The DUP’s actions over the 42-day detention vote yesterday have provoked quite a lot of anger. CoffeeHouser ‘cuffleyburgers’ provides a good example of that: “…the DUP worms who sold their principles down the river in exchange for some as-yet-unclarified bribe.” And then there are posts from Daniel Hannan and Iain Dale, among others.
But is it right to blame the DUP? I’m not so sure. Yes, money may have overridden principle in this case (although it’s still unclear how many DUP MPs were in support of 42-day detention anyway). But isn’t one expectation of MPs that they represent the interests of their constituents? And, boy, have the DUP done that – whether intentionally or unintentionally. An alleged £200 million for the people of Northern Ireland, in return for voting for something that those same people – if the polls are anything to go by – are probably in support of? Sounds like a good deal to me.
Besides, I think it deflects attention from the real wrongdoers here – Brown and his government. Even
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