The Thirteen MP's

Thirteen Names: John Baron, Graham Allen, Ronnie Campbell, Jeremy Corbyn, Barry Gardiner, Roger Godsiff, John McDonnell, Linda Riordan, Dennis Skinner, Mike Wood, Caroline Lucas, Mark Durkan, Margaret Ritchie ...... nothing unusual in them, so what have these thirteen names got in common?

Well, these are the thirteen Members of the British Parliament who voted against the imposition of a "No Fly Zone" over Libya, and presumably therefore to allow Gaddafi and his mercenaries / militia's to march into Benghazi and exact a terrible retribution (I don't think any right minded person would deny that the torture cells would be in full swing once Gaddafi got a firm grip).

None of these MP's is accountable to the public for their parliamentary votes, because UK Democracy isn't actually very democratic in reality, and they are only accountable once every 4/5 years or so, to a public that has short memories and tends to vote tribally. This contrasts to the US, where Congressmen and Senators are often held accountable by pressure groups e.g. the "Tea Party" or interest other groups.

Who Knows Why 13 UK MP's Voted
Against Stopping This Tyrant?



So the only way to determine what made thirteen UK MP's vote to sit back and allow Gaddafi's mercenaries a free rein in East Libya, is to look at their records as posted on a Public Website:

Conservative: John Baron (Basildon & Billericay)

Ex Army then Merchant Banker and apparently consistently 'anti-war' ..... John Baron was a member of Iain Duncan Smith's Frontbench team, but resigned in March 2003 in protest at Duncan Smith's support of the Iraq War. So although his motivations are not entirely clear, it is at least a consistent stance.

Labour: Graham Allen (Nottingham North)

Ex Warehouse Worker and Labour Party Researcher whose alleged radicalism prevented his ministerial career rising further than  Labour government whip. He was at the forefront of a successful campaign to recall Parliament to discuss Iraq in September 2002, attempting to organise an unofficial recall if the House would not formally sit. His constituency, has one of the lowest rates of educational attainment in the country, sending the fewest number of children to university of any constituency, and has high unemployment.

Labour: Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley)

Ex Coal Miner and an outspoken 'Socialist'. He has often voted against the government on issues such as the Iraq War. Campbell 'accidentally supported' the first 'National Fetish Day', due apparently to him not understanding the meaning of the word "Fetish". Campbell said in an interview, "I thought a fetish was a worry, like worrying about backing the right horse." When the government nationalised Northern Rock in 2008, Campbell declared it the 'People's Bank' and opened an account ... In May 2009, during the MPs expenses scandal, Campbell agreed to give back over £6,000 he had claimed for furnishings in his London home.

Labour: Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North)

Considered to be one of the most 'left-wing' or socialist members of the Labour Party and is in the Socialist Campaign Group. He has a weekly column in The Morning Star and is a long-time supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), for whom he is one of its three Vice-Chairs. He was fiercely opposed to the Iraq War and has spoken at many anti-war rallies in Britain and abroad. He is an elected member of the Stop the War Coalition steering committee.

Labour: Barry Gardiner (Brent North)

He worked as a senior partner in shipping insurance and arbitration for the ten years, before his election to parliament. He accused Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown of "vacillation, loss of international credibility and timorous political manoeuvres that the public cannot understand" and has been described by Andrew Roth in The Guardian as "One of the best educated and most internationally experienced MPs" .... its not clear why he has voted against stopping Gaddafi.

Labour: Roger Godsiff (Birmingham Hall Green)

He was a bank clerk for five years from 1965, before becoming  a political officer from 1970 with a banking staff 'trades union' until his election to Parliament in 1992 ... In October 2006, Godsiff was one of 12 Labour MPs to back a call for an inquiry into the Iraq War. He also rebelled against the government in November 2005 on legislation permitting the detention of terrorist suspects for 90 days without trial and his constituency has a large Muslim population and the anti Iraq war "Respect Party" were his chief opponents in the last election. Ahh, that probably explains a lot ... 

Labour: John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington)

Trades Union and Council politics until he entered Parliament in 1997. He voted against government policies such as the 2003 Iraq war, and in October 2006, McDonnell was one of 12 Labour MPs to call for an inquiry into the Iraq War. In May 2003, he praised the IRA, saying, "It's about time we started honouring those people involved in the armed struggle. It was the bombs and bullets and sacrifice made by the likes of Bobby Sands that brought Britain to the negotiating table. The peace we have now is due to the action of the IRA." He later said that the, "deaths of innocent civilians in IRA attacks is a real tragedy, but it was as a result of British occupation in Ireland. Because of the bravery of the IRA and people like Bobby Sands we now have a peace process"...... enough said. There's a word for him that comes to mind ...

Labour: Linda Riordan (Halifax)

She worked as private secretary for the previous Halifax MP, and she was selected as the Labour candidate from an all-women shortlist ..... legalised sexism. No 'previous' on Iraq, but not been a MP long enough .... but is also a member of the Socialist Campaign Group and has often rebelled against the Party leadership.

Labour: Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)

Full time politician and known for his 'left-wing' views -  On taking his seat, he undertook publicly to stand down from Parliament at the age of 65 (therefore in 1997), just as he would have retired had he remained as a miner; this was so that he would not be 'taking another man's job' .....four elections later he's still an MP. He is also a member of the Socialist Campaign Group and voted in 2003, against the Iraq War; he later rebelled against the party line when he voted against government policy to allow terror suspects to be detained without trial for 90 days. In March 2007, Skinner with 88 other Labour MPs also voted against government policy to renew the Trident Nuclear Missile System.

Labour: Mike Wood (Batley & Spen)

He was a probation officer and social worker from 1965 to 1997 before becoming an MP and he is a member of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group. On 31 October 2006, Wood was one of 12 Labour MPs to calls for an inquiry into the Iraq War.

Green Party: Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion)

Began her career as an activist in the anti-nuclear movement with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and has espoused pretty much every 'green' and animal welfare issue since. Worked full time for Oxfam before Parliament in 2010.

SDLP: Mark Durkan (Foyle)

Student organiser, then working for John Hume as his Westminster Assistant ... then mainstream politician .... no record of 'anti-war' voting on his Wiki listing.

SDLP: Margaret Ritchie (Down South)

Parliamentary assistant to Eddie McGrady MP from 1987 to 2003 .... then MP. Despite the SDLP's opposition to "double-jobbing", Ritchie currently retains her seat in the Assembly as well as her seat in the House of Commons .... say one thing, do another..... no record of 'anti-war' voting on her Wiki listing.