MPs have just voted on the first set of amendments to James Wharton’s #LetBritainDecide bill. There is still a great deal more debate to be had in the Chamber, but based on this morning’s offering, it’s not worth clearing your diary for this report stage, unless you enjoy filibustering and mischievous use of obscure parliamentary procedure to delay a bill. This morning we had a geography lesson from Mike Gapes about the populations of each of the overseas territories, an account of the ‘grilling, gruelling’ debate that Martin Horwood enjoyed at a school in his constituency, and a debate about what it is that the people of Gibraltar take joy in. Labour MPs have slowed down in the division lobbies, thereby filibustering as they walk, even though they haven’t voted down the amendments in question. Chris Williamson has just made his second unsuccessful point of order. At one point an MP tried to intervene on Martin Horwood, asking ‘will the honourable gentleman give way?’ Another MP muttered sourly ‘will the honourable gentleman give up?’
They aren’t giving up.
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