A remarkable thing happened in Parliament in this last week, but it passed without notice. The government lost a vote, but then opted to ignore it. It was an important vote – namely whether Cameron’s mandate in the Brussels negotiations should be for an increase or a cut in the EU budget – but having lost it, he decided it was only an advisory vote. On what grounds? Whenever the House votes and the government wins, which is nearly always, it is hailed as expressing the will of Parliament.
Why not when it loses? This is sheer government chicanery, making up the rules as it goes along. Nor is this a one-off: it goes to the heart of democratic control, or lack of it.
