Wednesday, 25 January 2017

Tulip Siddiq may leave Shadow Front Bench over Article 50 vote

Tulip Siddiq, MP for  Hampstead and Kilburn, which covers three Brent wards, in a series of media interviews yesterday said she was prepared to lose her Shadow Front Bench position,  over Labour's decision to vote in favour of invoking Article 50.

She told the BBC's World at One:
 It is something I am considering not supporting and voting against because 75% of the population in Hampstead and Kilburn voted to remain.

If I’m representing the wishes of my constituents I have to make a decision accordingly and that’s how I’ll vote.
 
There are definitely things to consider about democracy and elections. I don’t want to run another referendum.
Meanwhile Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party made her position clear over the Surpeme Court ruling:
 This case is a win for parliamentary democracy, and a blow for those ministers who planned to railroad Brexit through without any proper scrutiny.

The spotlight now falls on MPs – and in particular the Labour Party – to properly scrutinise the Government’s plans and act accordingly. That must mean that Labour rethink the support they’ve given to triggering article 50 prematurely, and instead join those of us who refuse to be pushed into Theresa May’s artificial Brexit timetable.

It’s astonishing that Ministers ever thought it was right to trigger Article 50 without a vote in Parliament - and their battle in the courts really does expose a contempt for the democratic process within the Conservative party.

I will not be capitulating to the Tories over Brexit – and will vote against prematurely triggering Article 50 in the Spring. As the co-leader of a Party which stands for environmental, social and economic justice I will not support a Government offering no assurances to EU nationals living in Britain, threatening to turn this country into a tax haven and planning to throw us off the Brexit cliff edge by ending our membership of the Single Market and Customs Union.





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for both of them. Corbyn should wake up to the fact that, having ceded the 'left-behind' vote to Ukip, he's now doing a really good job of ceding the Remainer vote to the Lib Dems. Farron came out with a rallying call reaction to yesterday's judgement; Labour mumbled something or other about 'not frustrating will of the people...seek amendments etc etc'. Is Corbyn capable of clarity on any issue?

Mike Hine

Anonymous said...

I reckon Corbyn may have been listening too much to Left-wing Brexit folk on this.

Such a lobby would probably disregard any co-operation with Greens on 'Progressive Alliance', too!

Meanwhile, I welcome Tulip's support for EU nationals -- who had no say in the UK's EU referendum. See also the Kilburn Unemployed blog post EU — Can I Stay Or Must I Go? — An EU National's Perspective.


Alan Wheatley