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No one answered my question. If Tony Blair is that unpopular why doesn't Parliament "no confidence" him out of office?
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"I say shoot'em all and let God sort it out in the end! -
Parliament could only "no confidence" the government, and the government was the largest party in Parliament. So it was never going to happen - it would have precipitated a general election if successful. The opposition don't bother with no confidence votes unless confident of victory, which usually only happens with very small majorities or a hung parliament.Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
No one answered my question. If Tony Blair is that unpopular why doesn't Parliament "no confidence" him out of office?
Blair is PM by virtue of being leader of the largest party in parliament. If the Labour party wanted to topple him, they could do it through party maneouvres, but that was always seen as too great an electoral risk.
edit: typosComment
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Tony Blair's not the leader of Parliament but the leader of the party that holds the majority in Parliament.Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
No one answered my question. If Tony Blair is that unpopular why doesn't Parliament "no confidence" him out of office?
And parties have much more subtle and devious methods of destroying someone than a crude "no confidence" vote.
If Parliament wanted to target just Blair, they could try to impeach him. A Plaid Cymru MP tried to do just that, with the backing of the PC and SNP MP's, but failed to get enough people to back it IIRC. Impeachment is used when someone has to be brought to trail and the only appropriate court is Parliament itself. Before the Plaid Cymru MP brought it up, no impeachment motion has been used in over 150 years and most people have forgotten it even exists in our system.
Parliament, in its 1000 years of democratic and non-democratic guises, has built up a long list of tricks.Exult in your existence, because that very process has blundered unwittingly on its own negation. Only a small, local negation, to be sure: only one species, and only a minority of that species; but there lies hope. [...] Stand tall, Bipedal Ape. The shark may outswim you, the cheetah outrun you, the swift outfly you, the capuchin outclimb you, the elephant outpower you, the redwood outlast you. But you have the biggest gifts of all: the gift of understanding the ruthlessly cruel process that gave us all existence [and the] gift of revulsion against its implications.
-Richard DawkinsComment
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I just checked BBC and saw nothing on this, could you provide a link?"I'm moving to the Left" - Lancer
"I imagine the neighbors on your right are estatic." - SlowwhandComment
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Exult in your existence, because that very process has blundered unwittingly on its own negation. Only a small, local negation, to be sure: only one species, and only a minority of that species; but there lies hope. [...] Stand tall, Bipedal Ape. The shark may outswim you, the cheetah outrun you, the swift outfly you, the capuchin outclimb you, the elephant outpower you, the redwood outlast you. But you have the biggest gifts of all: the gift of understanding the ruthlessly cruel process that gave us all existence [and the] gift of revulsion against its implications.
-Richard DawkinsComment
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No, parliament being dissolved."I'm moving to the Left" - Lancer
"I imagine the neighbors on your right are estatic." - SlowwhandComment
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See here:
General Election
The Prime Minister has announced the date for the general election as Thursday 5 May 2005. Parliament will be dissolved on Monday 11 April and will return on Wednesday 11 May. At 5pm on the day of dissolution all those who are MPs will cease to be MPs.Jon Miller: MikeH speaks the truth
Jon Miller: MikeH is a shockingly revolting dolt and a masturbatory urine-reeking sideshow freak whose word is as valuable as an aging cow paddy.
We've got both kindsComment
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There's their UK election guide.
And here's the actual article from the day it was announced:
The actual dissolving of Parliament happens on Monday I think cause the Gov still has a few bills to put through. However, for all intents and purposes, the election countdown has begun.Exult in your existence, because that very process has blundered unwittingly on its own negation. Only a small, local negation, to be sure: only one species, and only a minority of that species; but there lies hope. [...] Stand tall, Bipedal Ape. The shark may outswim you, the cheetah outrun you, the swift outfly you, the capuchin outclimb you, the elephant outpower you, the redwood outlast you. But you have the biggest gifts of all: the gift of understanding the ruthlessly cruel process that gave us all existence [and the] gift of revulsion against its implications.
-Richard DawkinsComment
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They need to restock on concentrated hydrochloric acid.Jon Miller: MikeH speaks the truth
Jon Miller: MikeH is a shockingly revolting dolt and a masturbatory urine-reeking sideshow freak whose word is as valuable as an aging cow paddy.
We've got both kindsComment
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Aye. Some of those old Tory MP's can resist anything. Acid, brine, decency...Exult in your existence, because that very process has blundered unwittingly on its own negation. Only a small, local negation, to be sure: only one species, and only a minority of that species; but there lies hope. [...] Stand tall, Bipedal Ape. The shark may outswim you, the cheetah outrun you, the swift outfly you, the capuchin outclimb you, the elephant outpower you, the redwood outlast you. But you have the biggest gifts of all: the gift of understanding the ruthlessly cruel process that gave us all existence [and the] gift of revulsion against its implications.
-Richard DawkinsComment
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Ah, cool, thanks
It seems according to the YouGov polls the Tories and Labour are tied for support.Last edited by Shi Huangdi; April 7, 2005, 10:52."I'm moving to the Left" - Lancer
"I imagine the neighbors on your right are estatic." - SlowwhandComment
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Originally posted by Starchild
Aye. Some of those old Tory MP's can resist anything. Acid, brine, decency...
Women's stockings, oranges, drugs, female prostitutes, sex with the Prime Minister, rent boys, bribes, perjury....Vive la liberte. Noor Inayat Khan, Dachau.
...patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone. Edith Cavell, 1915Comment
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Yeah... according to the BBC website three have labour ahead, one has a tie and one has tory ahead by a couple of points.
You need to look more regionally to see what effect that's going to have.Jon Miller: MikeH speaks the truth
Jon Miller: MikeH is a shockingly revolting dolt and a masturbatory urine-reeking sideshow freak whose word is as valuable as an aging cow paddy.
We've got both kindsComment
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Why didn't people believe their anti-sleaze agenda?Originally posted by molly bloom
Women's stockings, oranges, drugs, female prostitutes, sex with the Prime Minister, rent boys, bribes, perjury....Jon Miller: MikeH speaks the truth
Jon Miller: MikeH is a shockingly revolting dolt and a masturbatory urine-reeking sideshow freak whose word is as valuable as an aging cow paddy.
We've got both kindsComment
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Originally posted by MikeH
Why didn't people believe their anti-sleaze agenda?
They knew they were lying, because their lips were moving when they spoke about it.Vive la liberte. Noor Inayat Khan, Dachau.
...patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone. Edith Cavell, 1915Comment
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