Who killed the Bill?
PREDICTABLY, the right-wing blogs will pour scorn on attempts to embarrass the Tories over their successful attempt to scupper Andrew Gwynne’s anti-poverty Private Member’s Bill.
They will use the following excuses:
1. The Bill was flawed and wouldn’t have accomplished what it intended, or worse – it would actually make things worse.
2. The Bill had little chance of getting Royal Assent before the election’s called anyway.
3. The “Object” rule is a well-known and regularly used parliamentary procedure.
And none of those excuses will wash. If the Tories killed the Bill for what they believe are valid reasons, let them explain what those reasons are. Because there is at least one fact in all of this: it was a Conservative MP who shouted “Object!”
Objecting to the Bill was an act of political malevolence. Whoever did it is no friend of those charities working hard to improve the lot of the developing world and to stop bankers profiting from misery.
We have the right to know the identity of the MP because the electorate should be able to judge whether he is a “maverick” acting outwith the mainstream of his party, or a central figure representative of David Cameron’s Conservatives.
