When is Debate not a Debate?

So the Lisbon Treaty which the Prime Minister has done he best to avoid shedding too much publicity on, remember he turned up late to sign it, alone, reached an almighty row yesterday.

After years of denying us a referendum on an EU constitution before it failed miserably to votes elsewhere, the Labour Double B Government has moved on to the Lisbon Treaty. Which again does not look like it will be put to a referendum. Far from ducking the question the Liberal Democrats tabled an ammendment as to Britain's participation in the EU at all. Considering the party stance is very much pro Europe a brave move.

The deputy speaker refused to allow the ammendment to be discussed in the debate leading to the MP for the University constituency to be ordered out of the chamber. Sadly it looks like the whole essence of the European question is not going to debated any more on Brown's watch than it was under Blair. I don't recall ever seeing Ed so angry. After several points of order raised by his fellow Lib Dems to which no answer was forthcoming, he was excluded. The whole party left in protest at the exclusion of the party's Foreign Affiars Spokesperson from a debate on foreign affairs .

Now if only the Lib Dems here north of the Border were as bold. We could have agreed to calling a referendum on Scotland's participation in the UK. Agreed to work with the Nationalists on issues we agree on and get a far healthier looking budget than the one that did slip through. Instead we look like little kids who have had their ball taken away, or in case of some their minsterial car.