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| To lose a Commons vote as prime minister is humiliating. But to be humiliated without even losing a Commons vote is something altogether worse. Cameron ended the week engaged in a grubby, underhand war with his backbenchers. Rebel Tory MPs had put down amendments to his immigration bill – one of them demanding extended controls on Bulgarians and Romanian migrants while another pressed for judicial discretion over right-to-family-life deportation claims. Cameron won both votes, but the manner in which he did so was highly revealing. In a sign of quite how little authority the prime minister has over his own party, he was forced to tell ministers to abstain on the latter amendment. It was defeated – by Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs – but the image of a party leader without the strength to actually oppose amendments which he considers illegal will not have been forgotten by his party. Or the opposition. How did it come to this? The signs were there throughout the week. The numbers didn't stack up, but Downing tried to call a bluff and force a vote. They took a gamble and, in a sense, won. After all, they won the vote. But it was a pyrrhic victory, revealing his hand and showing quite how poor his cards are. It was an unfortunate week for the prime minister throughout. Public support for Ed Ball's commitment to a 50p tax rate refused to die down, despite a savage mauling from the right-wing press and business leaders. Cameron's Achilles Heel was the result of reports that he wanted to cut the top rate of income tax further - to 40p. It was remarkable: a politically barmy move 18 months ahead of the general election. It was as if George Osborne was going out of his way to validate precisely those concerns the public have about the Tories. Miliband was able to use the reports to make Cameron squirm during PMQs. It was the Labour leader's first convincing win since 2014. Then the immigration bill returned. Downing Street tried a last minute gambit , including a Theresa May amendment which would allow her to strip British subjects of their citizenship. It was a move specifically designed to fly against the face of decades of human rights consensus on not making people stateless. Apparently, this is the sort of thing which attracts the Tory rank-and-file. But even that didn't work. The Tory backbenchers rebelled anyway. The next morning, as he picked up the pieces, another disaster struck. The EU referendum bill had been killed off by the Lords. Backbenchers will want a government bill now, but Cameron knows that if he starts one the Lib Dems will kill it off. His only other option is to try another private members bill, but that is likely to meet the same fate in the Lords. This is where his concessions to his eurosceptic backbenchers have got him. It doesn't pacify them, it just encourages them. And now he's trapped, with no good options, and a parliamentary party seemingly intent on his blood. The best of the week in news...The 'pale-blue party': Godfrey Bloom hits back at Farage's 'drivel' attack Godfrey Bloom hits out at Nigel Farage for scrapping Ukip's 2010 manifesto, saying the party has adopted a "no-policy policy" Boris Johnson tells police to 'get medieval' on rioters Boris Johnson calls on the police to "get medieval" on rioters as he backs proposals for the Metropolitan police to be allowed to use water cannon on future protests. The myth of welfare tourism: European body find UK benefits 'manifestly inadequate' Britain's welfare payments are "manifestly inadequate" and fail to live up to the requirements of the European social charter, an influential body has found. Christians only: Tory MP backs Farage on Syrian refugees Britain should only open its doors to Christian refugees from Syria, according to a leading Conservative backbencher. Revealed: Rape victims abused in British detention centres Female victims of rape and torture are subjected to abuse and intimidation in British detention centres, according to a damning new report into the plight of women asylum seekers in the UK. Ukip donor takes out bizarre anti-gay advert Nigel Farage's attempts to distance Ukip from the extreme views of its members fall apart as a major party donor takes out an extraordinary newspaper advert describing homosexuality as an "abomination". Central African Republic calls for UK to send troops as it falls into civil war Britain asked to send soldiers to the Central African Republican, as the country slips into civil war The best of the week in Comment and Analysis...This is your brain online: What can you and can't you say on Twitter? The laws on illegal tweets are much wider than you think Comment: The conspiracy of silence around Croydon's knife attacks Six young people stabbed in eight days. But the police say crime in Croydon is dropping. Comment: Ukip is turning into a pale blue Tory party Nigel Farage wants to get rid of the 'wrong people' in Ukip - but most of them are in central office. Comment: When was the last time feminists did anything for real women? While professors of 'womens studies' pontificate about whether we should use maiden names, real women count their pennies and get to work. PMQs verdict: Miliband's first big win of 2014 leaves Cameron tongue-tied Miliband picks apart the PM's evasions to score his first major win of 2014. Comment: How Bafta strike action made the Royal Opera House pay a decent wage They charge hundreds for tickets, but pay pittance to their cleaners: how a new trade union took on one of the most famous institutions in Britain. Comment: Banning smoking in cars with kids is an abuse of state power Once you invite the state into your private property it will make itself comfortable and demand ever more powers. Comment: We need a law to protect us against privatisation It's time for a radical change - one that recognises that the services that we pay for and rely on should be accountable and transparent Blog: The press's hysterical reaction to 50p tax shows how out of touch they have become The press's reaction to Ed Balls' proposal shows they have lost touch with their readers. | "New EU targets are useful as they put a peg in the ground" says IETThe European Commission has outlined its plans for climate and energy policy until 2030. Read IET comment here. Selective Catholic school admissions policy decision quashed over "arguable error"‘Inconsequential technicality’ leads to quashing of schools adjudicator decision on London Oratory School. Tree of Hope: "Piece of the Puzzle, Autism Awareness Shoe"The "Piece of the Puzzle, Autism Awareness Shoe" has been created especially for Blossom For Children and Tree of Hope. More long term support needed for families displaced by flooding say researchersPlanning for the emotional aftermath of devastating floods is as important as the immediate impact of such emergencies. "Warm words" on mental health from Nick Clegg welcome - but the reality is budget cutsComment on Nick Clegg Mental health speech from charity Rethink Mental Illness. IET responds to OECD findings that girls still trail boys in mathsThe maths ability of teenage girls in the UK trails behind that of boys, according to figures from the OECD. Voice: Research like Sutton Trust report should highlight importance of low wagesVoice comments on Sutton Trust childcare report. |
