Many regular readers have taken part in the poll I have been running over the weekend about whether David Heath, the Lib Dem MP for Somerton and Frome, should keep his job in the Lib Dem shadow cabinet after voting against the party line on the EU referendum issue.
David Heath has, like many other Lib Dems, made it clear that he feels the EU reform treaty is so similar to the EU constitution that the Lib Dems promised a referendum on that he must support calls for a referendum. I agree personally with David 100% on this issue.
So I am delighted to see that with all the votes in, more than 81% of you agree with me that David Heath should keep his job.
This certainly puts the pressure on Nick Clegg, but asks the wider question of why the Lib Dems have always got to side with the government of the day on these issues with the EU. Remember back in 1993 when the Lib Dems did it with thr Tories on the Maastricht treaty ?
Come on Nick Clegg, let David Heath keep his place on the Lib Dem front bench and let all Lib Dem MPs have a free vote on this issue.
5 comments:
It will be interesting to see how Clegg reacts to his leadership skills being tested early on.
I think it's a bit of a lose-lose situation for him as the party faithful apparently want Heath to stay but Clegg can't really have his ministers dancing to their own tune.
Good poll. However, as I like to try and put some spin on everything may I suggest a better title of this post would have been - 'A 5th of Lib Dems want to see Heath go'. Cheers The Willow Man
I had wondered (as had BEH) what position you would take on this matter and agree with the direction you have taken.
I feel that Clegg’s position is a betrayal of the electorate and exposes the Liberal Democrats to the same criticisms as New Labour. He is tarring his party with the New Labour brush.
The electorate as a whole must now surely be confusted, wondering if, like New Labour, Lib Dem election promises “not subject to legitimate expectation” either?
If you look back through my blog archives (do a search under the tag of EU) you'll see I have been consistent on this issue and have always supported a Referendum.
"Might not Tory ministers, ideally with Lib Dem support, be a safer bet than the current confiscators of rights?". Discuss.
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