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Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Angela Watkinson (Conservative), on Wednesday, 5 December 2001, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 4 members in total.

LABOUR WHIPS AND THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR SHREWSBURY AND ATCHAM

That this House is deeply concerned by the contents of the Press release entitled 'Labour Thugs Attack MP', issued by the Labour honourable Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham on 4th December, in which he complains of 'an intimidatory move' by the Labour honourable Member for Bradford South, 'prodding ... in the back' by the Labour honourable Member for Lewisham West, and 'expletive name-calling' by the Labour honourable Member for Harwich; agrees with the Labour honourable Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham that 'It is time that New Labour was exposed for its Stalinist tendancies and desperate methods of trying to intimidate its own MPs'; and whilst, not sharing the honourable Member's views on Afghanistan, calls upon the Government Chief Whip to discipline those members of her office who have infringed acceptable methods of dealing with one of their own back bench colleagues.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received 2 amendments.

529A1
leave out from 'December' to end and add 'which most honourable Members feel is a work of complete fantasy; expresses its commiserations for the disenfranchised people of Shrewsbury and Atcham who have been betrayed by their Member of Parliament and whose clear political preference as expressed in the ballot box on 7th June has been cast aside; notes that attempts by the Government Chief Whip to address the concerns of the honourable Member were leaked by him to the most virulent anti-Labour newspaper in the country; and accepts that his defection to the Liberal Democrats has been widely welcomed by the Parliamentary Labour Party but less so by many senior Liberal Democrat honourable Members.'.
529A2
leave out from 'MPs;' to end and add 'and further notes the crucial element of Parliamentary democracy that individuals are elected as members of Parliament, and must be free to follow their own judgement and conscience, as was the case with the honourable Members for Witney, Stratford-upon-Avon and Leominster when they crossed the floor to join the Labour Party.'.

Secondary information

Type
Early day motion
Reference
529 
529A1 
529A2 
Session
2001-02
Subjects
Conduct Members Labour
Link
View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk