Wright's Trident Vote

When we did the hustings at UEA, SImon Wright pushed heavily his opposition to Trident and - though I challenged him on that - he played to the gallery and said he wanted it gone. After the meeting, one student really pushed his anti-Trident stance to me (that's a nice way to say he had a right go at me) and accused me of pretty much everything under the sun. Now an email arrives from said student a month after the poll.

He writes that he voted for Mr Wright based upon that performance, but was concerned to note that when given the chance to vote against Trident, he chose instead to support the Conservative position of keeping it (Labour abstained). This student is furious and although I am glad Simon has seen sense and taken the Tory position on this, there is at least one voter in Norwich who will never vote LibDem again over the issue. The one thing that concerns me about coalition in general is that you have to make compromise in government which looks like betrayal of political principle to people.

Mr Wright is likely to have a similar problem with tuition fees. The Union of UEA Students - whose member openly brag about having been key in removing Clarke and electing Wright - are watching keenly.

I have to say that I doubt if Mr Wright can hold this together for 5 years, promising one thing in Norwich and doing another in Westminster.

The Oddities of a Parliamentary Vote

Aside from the headline figures of a key parliamentary vote like today's on the renewal of Trident, some of the most interesting factoids are in the actions of individual MPs themselves.

Blair had a bad night from the Norfolk Labour MPs - Ian Gibson (Norwich North) and Tony Wright (Great Yarmouth) were predictable rebels but they were joined by former Home Secretary Charles Clarke (Norwich South) in opposing the government. It meant all three of the counties MPs went against Blair - and possibly Mr Clarke's first time, ever.

As nearly 100 Labour MPs bloodied the Prime Minister, just 2 Tories stood out against David Cameron - former Deputy Leader Michael Ancram (Devizes) and backbencher Rob Wilson (Reading E) voted with the Labour rebels.

Both Independent MPs - Clare Short (Ladywood) and Dr Richard Taylor (Kiddeminster) - voted against Blair, as did the UUPs Lady Hermon (North Down). Labour rebels included the Chair of their Parliamentary Party Tony Lloyd (Manchester C).

The Labour rebel list looks like a bit of a who's-who of lefties, but a few of the lesser known rebels and not-quite-as-loony MPs include Janet Dean (Burton), Stephen Pound (Eailing N), Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green) and Alan Meale (Mansfield).

As ever, Nick Brown (Newcastle E) threatened to vote against and ended up not going through with it - he now has form on this.

Finally, plenty of Labour leadership candidates opposing their own government tonight - Deputy Leadership hopeful Jon Cruddas (Dagenham) was joined by Leader wannabee's John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington) and Michael Meacher (Oldham W).

I'm sure Nigel will be recycled himself

Minister Nigel Griffiths has, like PPS Jim Devine, resigned over the government's policy on Trident. He should be congratulated for taking that stance and welcomed into the small club of vaguely principled Labour politicans.

However, has the Edinburgh MP made anything like the sacrafice it seems today?

Ministerial resignations don't come along very often these days - with collective responsibility ignored, ministerial responsibility a thing of the past and individual respsonsibility only given a passing nod, it seems at first glance that it is a miracle that anybody quits.

Well, it is. But unlike generations gone past, resigning doesn't kill a career like it used to. Very few politicans of the past 50 years could have resigned and then come back again. Yet Blair recycles Ministers at a planet-savingly fast rate. Not only the big hitters like Blunkett and Mandelson, but the smaller fish too.

Politicans, of all ranks, are on the merry-go-round career ladder because they know that coming back is still an option. Just like former Tory frontbencher Patrick Mercer will have to see out some time on the backbenches, Mr Griffiths and Mr Devine won't wait long before Tony (or Gordon, or David, or John...) brings them back again.

I have no problem with more people quitting because they made a mistake or cannot support government policy and no problem with them coming back afterwards. But we should be aware of those who know they can!

Hence Nigel and Jim can happily quit on a Monday, vote against the government on a Wednesday and be back behind a Ministerial desk by Friday (metaphorically, not literally).

So before we all rush to declare Nigel Griffiths as the "man of the year" we should all stop to ask just how long his new-found principles will keep him outside of New Labour's payroll.

He quit because he knew the door was always left that little bit ajar.

Labour MP to quit over Trident: Cook would be proud

Robin Cook was a remarkable parliamentarian, a fearful debator and a man of some high principle.

He would, I therefore conclude, be proud of his friend, agent and successor as MP for Livingston Jim Devine for quiting over Labour's slavish devotion to Trident.

Well Done that man. Parliament needs more like you.