Oh unhappy day
Yesterday was an exceptionally busy day in the Commons chamber. There were Government statements on both Northern Rock and the loss of a laptop with details of 600,000 people on it. And the EU Reform Treaty started its marathon progress through Parliament. Yet the Prime Minister, who refused to sign the EU Treaty in front of the cameras, was nowhere to be seen. Nor was Nick Clegg.
The EU Reform Treaty could cause some considerable damage to the Prime Minister over the upcoming weeks. Many Labour MPs are rebelling. The Labour dominated Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee has published a damning report. Its conclusion; there is little or no difference between the EU Reform Treaty and the old constitution.
In Europe, the manner in which Gordon Brown signed the EU Reform Treaty has not gone unnoticed by our European partners. He is likely to have lost influence in Brussels because of it.
The British people continue to get more irritated by the conduct of the Government. Labour’s election manifesto said there would be a referendum on the Constitution. Yet Gordon Brown took it on himself to agree to the renamed EU constitution without letting the British people have their say. British voters will not forget this in a hurry. In effect, Gordon Brown is in the worst of all worlds.
William Hague made one of the most brilliant speeches I have ever heard in the Commons. David Miliband looked very uncomfortable indeed, and all the Liberal Democrats did was attack the Tories.
This was on a day which saw one of the steepest falls in the history of the London Stock Exchange.
Northern Rock, the EU constitution, terrible overspending by the Government, and a poor stock market….. just keep watching the polls.