Parliamentary Democracy — 13 May 1999

Dominic Grieve MP, Beaconsfield voted with the majority (Aye).

I beg to move,

That this House affirms that effective parliamentary democracy in the United Kingdom and effective scrutiny in Europe depend on competent, coherent and constructive opposition; regrets the failure of the disunited Conservative Parliamentary Party at Westminster and the antipathetic and complacent Conservative group in the European Parliament to provide that necessary check on the executive, especially given their confusion over the future funding of education, policing, the NHS and other public services, Britain's positive role in Europe, and the achievement of necessary reforms of the institutions and policies of the European Union; and considers that the British taxpayer gets inadequate value for money from the Official Opposition.

I beg to move, To leave out from "opposition" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:

"notes with contempt that the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party considers it to be a constructive use of specially allocated opposition time to indulge in a petty and vindictive attack on Her Majesty's Opposition rather than to challenge the executive and hold it to account; and points out that, in so doing, a Party whose record of attendance and willingness to sacrifice principle for party advantage shows that it has no constitutional claim to the position and privileges which are rightly accorded to opposition parties in the parliamentary system."

Question put , That the amendment be made:--

The House proceeded to a Division--

The House having divided: Ayes 137, Noes 36.

Historical Hansard | Online Hansard |

Party Summary





PartyMajority (Aye)Minority (No)BothTurnout
Con136 (+2 tell) 0 (+2 tell)086.4%
Independent0 0150.0%
Lab0 100.2%
LDem0 34073.9%
Total:136 35128.2%

Rebel Voters - sorted by party


Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

Eleanor LaingEpping ForestCon (front bench)tellno
Caroline SpelmanMeridenCon (front bench)tellno

About the Project



The Whip on the Web

Advertisement - Helping keeping PublicWhip alive