LibDems 'cheating PM over reforms'

Tuesday 15 January 2013

FORMER Scottish Secretary Lord Forsyth accused the Liberal Democrats of "cheating" Prime Minister David Cameron on constituency boundary reform as the UK Government lost a vote in the House of Lords over plans to speed up changes.

Custom byline text:

Peers backed plans by Labour peer Lord Hart to block a reduction in the number of MPs from 650 to 600, which the Coalition had planned to put in place at the 2015 General Election.

They voted by 300 to 231 to delay until 2018 a boundary review necessary to make the change.A total of 72 LibDems voted against the Government, with none voting in favour.Earlier, Lord Forsyth said they were only opposing the review because Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was angry about the failure of House of Lords reform.The Tory peer said Mr Clegg had claimed he was going to go to Europe to translate Mr Cameron's speech on the European Union from "double Dutch to Dutch". He told the House of Lords: "What we are seeing is the Deputy Prime Minister going from cross to double cross, because that is what this is," Lord Forsyth said."There was a clear commitment that had nothing to do with House of Lords reform. I have gone along with things I did not like at all, on the basis there was a bargain in the interests of the nation."At no stage was the issue of House of Lords reform in any way attached to the question we are considering. The Prime Minister is being cheated by his Liberal Democrat colleagues."He said Tory parliamentary private secretaries in the Commons had been sacked for voting against Lords reform and called on LibDem ministers to resign if they wanted to oppose the Government."You don't take the Queen's shilling and then go through the lobbies and vote against the Prime Minister – it is an absolute disgrace," he said.

Contextual targeting label:

Local government

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

LibDems 'cheating PM over reforms'

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED