Registered: Jul 2000
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Posts: 7236

Independent

The ban on Sinn Fein MPs moving into offices in the Palace of Westminster was lifted by the Commons last night. A government motion giving the four elected republicans the right to use House of Commons facilities and claim parliamentary allowances of up to £100,000 a year was carried by 322 votes to 189, despite furious opposition from the Conservatives. The Tories broke with 30 years of cross-party co-operation over the issue, lambasting ministers for "appeasing" Sinn Fein and the IRA.

Sinn Fein has been lobbying for the change for several years, but ministers agreed to push through the new rules after the IRA decided to start decommissioning. Under the reform, the four Sinn Fein MPs _ Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Pat Doherty and Michelle Gildernew _ will be able to have offices and use facilities in the Commons, and claim allowances for staff and London accommodation. None of the MPs has taken up their seats. They refuse to take an oath of allegiance to the Queen and insist they will not serve in a "foreign parliament".

They have been barred from using Commons facilities since Betty Boothroyd, as the Speaker, ruled in 1997 that MPs would only be granted offices after they had taken the oath. However, before then Sinn Fein MPs had always declined to use Commons facilities. During angry exchanges in the Commons, Quentin Davies, the shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, told MPs: "This measure has nothing to do with the interests of the House of Commons. It is brought forward simply as part of the Government's policy of endless concession and appeasement of Sinn Fein IRA."

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This is long overdue. The idea that an MP should swear alleginace to the Queen is firstly an anachronism. The idea that an openly Irish Republican would swear allegiance to the Queen is a contradiction in terms, and, the barring of MPs from serving their constituents was borderline afrontation to the parliamentary constitution.

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Registered: Nov 2000
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Posts: 5131

Please excuse my ignorance of British politics Spook.

What is a "MP".

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 7113

Member of parliament?

I hope it's not like an MC. English folk have dry voices (and witticisms! oooooooh)

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Registered: Nov 2000
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The entire post makes much more sense now, thanks caff.

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Denver
Posts: 19755

So let me get this straight, duly elected governmental appointees were prevented from using the facilities normally given to one in their position? For what reason? I'm not sure I understand.

-m

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Registered: Jul 2000
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quote:

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Originally posted by Mordecai
So let me get this straight, duly elected governmental appointees were prevented from using the facilities normally given to one in their position? For what reason? I'm not sure I understand.

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Registered: Dec 2001
Location: The State of Dismay
Posts: 82

so pointless showmanship is what defines civilization?

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Registered: Jul 2000
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quote:

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Originally posted by Dyslexic Tangent
so pointless showmanship is what defines civilization?

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Denver
Posts: 19755

Pay no attention to the shit stirrer, I'm just trying to get a grasp on this situation, So they were denied access to the building for refusing to swear allegiance to the queen?

-m

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Registered: Jul 2000
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quote:

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Originally posted by Mordecai
Pay no attention to the shit stirrer, I'm just trying to get a grasp on this situation, So they were denied access to the building for refusing to swear allegiance to the queen?

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