Comment by Denis MacShane on Conservative Decision to Interrupt MPs watching President Obama’s inauguration speech
20 January 2009
The nadir - or heights of Conservative isolationism - were on display today when Conservative forced hundreds of MPs to stop watching President Obama's inauguration speech in order to vote on a minor European question without law-making or political impact.
Labour MP Denis MacShane said :"I was saddened to leave Mr Obama's world historic speech in order to feed Conservative isolationism by voting in a division on a vote to take note of European Union policy on the financial crisis. There was no decision impacting on UK law or government decisions but the Tories are so obsessed against Europe they called a division just after Mr Obama had begun his speech. I hope our friends in America take note that David Cameron would rather have UK legislators voting symbolically against Europe rather than listening to President Obama's historic speech."