At last, a challenge to Svengali Osbornomics

I thought MPs were supposed to vote as their constituents want. They are representing them, after all - or have they forgotten that?

elegran in your dreams party wins out 99% of the time. They have a career to think about.

Corbyn often used to vote the way his constituents wanted and look at the vitriol heaped on his head!

How could they possibly do that Elegran in reality? A lot of constituencies have a large range of people in them. Of different party supporters, let alone different wings within one party, let alone people who change their minds frequently and those who dont vote at all.
And then they have party whips.
You could give it a go, but I dont think you would get very far very often.

If they don't vote as their constuency as a whole wishes, will they be elected the next time round? They can also bear in mind all the conflicting desires of individual constituents, even if they didn't vote them into the seat, but their vote is supposed to be representative of the voters they represent.

A party is supposed to a group of MPs, all voted in at the wish of their constituents, who have a common aim, directed by the wishes of those who sent them to Parliament to represent them. That is what democracy is all about.

The operative word is "represent" I wouldn't ask someone to represent me at as much as a vicarage teaparty if I thought that they would speak and act in a way that didn't correspond with my wishes.

I guess the problem is trying to represent All of your constituencency.Not sure how many people care about this particular subject anyway, and we do elect an MP to act for our interests in Parliament.Sometimes they are expected to toe the party line,others they have a free vote or will just abstain.However, if it was something that you knew was of great interest to people, you as an MP would probably take notice!

By ' this particular subject' I mean the vote which will happen tonight.

I think lots of people will care about this particular subject, but for a number of different reasons. Many will want to see Corbyn defeated, including many Labour MPs. Many will want to see Osborne defeated, particularly those who care about poverty.

‘Con’ artist: George Osborne.

As MPs prepare to debate George Osborne’s new ‘Charter for Budget Responsibility’ – a legally-binding document demanding that the government must balance the books by the 2019-20 financial year – let us consider his words on the subject in 2010.

In January that year, while he was still Shadow Chancellor, Osborne tried to block Labour’s Fiscal Responsibility Act.

He said: “Let us remember what one of the economists whom the Prime Minister himself appointed to the Monetary Policy Committee has said about the Bill. Willem Buiter has said: ‘Fiscal responsibility acts are instruments of the fiscally irresponsible to con the public.'”

Osborne has just said it's only a 90 minute debate. Shows how important they think it is.

John McDonnell has made a good economic reply. GO was just politicking in my opinion.

John Mann is good as well. Nobody important has supported the charter, because it's a political gimmick.
Churchill - "Do not strive to be normal."

Helen Goodman has just said the time allowed to debate is pitiful.

Good speech from her too. I agree, none of the heavyweights (of the lightweights come to that) in economic circles seem to have backed the Government. John Mann was good. What a mockery of parliament just to try and score a political point. GO should be ashamed of himself. The worst of it is that no government actually needs to take any notice of this "Charter" not even this one!

And Osborne won, although I find it interesting that 100 MPs did not think it important enough to be there.

Probably some pairing Jen. What a farce.

320 in favour of it and 258 against.

So a political move has been made with no thought for the economics - it will be interesting to see the comments to Mr and at the weekend.

Fewer than 30 Labour MPs chose to abstain, which according to the Guardian, was not a challenge to Corbyn's authority. Good. Shame, though. Hope one of them was not my MP, as I'll be asking her why.
Hopefully now that's out of the way, there will be closer votes.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2015/10/14/why-is-this-government-hell-bent-on-failing/

I'd like to know how it is going to work. Osborne promises not to spend more than the money they take in tax.
If the tax take is going down because not so many people are paying tax and he's given tax cuts to the rich, that means that welfare cuts are going to be even greater.
Or is he going to say in his next budget that these are not normal times?

Only 21 abstained, so even better. It will be interesting to find out who.
Chris Leslie, for one, I imagine.

I must see how my MP voted only Kendell voted with the government and he supported her in leadership bid.

Personally I think the whole thing meaningless, as no government can
Control future governments. A total waste of time and good tax payers money.

I am quite shocked that LP MPs voted with the government. The debate showed very clearly that this was purely political. It is not law; no government actually needs to obey it and any government could rescind it.

GO will use it as a fig leaf and keep telling everyone that he must treat the poor and disabled and everyone working in public service in the way he is doing to meet this charter - voted in by parliament. They were always going to win as they have a majority but as I say I am shocked any LP MP actually voted with them - shame on them.

PR politics.

All the Libdems voted against.