A Week in Parliament

The Vote Chaos

So we have a UK Tory Government that is the first Government in UK history to be found in contempt of Parliament. Then a week later Teresa May pulls the vote on the EU Brexit “deal” because it is so bad a concept that she has no chance of getting it through Parliament. Anyone watching proceedings would see how coward like the Government were in their handling – they dared not put a votable motion to Parliament to allow them to suspend the debate/vote. Instead they used a procedure that their whip didn’t “move” the business of the day. Therefore the agenda simply collapsed. Imagine, such a critical vote delayed by such a weak tactic? This is further proof that the Prime Minister lives in a parallel universe – what took her so long to realise the vote would be lost? Yet in the same parallel universe she travels round Europe looking for concessions she has been told she won’t need. All she is doing is a reckless delaying tactic to try and scare MPs with what she thinks will be a literal Deal or No Deal choice as the clock ticks. What a way to deal with the biggest peacetime parliamentary decision. What should be remembered also is the UK fought in court to try and stop MPs having a vote on the outcome. We now know why – to stop any defeat and allow them to bulldoze anything through parliament.

The Backstop

Part of the deal is the Irish “backstop” arrangements – this means that there is a chance that Northern Ireland will get to remain in the single market and customs union and so be able to sell goods into the EU with no tariffs. Meanwhile in Scotland we will be subject to tariffs in such a scenario. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that Northern Ireland will have business advantages over the rest of the UK. Meanwhile, the Scottish Secretary David Mundell, argued specifically that Scotland could not get any such preferential status. He also recently wrote to the Prime Minister saying he would resign if Northern Ireland got treated differently from the rest of the UK. He hasn’t resigned and worse, he is now arguing we accept such a deal that the UK Government’s own analysis shows the UK will be poorer compared to the current arrangements. Why is he arguing we should back a deal that will make us poorer?

Talents of the Tories

I have made observations on the quality of some of the Ministers. Another example is the current QC “forgot” to declare £400k of earnings he made outside his MP role. Yet he is deemed the correct candidate to be the top law advisor to the UK Government?!

Additionally, I was party to a current Government Minister telling one of my colleagues they should have “got the b**tards out the party when they had the chance”. What a damning indictment from the heart of the party trusted with ruling the UK. Is it any wonder I advocate a different direction for Scotland?

These views were first expressed in the Kilmarnock Standard.