmaids to Brexit
Responding to 14 Labour MPs voting with the Conservative Government against Yvette Cooper’s amendment this evening, Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake said:
“It is clear from votes in the House of Commons that divisions in the Labour Party are as deep as they are with the Tories.
“Labour MPs who sided with the Conservatives have become handmaids to a Tory Brexit. As a result, a no-deal Brexit is a step closer. People will be worried about what the future holds.
“The best way out of this mess is to go back to the people and give them a final say on Brexit. That is what the Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for with all our soul and heart.”
ENDS
2. The only compromise that the PM should consider is a people’s vote
Responding to the Prime Minister’s agreement to engage with Conservative backbench MPs regarding the ‘Malthouse Compromise’, Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake said:
“It is beyond ludicrous that the Prime Minister is willing to consider staking the country’s future on technology that does not even exist. This is not even the most irresponsible part. The idea of entering into a transition deal when the Government cannot even agree where we will end up is nothing short of dangerous.
“This so-called compromise is nothing other than kicking the can down the road in an attempt to paper over the cracks in the Conservative Party. If the Conservatives are convinced that the can of worms that the referendum opened within their party can somehow be solved by delaying decisions, they are deluded.
“The only compromise that will get the UK out of this mess is to give the public a people’s vote, with the option to remain in the EU.”
ENDS
3. Tory cuts have made it easy for ‘county lines’ drug traffickers
Responding to the National Crime Agency’s report on the spread of ‘county lines’ drug traffickers, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said:
“When children as young as 12 are being exploited by drug gangs, the Conservative Government’s approach clearly needs to change. We need to stop both the supply and demand of illegal hard drugs.
“Unnecessary Tory cuts to the police have made it easier for organised criminal networks to spread; cuts to the Border Force have made it easier for them to traffic illegal drugs and weapons into the UK; and cuts to youth services have made it easier for them to prey on young people.
“That’s why the Liberal Democrats demand more community police officers to prevent gangs from operating, more Border Force officers to stop drugs and weapons entering the country, and more youth services to keep children out of the grip of criminal gangs.
“But we must also treat the addiction that fuels demand for these drugs. Rather than simply being locked up, drug users should be diverted into evidence-based treatment programmes and given the support they need to get off drugs.”
ENDS.
4. Time to scrap cruel Vagrancy Act
This evening Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran will use the Adjournment Debate to bring a Bill to parliament that would see the 1824 Vagrancy Act repealed.
The Vagrancy Act currently criminalises those that sleep or beg on the streets.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Layla Moran said:
“I’m delighted that I have the opportunity to debate this Bill
and bring it back to parliament today and to hopefully move a step further to eradicating this cruel practice of criminalising rough sleepers.“Moving people on, issuing fines and putting vulnerable people in prison cells should be a source of shame to our authorities and our government. It is time that this archaic act from the nineteenth century was repealed.
“I want to see a society that cares for those that have fallen on hard times and treats them with compassion, not cruelty and condemnation. I hope that parliament joins me in supporting the end of this legislation.”
ENDS
* Cllr. Tahir Maher is a member of the LDV editorial team
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15 Comments
For the record, these are the 14 Labour MPs who voted with the Tories (taken from Hansard):
Austin, Ian; Barron, rh Sir Kevin; Campbell, Mr Ronnie; Cooper, Rosie; Fitzpatrick, Jim; Flint, rh Caroline; Godsiff, Mr Roger; Hepburn, Mr Stephen; Hoey, Kate; Mann, John; Skinner, Mr Dennis; Smith, Laura; Snell, Gareth; Stringer, Graham.
Independents voting with the Tories were:
Field, rh Frank; Hermon, Lady; Hopkins, Kelvin
Independents voting against the Tories were:
Lewis, Mr Ivan; Lloyd, Stephen; O’Mara, Jared; Woodcock, John.
Hansard unfortunately only lists those who voted, so identifying the Labour abstainers is more difficult.
Regarding Tom Brake’s first press release, we should also have the grace to acknowledge that 17 Conservative MPs defied their party whip to vote for the Cooper amendment – although, of course, their support was almost totally cancelled out by the 14 Labour rebels! Do these Labour Brexiteers not realise that, in order to get an agreed deal with the sort of guarantees that most of them are seeking, and to pass all the associated Brexit legislation and statutory instruments, some extension to article 50 will now be required – assuming that they don’t actually want to leave on 29 March with “no deal”?
