Don't for a moment think I am happy about this, but the Channel 4 exclusive about 2 Tory Ministers - Jeremy Wright & David Lidington - threatening to quit if the plans for a high speed rail link between London and Birmingham are not scrapped does have an interest side line for us teachers of politics. The rail line, we are told, would do great damage to their constituencies and they will go if it presses ahead because they'll want to vote against it in the House. This really is collective responsibility working - if you can't support a key government policy you can't be in the government. What a world away from Labour Ministers campaigning against hospital closures that their government forced through, for example.
Ministers have 2 options - abandon their principles / constituents and vote with the government.
Or vote against their own government, which Ministers cannot do. So quit as a Minister to vote against them.
Collective responsibility - Ministerial responsibility - Individual responsibility.
Maybe, just maybe, making a comeback in a government near you ...
1 comment:
It is a pity that those members of the Tory party who supported the Better Off Out campaign don’t resign and join a true EU sceptic party. Now that would be following your principles.
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