Not content with throwing hypocritical accusations at the Tories on broken EU referendum pledges, Labour's Minister for Cuckooland, Ben Bradshaw, has been spouting more arrogant opportunistic nonsense on the BBC.
Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw says he thinks it is "unfair" that UKIP's Nigel Farage is breaking a convention by standing against the Speaker at the next election.
That would be the convention which was upheld admirably by his own party in 1987 when Bernard Weatherill was Speaker, presumably?
As Speaker, Weatherill sought re-election in 1987 under a non-party label, but Labour and the SDP stood against him. Fellow-tailors raised a fund to cover his expenses, and he was returned with a majority of 12,519.
Perhaps Bradshaw considers that perfectly 'fair' in light of Weatherill being arguably responsible for Labour being humiliated in the 1979 no confidence vote. That or he just didn't engage research before applying gob.
It has recently been revealed that in 1979, Weatherill played a critical role in the defeat of the Labour government in the vote of confidence. As the vote loomed, Labour's deputy Chief Whip, Walter Harrison approached Weatherill to enforce the convention and "gentleman's agreement" that if a sick MP from the Government could not vote, an MP from the Opposition would abstain to compensate. The Labour MP Alfred Broughton was on his deathbed and could not vote, meaning the Government would probably lose by one vote. Weatherill said that the convention had never been intended for such a critical vote that literally meant the life or death of the Government, and it would be impossible to find a Conservative MP who would agree to abstain. However, after a moment's reflection, he offered that he himself would abstain, because he felt it would be dishonorourable to break his word with Harrison. Walter Harrison was so impressed by Weatherill's offer - which would have effectively ended his political career - that he released Weatherill from his obligation, and so the Government fell by one vote on the agreement of gentlemen.
Gentlemen in parliament, eh? Bradshaw's TV hypocritical politicking, and reliance on mendacious soundbites, illustrate how very long ago it was that we witnessed such a thing.
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