Lawmakers stage walkout in Britain's House of Commons

[Robbien]

Source: AP

LONDON (AP) - Members of Britain's opposition Liberal Democrat party have staged a rare walkout in the House of Commons.

It happened Tuesday after Deputy Speaker Michael Lord ordered Liberal Democrat legislator Ed Davey to leave the building for repeatedly demanding a debate about his party's bid for a referendum on Britain's European Union membership.

Lord called Davey's behavior unacceptable and banned him from the chamber for the day. That prompted the walkout by Davey's colleagues.

Read more: http://www.pr-inside.com/lawmakers-stage-walkout-in-britain-s-house-r457958.htm

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Banned from speaking on the floor? Those wacky Brits.

We need something like this.

[Dr.Phool]

1. Yeah, I can see it now.

Nancy Pelosi giving Kucinich and Wexler a time out.

Or,

Harry Reid putting Dodd and Feingold in a corner.

[bemildred]

2. Well, see, they will lose any referendum on the subject.

Just like before. So they want to avoid that now.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Lose "just like before"?

I'm not absolutely sure who the 'they' is you're referring to. Davey wanted a referendum on the overall membership of Britain in the EU - the Lib Dems are in favour of the EU, and they think a referendum on the basic membership would be won, and would help shut up the Tories and a few others who constantly bash the EU.

The party claims a referendum on Britain's continuing EU membership would be in the national interest because it would enable voters to settle once and for all the question of whether Britain should stay in. The Lib Dems are strongly in favour.

Other parties believe the Lib Dems are only promoting the policy because they are divided on the question of whether there should be a referendum on the Lisbon treaty itself.

The party leadership is opposed to a Lisbon referendum - even though the Lib Dems backed a vote on the EU constitution, which was very similar - but it is understood as many as 15 Lib Dem MPs are in favour.

The Tories have tabled an amendment calling for a referendum on the treaty, and that is due to be put to a vote next Wednesday. The Lib Dems have said they will abstain.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/feb/26/liberaldemocrats.houseofcommons

The government, if that's who you mean by 'they', are also in favour of remaining a member of the EU, and if there were a referendum on basic membership, I also think the vote would be in favour of remaining a member - just as it was in the one Britain-wide referendum there's been before, in 1975. So I'm not sure who the "they" who lost before is that you're referring to - the anti-EU faction in the Tories?

[bemildred]

4. France comes to mind. nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. But that was a referendum on the constitutional treaty

this would be a referendum on basic membership of the EU. That's the whole point.

[bemildred]

7. OK, you are right. nt

[Demeter]

5. Considering How Much Trouble Piled Up While Blair Was In Office

it seems odd to pick on a pre-Iraq, pre-economic collapse, dead-horse issue like this at this moment in time.