For those interested in backbench dissent in the House of Commons, the website revolts.co.uk is back up and running. This is very valuable, given the scale of back-bench dissent. It reached new highs under the previous Labour government. However, it has reached levels unprecedented in post-war history under the new coalition government. To date, more than half the divisions to take place have seen one or more Conservative MPs defy the whips. Philip Cowley and Mark Stuart have produced a useful briefing note which can be read here.
From the briefing note it appears that rebellion`s are occuring because of the coalition. Tories are rebelling against concessions for Lib-Dems and vice versa.
It`s only to be expected especially from some MP`s who feel that the people that voted for them deserve to have the manifesto they were elected on respected. It`s a shame Nick Clegg who pledged no rise in tuition fees couldn`t follow suit. He has broken a pledge and been elected therefore on a lie. The Parties may have had to deal but the electorate did not vote for that deal, we have a Government that no one elected making ad hoc policies that should not be respected in terms of the Salisbury-Addison convention.
out of all the sessions between 1945 and 2010, there was not a single one in which a majority of divisions saw dissent by government MPs.
Now there is. 59/110
Thank you for the link.
Rather better than there being little or no opposition at all 1997-2003(5). Arguing peaceably amongst ourselves being a good deal better than arguing violently with others.
“From the briefing note it appears that rebellion`s are occuring because of the coalition. Tories are rebelling against concessions for Lib-Dems and vice versa.”
I wonder if that is true Carl. Perhaps so with the LDs though I think many of the issues the Tories have with their leadership would have been there irrespective of the coalition.
An easy way then of maintaining government cohesion; Cons do not like Libdem bills so revolt; Libdems do not like cons bills so revolt equally.
The way ahead.
It could go on for a long time, especially whilst labour has no effective leader, and even then.