Swinson’s party hides, helping Johnson defeat Labour’s anti-privatisation motion
A Labour motion in the Commons to end NHS privatisation has been defeated by the Tories – with the help of a cowardly abstention by the entire LibDem party.
The LibDems have a long and dishonourable history of supporting Tory predation of the poor and vulnerable – and clearly have not changed their spots.
Jo Swinson and her party are rightly being ripped to shreds on social media. The ‘NHS Million’ pro-NHS account tweeted:
But their cowardly behaviour is also costing them support from people who might otherwise have been fooled into voting for them by their pro-remain stance:
Eighteen former Tory ‘independents’ actively voted to defeat the motion, proving again that you can never trust a Tory with the NHS – whether the blue, yellow or ex- variety. Independent John Woodcock, the former Labour MP who resigned rather than face investigation over sexual harassment allegations, further shamed himself by joining them in the voting lobby.
Of Labour’s 245 MPs, a handful did not vote because of illness or parliamentary ‘pairing’ with other MPs who were unable to attend to vote. Desperate LibDems have tried to use this to excuse the wholesale cowardice of their party.
Of the independents who voted to end privatisation, five are former Labour MPs, with independent unionist Lady Hermon the sixth.
As ever, a vote for the Labour Party that created the NHS is the only option for those who wish to protect it.
The LibDems are also said to be planning to abstain in the vote on Boris Johnson’s Queen’s Speech – a chance to express no-confidence in his government – yet are asking MPs to support their referendum amendment.
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