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February 3, 2006
Bring me the head of Methuselah
So far Hillary Armstrong has survived the fiasco in which the Government's Religeous Hatred bill was defeated, but someone somewhere is going to hvae to pay for Blair's humiliation.
And who better than Bob Marshall Andrews, habitual rebel and persistant thorn in Blair's side regarding Iraq.
The Independent - Rebel ringleader faces Labour plot to oust him from seat
Senior ministers are seeking to punish a leading rebel backbencher following two embarrassing defeats in the Commons this week over the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill.
"We don't mind him voting against the Government, but colluding with the Tories is beyond the pale," one Labour insider said.
Colluding with the Tories? Looks like a classic case of finding a scapegoat to cover up Armstrong's incompetance, Blair's blundering and - for a change - a slick move by the LibDems.
But if collusion with the Tories is such a no-no, then maybe the Blair government should call for its deselection if it only manages to get its education reforms passed with the support of the Conservatives?
Rather than calling for the removal of one of the more in-touch MPs, it would make more sense for the Government to take a reality check, appreciate that it now needs the support of Parliament and start to behave like a democratic body. It is all very well Blair wringing his hands over defeat, but he had 8 years of massive majorities in which to implement key legislation. It is no one's fault but Blair's that his timidity led him to squander his first 2 terms as Prime Minister.
And no one's fault but Armstrong's that the Government was defeated again. If a head must roll, it must be Hillary's neck, not Bob's, that is placed across the block.
UPDATE
Over at Bloggerheads, Tim is ironically calling for Bob's arrest for an unathorised protest against the Government with the Whitehall exclusion zone.
Posted by Clive on February 3, 2006 1:27 PM in the category