Lisbon voyage
The Commons vote on whether Britons should be granted a referendum over the Lisbon Treaty has set keyboards tapping over the past few days. Generating most excitement was the resignation of Lib Dem frontbenchers over their leader’s decision to impliment a three-line whip, ordering MPs to abstain. Party activist Linda Jack is among those backing the rebels. On Wednesday she wrote:
“Both David Heath and Tim Farron did us proud this evening. This was a single issue on which they felt their loyalty to their constituents and their consciences came before their loyalty to their leader.”
Meanwhile, Jonathan Calder of Liberal England found himself depressed by the affair. Despairing of Clegg’s tactics, he concludes:
“Nick has not yet served 100 days as Lib Dem leader, but he has already lost three front-bench spokesmen. Moreover, he has lost them over such an obscure point that it is hard to see what he imagines he will gain by it.”
Quaequam’s James Graham grew exasperated by the whole subject, finally rebuking himself:
“Having just caught myself writing yet another f**king blog post about the Lisbon Treaty controversy, I can at least say one thing about the whole sorry mess: thank god I don’t have to continue boring myself to tears on the subject for very much longer.”
Paisley out of fashion
Resignations were also causing ripples across the Irish Sea (“No! It’s British!”) – where the week’s big story was the departure of Ian Paisley as First Minister of Northern Ireland, and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party that he founded.
Pete Baker of Slugger O’Toole reminded readers that the Irish Times sensed trouble in the Paisley camp some months previously, while on the Guardian‘s Comment is Free, Gerry Adams (a man Alan Partridge once likened to an untrustworthy deputy headmaster) was fulsome in praise for his old adversary. Paisley, he says, developed a “grace and good humour,” that belied his furious firebrand past.
While others got all hagiographical about the Rev Dr – Jenny Muir over at South Belfast Diary speculates on the future of the Democratic Unionists:
“The DUP is being honed by Peter Robinson and others into a neoliberal, right-wing party which puts the market first and community background second.”
What have we learned this week?
Much loved ‘swear blogger’ and former UKIP member Chris Mounsey is Director of Communications for the newly-formed UK Libertarian Party. Let’s hope the new job doesn’t temper his colourful language.
Across the Pond
As Barack retains his slender primaries lead over rival Hillary Clinton, Democratic party supporting superblog Daily Kos discusses the role that racial issues still play in American society.
Video of the week
At Playpolitical you can enjoy Jack Nicholson making the case for Hillary Clinton…
Quotes of the week
“So we can truly blame the Lib Dems for the fact that there won’t be a referendum. Just so we’ve got that clear.”
“Let’s just bear in mind these figures before we just heap all the blame on the LibDems…”
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