Mr Vaz said that ministers' handling of the opposition motion scrapping the revised criteria on the right of Gurkhas to settle in the UK had been "a bit of a mess".
"The Home Secretary had decided to change the policy but she did so during the debate in a letter that half the House of Commons had not received," he said.
"I think they didn't have a grip on this particular issue"
But it's very refreshing to see at least some Labour MPs doing the honourable thing tonight:
Gordon Brown's government has suffered a shock defeat in the Commons on its policy of restricting the right of former Gurkhas to settle in the UK.
MPs voted by 267 to 246 in favour of a Lib Dem motion that all Gurkhas be offered an equal right of residence.
Tory leader David Cameron backed the Lib Dem motion to scrap rules which leader Nick Clegg called "shameful".
Mr Brown's first significant defeat as PM came despite last minute concessions being offered to rebel Labour MPs.
Considering that at the last election some 356 Labour MPs were elected that’s some achievement Mr Brown.
On a parochial note, I wonder how the Northern Irish MPs voted on this one?
3 comments:
Check out the SNP MPs - all for the Gurkas I reckon - well done. Well all but one - Eck, Not there as usual, Just imagine had thes ghurkha lost by one vote
8 NI MPs voted - all of them for the Gurkhas - 6 DUP 1 UUP 1 SDLP
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2009-04-29&number=104&showall=yes#voters
Thanks for that. 8 out of a poss 15 isn't a great performance..but you've goven me an idea for a post;)
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