Diane Abbott misses Article 50 vote as Meg Hillier joins Labour rebels and votes against
Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North & Stoke Newington
Labour’s Diane Abbott missed last night’s vote on triggering Article 50 – apparently because she was unwell.
On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, presenter Nick Robinson asked shadow chancellor John McDonnell whether it was “Brexit flu”.
“How’s she feeling?” he asked.
McDonnell replied: “She wasn’t very well. There wasn’t going to be a close vote – if there was a close vote they would bring in even sick people there, but she wasn’t very well, so she wasn’t in attendance.”
The constituency Abbott represents, Hackney North and Stoke Newington, voted overwhelmingly for remaining in the European Union.
But her party imposed a three line whip stipulating its MPs should not block Article 50 – meaning the vote looked set to be uncomfortable for her.
The Liberal Democrats and Greens in Hackney had both joined in heaping pressure on Abbott over the issue.
Meg Hillier, the MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, joined numerous Labour MPs who voted against handing the government the power to officially start Britain’s departure from the EU.
Hackney had a higher proportion of Remain voters than almost anywhere else, with 78 per cent of electors in the borough casting their ballots for staying in the bloc.
Many fervent europhiles have been dismayed by Labour’s stance.
“The rage in the room was palpable,” Hillier was reported to have said about a recent constituency meeting ahead of yesterday’s vote in Parliament.
McDonnell stressed it was not just Labour that was split on the issue, telling the BBC: “The fight really starts after Article 50”.
He added: “We’ve accepted the result of the referendum… What we’re not accepting is a blank cheque for Theresa May for this hard Brexit.”
Ms Abbott probably learned this trick from many of the Hackney councillors who often arrive late, so they don’t have to declare their interests, then still vote on something they have only half heard the details of. Or if it’s too tricky (ie they have to vote against the interests of themselves or their constituents), they will just not turn up under the guise of being ill.
Still by throwing a sickie, she has at least managed to represent her constituents by not voting to help the tories wreck our country.
Representing her constituents instead of herself is something she rarely does.
Well done Ms Abbott! you’ve (at last) represented the people of Hackney and protected yourself from Corbyns oncoming retaliation against those who didn’t do what he demanded.
I hope you got a sick note from your GP!
Come off it, Steve! She’s still looking after herself!
If she voted in favour of that amendment, given the way her constituents (we) voted, what do you think her chances of getting voters support would be in a few years time?
What use is she if she can’t even do what she is supposed to do .
Childish and irresponsible. She now has no right to comment on any further discussion on Brexit.
To do so would bring scorn and hypocrisy on to herself and her party.
Could she possibly bring any more scorn and hypocrisy than she already has? Whatever happens with Brexit won’t affect her or any of the political class right down to local government – they’ll still be riding high giving themselves disproportionate pay rises even if GB goes over an economic cliff.
I’ve been told by someone high up in the conservative ranks, who seems to have his finger on the pulse, that the UK faces 10 years of mass unemployment. So we will all be paying for these bungling fools for a very long time.
We should pay our politicians with a performance related scheme, that way we could all get massive tax rebates!
Perhaps she developed the headache round 4pm as a result of her SPINE falling out?
She has come across as a vile, cowardly person.