GC Woman #TIG #FBGC #FBPE · @LeaningLeft46
2nd Jul 2016 from TwitLonger
Abstaining on Bills Explained for Idiots and Hard Left Liars
The Welfare Cut Abstentions caused a big hue and cry. The hard left (now Momentum) grasped it as a way to deride Labour and help enable a Tory Government. And they are at it again…..
So here is the real reason Labour MPs abstained explained.
A bill is proposed in parliament. When the bill is proposed by the majority government it is very difficult to stop it being passed. Simple math – they have more MPs to vote it through than we do to oppose.
Now, the opposition have choices as the Bill goes through all the necessary readings for it to pass. They can vote for it (unlikely to happen and very rare) they can vote against it (and watch it pass because there is not enough of them to stop it, I call that ineffective parliamentary protest). Or they can try to limit the damage of Bills like the Welfare Bill (as they did with the Welfare Bill) and this is how they do it.
They get together, examine the bill and look at how they can limit the damage it will cause. They write up a list of amendments. They then approach the governments MPs and say “Look, your constituents aren’t going to like this bill as it stands any more than ours will. We know you won’t vote against it BUT look at these amendments and see if you can support them. Your constituents will be really happy and will like you lot’s and maybe even vote for you at the next GE.” The governments MPs say “Our constituents don’t like this bill so let’s have a look, we really don’t want them to hate us and vote for you next time”.
Now as the bill goes through its earliest readings the party working toward the amendments (remember this will limit the most harmful aspects of the Bill) will abstain as they try to convince the Governments MPs to vote with them when they table their amendments. They will do this until the nth hour as they desperately try to help those of us the bill will cripple and they will either succeed or they will fail.
When we look at the hated Welfare Bill it is worth remembering this. JEREMY CORBYN MP wouldn’t support our party (Labour) as they tried to help us by amending the Welfare Bill. He refused to abstain as we tried to amend and limit this Bills damage. And he voted against the tabled amendments that would have helped so many of us.
PS CORBYN OUT. He will not help those of us in need and neither will his “faction” of the Labour Party. Who have spent their politically active lives trying to ensure Labour do not get into Government thereby enabling the Tories to govern and wreak hardship on people like you and me.
A very ordinary 50 year old working class woman with no agenda other than I need a Labour government. Do you?