Congratulations also to Layla Moran on her excellent adjournment debate – apart from the success of the Spelman amendment (which was only a limited moral victory), this was the one bright spot of yesterday evening’s HoC business.
Glad to see that there is fourteen honourable Labour MP’s plus Frank Field of course!
I’m glad the backstop has been kicked into touch. Let’s hope we get a good start to the Six Nations as well, come on 🏴!
……………Theresa May is putting together a package of measures aimed at wooing Labour MPs in leave-supporting constituencies, offering greater protection for workers’ rights after Brexit and, it emerged on Wednesday night, cash for former coalfield communities.
Downing Street also confirmed that extra cash for deprived post-industrial areas was also under consideration, to allow “Labour MPs representing Brexit communities to say they have extracted something tangible”…………..
One sure thing about the Tory ethos is that just when you think they can’t sink any lower they still manage it.
Just for once, I’m afraid I can’t agree with my good friend Expats. I don’t think extracting more government funding for deprived areas is sinking low………I’m pragmatic enough to say just Grab It and run. Outcomes, Expats.
On the wider matter, it’s true Lib Dems to their great credit have put in a valiant effort to secure a second referendum. I support it. But there comes a time, and it now looks as if it will, when this fails. It’s vital to have a realistic post Brexit strategy and policy. (I can hear the howls already !!)
One of the few dubious benefits I still recall from what was described as a classical education, is to remember the punishment and fate of Sisyphus, founder and first king of Ephyra (Corinth). The Lib Dems – like Sisyphus – have been punished for their performance in the Coalition, but they should now strive to avoid his fate of forever pushing a boulder uphill. Fresh thinking needed…… almost certainly with a new Leader.
Sisyphus Rolling Rock Up to Hill – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuYPjzeY_Fk
Video for sisyphus story▶ 1:01
“Labour MPs who sided with the Tories have become handmaids to Brexit”.
Oh, dear. No doubt the obvious response will be, “Liberal Democrat MPs who sided with the Tories have become handmaids to Austerity”.
I’m afraid it’s a no brainer.
How many times did we vote with the Conservatives as a party 2010 – 2015?
Camus had the boulder rolling back down to the bottom every so often; there was a majesty and liberty in setting off on another go.
David Raw 31st Jan ’19 – 10:46am……..Just for once, I’m afraid I can’t agree with my good friend Expats. I don’t think extracting more government funding for deprived areas is sinking low………I’m pragmatic enough to say just Grab It and run. Outcomes, Expats….
David, you are assuming that the ‘cash’ will be forthcoming; I’d put more faith in ‘unicorns and faerie gold’ than a May promise (as the EU have found out, even a written agreement isn’t worth anything).
However, if the cash did miraculously appear post Brexit where would it come from? After all, the Tory ‘magic money tree’ has it’s roots firmly planted in the areas of welfare, education, etc. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, methinks..
As for your “Liberal Democrat MPs who sided with the Tories have become handmaids to Austerity”. It was scant weeks ago when many, here on LDV, praised Stephen Lloyd for. “Keeping his promise to his constituents”.
Expats: I thought it was breaking promises (tuition fees etc) which cost the Lib Dems 49 seats in the House of Commons. Better be careful.
@ Expats ” It was scant weeks ago when many, here on LDV, praised Stephen Lloyd for. “Keeping his promise to his constituents”.
Not me, old pal and I’ve got an even bigger beef with him – a complete lack of understanding about the impact of the Universal Credit that he voted for in government and his tinkering around the edges of it ever since. Interesting to note homelessness has quadrupled in Eastbourne in the last five years.
Chris Moore, are you confusing Camus, the author of ” L’Etranger”, with Sisyphus, some-time ruler of Ephyra?
nvelope2003 31st Jan ’19 – 12:17pm…………..Expats: I thought it was breaking promises (tuition fees etc) which cost the Lib Dems 49 seats in the House of Commons. Better be careful…..
nvelope2003, It was rather more the alacrity and enthusiasm with which those promises were broken than the fact that they were. Reluctant partners (even junior ones) don’t do a ‘Danny Alexander’ on media; still it’s nice to know we are still following his progress in the wider world. BTW..for me it was the ‘NHS reorganisation’ matter far more than tuition fees that put the kibosh on my support.
Whatever happens regarding Brexit is likely to be controversial with no consensus in parliament or the country. Under these circumstances, any measure should be minimal and reversible. It is very possible that a consensus will form at some stage and flexibility must be retained to be able to implement it. A no deal Brexit satisfies none of these criteria.