Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Outing odd opinions on opposition...



Over at Guido's there is a surprising conclusion drawn to the very interesting vote-mapping taken from The Public Whip: looking at the different voting a pattern of all MPs in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 Parliaments the surprising conclusion (and odd opinion IMHO) is that the Lib-Dems are voting increasingly with the Conservatives. Guido says,

"The parties respective policies are closer now than they have been for over half-a-century. Cameron is telling the truth when he says that he is a liberal-conservative. Nick Clegg is a former Cambridge Conservative who is now a Liberal. They fact is they are both instinctively liberal metropolitan modernisers."

Now with that I agree (I also agree with Guido's conclusion...interesting times!), and the voting together in a literal sense is true, BUT the idea and implication that these parties are voting 'on the same side' because they agree is simply not true (IMHO!); the reason why the voting patterns have moved closer, almost coinciding - it is apparent that all the other parties and independents (the green squares) are also voting with the Conservatives - is that they were all united in opposition to New Labour's gross dereliction of duty with lick spittle lobby-fodder chickens toeing the party line, no matter what line that was; trampling democracy, trouncing debate, ramming through ill thought-out, liberty-cramping and positively dangerous legislation.

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2 comments:

Paul said...

I agree with you about the lack of agreement. They aren't even close on a lot of issues, although at some points during last weeks debate they could have challenged the Everly Brothers in the close harmony stakes.

United against a common foe was the more likely reason.

Span Ows said...

Anyway, whatever happens in the next debates it will be an interesting election.