March 18, 2003

IF YOU BUILD A THIRD WAY, THEY WILL COME:

Blair wins war backing amid revolt (BBC, 3/18/03)
Tony Blair has won Commons backing to send UK forces into battle with Saddam Hussein - but also suffered another major backbench rebellion.

Amid dramatic scenes in the Commons on Tuesday night, 217 MPs - as many as 140 of them Labour backbenchers - backed a rebel amendment opposing the government's stance on Iraq, with 396 opposing the motion.

A motion backing the government's position was passed by 412 votes to 149. [...]

Meanwhile, the Tory leadership suffered three more resignations over Iraq after the departure as a whip of John Randall last week.

Shadow environment minister Jonathan Sayeed, shadow home affairs minister Humfrey Malins and shadow health minister John Baron all left their posts on Tuesday.


Britain would benefit greatly from a splintering of both its major parties and a restructuring along ideological lines roughly akin to ours--though both parties would be far to the Left of their counterparts here. Mr. Blair leads a Labour faction--maybe even the majority--who have reconciled themselves to the usefulness of free market forces. The Tories, meanwhile, have too many members who despise America, embrace the EU, and don't have the stomach to rock the Social Welfare State boat. There's nothing holding these parties together but inertia. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 18, 2003 6:38 PM
Comments

412-149. Bush couldn't get anywhere near that in his legislature, could he?

Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 18, 2003 7:15 PM

Three Tory shadow ministers have resigned to protest the party's support for war. Margaret Thatcher ought to hunt them down and give them a sound thrashing.

Posted by: David Cohen at March 18, 2003 7:37 PM

David:



They got rid of her because she opposed the EU.

Posted by: oj at March 18, 2003 7:59 PM

Harry:



How many GOP votes did Bush lose on the war resolution?

Posted by: oj at March 18, 2003 8:00 PM

Bush lost six Republicans
.

Posted by: R. Alex at March 18, 2003 9:18 PM

Thanks, R.!

Posted by: oj at March 18, 2003 9:47 PM

Harry -- Putting the Senate and House together, Bush got 373 votes out of 529, or 71%. Blair got 73%.

Posted by: David Cohen at March 18, 2003 10:10 PM

He couldn't do that again. He'd get around 53-54%.



NPR reported yesterday that opposition to U.S. policy is "overwhelming" in Britain, though the latest public opinion poll (which I do not trust) shows 53% support for the US, and the Mother of Parliaments, which supposedly represents public opinion as well, was not far short of 3:1 in favor.



Churchill once won a vote of confidence 440-1.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 19, 2003 2:35 PM
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