Letter: Parliament loses vote of confidence
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: The confidence vote on Maastricht offered a curious choice to MPs. It asked two questions ('Do you want Maastricht?' and 'Do you want the Government to survive?) at the same time, but only allowed two out of the four possible combinations of answers. A Yes vote meant one thing, but a No vote didn't mean the opposite.
This is a form of persuasion worthy of the Mafia. Why should a government be able to coerce its members in this way by attaching the 'confidence' label to an otherwise unconnected motion? The Tories claim to support 'freedom of choice', but this episode neatly demonstrates just how far their commitment to that ideal really goes.
Yours faithfully,
NIGEL RAMSDEN
Ipswich,
Suffolk
23 July
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments