Thomas and Maude stage open info Commons love-in

The Westminster love-in reached critical proportions this week, threatening to engulf Labour tech specialist Tom Watson. Watson apparently has been doing his damndest to embarrass the new administration by asking questions such as how many plasma and LCD TVs ministers have in their offices. The answer, it would seem, is a fair …

[PeterI]

Coulsons pay already available

Coulsons pay has already been published see this article

http://order-order.com/2010/06/10/coulson-and-the-spad-pay/

[dogged]

Whitehall RSS be damned

Tom Watson needs to be reading comments on the Reg.

[Anonymous Coward]

The prize for the most aptly named MP goes to...

...Twatson.

Despite all the openness-loving, geeky aroma he likes to spray upon his chubby self he's just another illiberal control freak from yesterday's party.

From TWFY:

Twatson's voting record includes:

* Voted strongly for introducing student top-up fees.

* Voted moderately against laws to stop climate change.

* Voted very strongly for introducing ID cards.

* Voted strongly for a stricter asylum system.

* Voted very strongly for replacing Trident.

* Voted strongly against a transparent Parliament.

* Voted very strongly for the Iraq war.

* Voted very strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war.

* Voted very strongly for allowing ministers to intervene in inquests.

* Voted a mixture of for and against greater autonomy for schools.

* Voted very strongly for introducing foundation hospitals.

* Voted very strongly for Labour's anti-terrorism laws.

* Voted moderately for introducing a smoking ban.

You've had your fifteen minutes of Internet fame, Tom, now go away.

[dogged]

wait, what?

In the Commons, votes are "Ayes to the right, noes to the left". You don't fill in a bloody preference card. Are you saying Tom Watson not only voted for ID Cards but went around the back of the lobby and tried to vote again?

How can you vote "very strongly" in a binary voting system?

Either explain this to me or STFU.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll settle for explaining then

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/tom_watson/west_bromwich_east

Let me know if you have any special needs.

[dogged]

I can read a FAQ, is that "special needs"?

From theyworkforyou.com:

"How is the voting record decided?

The voting record is not affected by what MPs and Peers have said, only how they voted in relation to that topic in the house - i.e. "aye" or "no". Votes on each topic were examined, and strength of support determined based on these votes. Follow the "votes" link next to each topic for details. Additionally, in many votes, MPs and Peers are told how to vote ('whipped') by their parties. Since the Whip is secret, we have to assume, like the Speaker, that all votes are free. "

In other words, it's still "aye" or "no". "Very strongly" is an arbitrary description of no merit based on whether the MP's party was in support or opposed to the vote. So your post, containing this "very strongly" is also abitrary and meaningless in the wider context.

Unless you read and wholeheartedly approved of their weighting system but just didn't bother to explain it. And I doubt that.

"Very strongly".

[Francis Irving]

There's been more than one vote on ID cards

@dogged because there's been more than one vote in Parliament on ID cards. "Very strongly" is the most extreme TheyWorkForYou puts - actually he turned out on every vote on introducing ID cards, and voted in favour every time. Details from Public Whip here:

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpid=40646&dmp=1051

[Anonymous Coward]

With apologies to Bill Hicks

Looks like we got us a reader :)