Dirty Hands and Democracy.

 Do we really live in a Parliamentary Democracy

Correct me if I am wrong  but I believe that in a General Election in the  1860 the  disenfranchised  miners  made a symbolic vote by raising thier hands against the unpopular MP Henry Bruce.

To which Bruce retorted 

"You may wave your Dirty Hands now but I will be the MP for this constituency tomorrow"

At he following election a increase in the franchise saw Bruce ousted in the two member seat by Henry Richard perhaps the first Welsh MP to ever speak out for his nation.

I was reminded of this by events in the House of Commons.

At the last General Election the Tories  failed to win a overall majority but bribed the DUP a party that seems to be decades behind every other in the House of Commons on many polices to vote with them

But that doesn't even matter because t seems the Tories believe that even if they were to lose the vote they can ignore it.

On Wednesday knowing   that they would lose the government didn't even try to defend their controversial welfare reforms, they refused tto take part in a vote

  

As LeftFootFoward say

Labour scored a symbolic victory over the government last night, winning a vote condemning the huge flaws in the government’s Universal Credit scheme.

Labour’s motion to “pause and fix” the rollout of Universal Credit won unanimous support in the House of Commons, MPs voting 299 to zero in favour. But for one reason: Tory MPs failed to vote to support their own policy.
Attempting to avoid a potential defeat, the government are believed to have issued a three-line whip to their MPs, forcing them to abstain on the final vote.
The defeat occurred just hours after the government conceded they’d drop the 55p-a-minute charge to the Universal Credit helpline.
The dropping of the helpline fee and the vote – although a non-binding opposition day motion – represent Theresa May’s third big defeat in the Commons in just over a month.
In September they were forced to lift the 1 per cent pay cap for some public sector workers. On the same day, the DUP sided with Labour on a motion to stop the government raising tuition fees

Its a pity that LeftFootForward didn't point  that other Opposition Parties made an important role in the Government Defeat  especially this contribution from the SNP's Mhari Black

One Tory even missed the vote because he was attending a football match in Barcelona; Downing Street defended his absence as a “better” use of his time.

 John McNally of the SNP brandished a red card in the House of Commons to admonish Ross for missing a debate on Universal Credit in October 2017, due to his commitments as a football referee.

Ross won the Moray seat from the former SNP leader in the House of Commons Angus Roberson which evoked cheers from Labour supporters.

Labour can't win such victories like the one on Wednesday  and they should acknowledge this.

Meanwhile  A senior Conservative MP has criticised the government's response to a Commons vote against its welfare plans.

Sir Edward Leigh said: "The road to tyranny is paved with executives ignoring Parliaments."

Sir Edward - who warned after the vote about Parliament being reduced to a "university debating society" - called for a "meaty" government statement in response.
"Parliament does matter," he added.

The speaker John Bercow was vocal on the point: 

“We are elected to come to this place to debate and to decide what our position is on motions.”
“The government in light of the result should come to the house and show respect for the institution by indicating what it intends to do”