So far, since the General Election, the government has been so scared of losing a Labour-sponsored vote in Parliament that they have ‘whipped‘ MPs not to vote on ‘Opposition Day’ motions – gifting Labour the win so that they can claim they were not defeated, but simply abstained.
In short, they have preferred to run away.
But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has cleverly used a little-known parliamentary procedure to force the Tories to choose between voting or revealing everything about the Windrush scandal – and to put them in a situation where, whether they vote or not, their absolute guilt over the Tories’ vile treatment of the Windrush generation will be on clear display.
Labour have brought what is known as a ‘humble address motion‘, demanding that the government hand over its ‘impact assessments’ – along with all correspondence to or between ministers, senior officials and advisers – of the consequences of its policies on Windrush-generation citizens, which will be debated and voted on later today.
This puts the Tories in an unwinnable situation. If they follow their normal post-general election practice of running away from the vote, they will be forced to hand over everything that reveals their awareness and guilt about Windrush.
If they break that usual practice to vote and try to defeat the motion, then they will show beyond any question that those papers must contain incredibly damning information – and they still reveal their awareness and guilt.
The Tories have panicked. Not only will they vote, but Theresa May has issued a ‘three-line whip‘ to require all Tory MPs to vote with the government to defeat the motion.
Jeremy Corbyn manoeuvred Theresa May into a corner – and she lost her nerve… she has leapt to the most extreme measure available to her to keep the government’s documents about the Windrush horror secret.
A three-line whip is the highest level of parliamentary enforcement – any Tory MPs who even abstain, let alone vote against the government, will be subject to considerable disciplinary measures, including resignation or sacking for those in any front bench position.
Jeremy Corbyn manoeuvred Theresa May into a corner – and she lost her nerve. Not only has she decided that the Tories will break practice and vote, she has leapt to the most extreme measure available to her to keep the government’s documents about the Windrush horror secret.
Everyone who cares about the proper treatment of our people and the clear racism at the heart of the government will have been asking what else Theresa May is hiding about the Tories’ assault on UK citizens of Commonwealth origin.
And now we all know, beyond any doubt at all, just how desperate that guilt must be for Theresa May to have panicked so completely in the face of Jeremy Corbyn’s political intelligence and Labour’s steadfast determination to hold her to account.
The debate is expected to start around 1pm, with the vote taken before 7pm.
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This vote will expose how many Tory MPs have no integrity.
It will be interesting to see how many of those Tories that have expressed their ‘heartfelt’ support for the Windrush generation who have suffered at the hands of their party now betray them with this cover-up.
This vote will expose how many Tory MPs have no integrity.
Ermmmm… There ARE some?
Having imposed this three line whip to cover up her role as the architect of the institutional racism which led to the Windrush scandal, I do not believe any further evidence is required to prove May’s guilt and her unfitness to be prime minister.
But will the Red tories vote with the Govt or maybe even abstain !
I’d expect every single Labour MP to vote even if on their deathbed!!!
We shall see
“We shall see”
Indeed we shall, I’m sure that any Labour MP who votes against or abstains will be only too aware that they may face some very awkward questions from their CLPs
Well said Steve ,like a large boot up their arse out the door!
All very well…
So, when are they gonna do/ ask for the same about DWP, WCA and sanctions ‘targets’??
No difference between Windrush and that – except that it seems to be wrong when it’s predominately about one race over another.
Well, welfare cuts and sanctions have affected ALL races, but there isn’t the same ‘outrage’ about it.
WHY?
Disabled folks have been hounded into working for their dole (like the unemployed)
The unemployed have been forced to work for giant multinational corporations for their dole, or face abject penury.
The DWP has harrassed people into committing suicide or dying through being poverty-stricken because of Govt idealogy, fuelled by the RW media – and this govt has known since 2011 at least that it’s been the case people have died as a direct consequence.
Not deported, not denied medical treatment – DIED.
But most of these labour MP’s have either voted with the Govt or abstained on welfare cuts anyway.
Duplicitous, rotten slimebuckets. Those who did so can all die screaming with the toerag (And libdem) MP’s as far as I’m concerned.
You are absolutely right!
I thought this myself. Perhaps the statement that there are no targets is true–perhaps they have a different name for them.
It is certainly true, however, that targets do exist.
Labour MP Shabana Mahmood just gave an excellent hard hitting speech in parliament, Especially the section concerning the lack of protection afforded by a British Passport for some of our citizens,
and David Lammy has really ripped into the Tories. WOW
I thought we lived in a democracy (sic). Is a three line whip not dictatorial? TBH I’ve never been a fan of it.
Can’t wait till seven though.
Or will she find a way to weasle her way out of it?
The Tories are already planning for their next cover-up.
“A little noticed clause in the Data Protection Bill – a law that, in general, is otherwise welcome. The clause is the so-called “immigration exemption” clause – and it’s a new law that could stop anyone from getting hold of the data the Home Office has used to determine whether or not they should be deported”.
http://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/home-affairs/opinion/house-commons/94651/sir-ed-davey-mp-new-data-law-could-lead-more
Outsmarted by Jeremy. Foiled again!
Is it possible that the “unintended consequences” were in fact intended? Think about how to get rid of a large number of people:
1. First destroy the evidence they are here legally.
2. Then demand they produce said evidence, clearly impossible.
3. Add pressure by taking away their jobs and medical treatment.
3. Prevent them from becoming difficult by denying them legal aid.
4. Deport them.
Oh yes, that’s a good plan Theresa. The real mistake was assuming the victims would be too cowed or stupid to complain.
A 3 Line Whip to conceal the evidence on the Windrush Scandal!
What are the Tories frightened of, the truth?
“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”
The Tories are on the ropes!
…the Tories are on the ropes…and they would have long hit the canvas and failed to make the count, if it wasn’t for the propping by our ‘moderates/centrists’ friends, who deem themselves to be the opposition within the opposition. I have to give it to them – they are quite an effective opposition… to the Labour Party, that is.
Exposed today, yet more of the consequences of Theresa May’s pervasive ‘hostile culture’.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/06/at-least-1000-highly-skilled-migrants-wrongly-face-deportation-experts-reveal