The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

A test for the “greenest government ever”

Chris Huhne must not be withdrawn from Cancún to vote for tuition fees.

By George Eaton Published 08 December 2010 12:29

At least 14 Liberal Democrat MPs and a few Tories (David Davis and Julian Lewis) will vote against the coalition's tuition fees bill tomorrow. It will be the largest rebellion since the election but there is no chance of the government being defeated.

It's therefore troubling to learn that the Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne, is under pressure to walk out of the Cancún climate-change talks and return to Britain in order to vote for the bill. The UK has been given a key role in securing a deal and the withdrawal of Huhne would reveal a very damaging set of priorities. We'll soon learn how committed the self-proclaimed "greenest government ever" really is.

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Tags: tuition fees Climate Change

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17 comments

Thu, 2010-12-09 09:16 — Ex-Labour (not verified)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/8190330/Chris...

Sigh. I await the "Huhne passes test" post with disdain.

The scrabbling-around for beating sticks, regardless of factual basis, is an ethically-challenged practice.

Wed, 2010-12-08 12:45 — swatantra nandanwar

Surely MPs have a 'pairing' arrangement? Huhne should team up with one of this rebels that are voting against, so that they can both have a duvet day.
Caroline Lucas is right, its about time that MPs could vote from home so they don't have the inconvenience of turning up at the Commons and spoiling their Diaries.

Wed, 2010-12-08 13:09 — Dave C (not verified)

Don't you think Huhne might choose to stay in Cancún. It's a good way of keeping your hands clean, particularly if you have your eye on the leadership after Clegg is discredited.

Wed, 2010-12-08 15:27 — zahidf (not verified)

well, if Ed M refuses to pair up a labour mp with him, he must take some of the blame. Fairly disgusting behaviour i have to say, the Tories generally agreed pairing with Labour when they were in govt

Wed, 2010-12-08 15:31 — Lou (not verified)

It's been announced all govt ministers abroad are coming back home including Huhne.

@swatantra,
Labour wouldn't pair with Huhne and I'm glad of that. He should be there as he also has responsibilities as a Government minister and MP. If the Govt hadn't bought the vote forward, his being in Cancun at a very important summit right now would not have mattered.

Wed, 2010-12-08 15:38 — zahidf (not verified)

I can only imagine the whining on this site if the tories ever do the same to Labour again...

Wed, 2010-12-08 16:17 — Lou (not verified)

Maybe it isn't about Labour political machinations at refusing to pair someone with Huhne on the vote but more that the Coalition Govt want and need him back, especially as he isn't the only minister being recalled for the vote?

He'll be away from the talks for 24 hours, with 45 of his top civil service advisers and staff there in Cancun I am sure that one day will not detract from the importance,progress or the process in Cancun.

Pairing is an informal arrangement and not recognised under H of C rules. Pairing is not allowed in divisions of great political importance either (parliament.uk site) Surely tuition is of great political importance?

According to wiki (july 2010) -'Pairing in the British House of Commons was ended by a decision of the Labour and Liberal Democrat Chief Whips, Donald Dewar and Archy Kirkwood on 17 December 1996, following an incident when they claimed to find the Conservative government cheating in a vote by pairing the same three Conservative MPs with three absent Labour MPs as well as three absent Liberal Democrat MPs. The decision came into effect on 13 January 1997 It has not resumed since'.

So I guess those in glass houses bemoaning a tactical political move on the part of Ed and Labour should not be throwing stones.

Wed, 2010-12-08 16:33 — shoestrade41

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Wed, 2010-12-08 17:33 — Ex-Labour (not verified)

Nonesense - on the very same day your website publishes this: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/12/climate-change-pr...

Priorities broadly in line, then - Cancun is a sorry gag. Using this as a stick to beat Huhne would be weak.

Wed, 2010-12-08 21:07 — puzzlebobble (not verified)

@zahidf
"well, if Ed M refuses to pair up a labour mp with him, he must take some of the blame. Fairly disgusting behaviour i have to say"

this coalition spin is going to blow up i their faces. Also in Cancun i the Lib Dem MP Martin Horwood, who intends to vote against the bill. There is an inbuilt pair in Cancun already.

Of course who would be surprised if they sneakily decided to try to arrange a pair for the MP who was going to break their pledge whilst leaving the MP who intended keeping his promise in Cancun.

utterly pathetic and Milliband was right to stay above the LDs squabbling.

Wed, 2010-12-08 21:13 — puzzlebobble (not verified)

@ex-labour
"Using this as a stick to beat Huhne would be weak."

except that he doesn't need to come back; he could pair with the other LD in Cancun who intended to vote against the bill anyway, or he could pair with one of the other LD MPs who intended to vote against, or he could pair with one of the rebel tory MPs.

There is absolutely no reason for him to come back except to try and score some cheap party political points. If he does come back it will mean he chose a few party points over the environment.

I'd say that was quite a good stick to beat him with.

Wed, 2010-12-08 22:18 — puzzlebobble (not verified)

ha ha,

it gets even funnier. It turns out two lib dems have already paired with each other ("It emerged this evening that another Lib Dem minister, Paul Burstow, had been paired with backbencher Adrian Sanders", from The Guardian)

So why can't Huhne?