News that Clare Short has resigned the Labour whiip has reached me today. It is not massively unexpected. It was not a case of jumping before being pushed. The non-entity Labour chief whip Jacqui Who-The-Hell-Is-She Smith had already reprimanded her for her comments about campaigning for a no overall control parliament in the next generql election.
But let's hope no one thinks she should join the Lib Dems. I am yet to hear anything that suggests to me she is liberal, liberal democrat or Liberal Democrat. I don't want our party to be a recycling bin for old Labour leftwingers. Yes let them join if they are genuine converts to liberal democracy. But otherwise, no.
Anyway, Clare Short is better for the cause of voting reform if she is outside the Liberal Democrats. Somehow everyone expects use to be in favour of PR so arguing for voting reform from inside the Lib Dems is hardly going to make the house come crashing down. The more people we have outside the party arguing for PR the better chance we have of getting it.
And finally there is something about her judgement that leaves something to be desired. She waited until after the +raq invasion, when Robin Cook had already resigned, to leave the cabinet. Where were you when we needed you Calre?
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