Douglas Carswell's Blog

EU vote. Why there's no wiggle room for the whips

Monday sees the House of Commons debate and vote on an EU referendum.

Supporters of the motion have momentum. Over 50 MPs signed up in support on the first day. Yesterday new intake MPs were joining up - including Nick de Bois, Caroline Noakes, Sarah Wollaston, Matthew Offord and Chris Kelly. These are MPs with a future.

And still they keep coming.

Old Westminster hands are now focusing on what the whips reaction might be. And the idea of some kind of spoiler motion, tabled by a whip's nark is seen to be high on the list of options.

Except it can't be. Study the rules.

Since this motion came from the Backbench business committee, it must be divided on - regardless of any whip's chaff.  The trick of a spoiler amendment that would take precedence over the existing motion - such as was used to derail Mark Reckless' motion to halt the bailouts - is not an option.

There is, of course, nothing to stop a whip's nark tabling a motion in addition to the original motion.

But I hardly imagine Speaker Bercow - champion of backbench rights - would select a motion designed to distract from something that the Backbench business committee had expressly said it wanted debated and voted upon.

The House will vote on this motion. No more bull about Europe. No more carefully phrased deception. No more wiggle room. The voters are watching how you vote on Monday.

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