Referendum rows and Shirley Williams

Tucked away in one of Dominic Lawson's (almost always excellent) columns is this story:

I'm told that after Gordon Brown had decided to abandon the Blair commitment to a referendum Shirley Williams, now Baroness Williams of Crosby and former leader of the LibDems in the House of Lords, had threatened to resign and rejoin the Labour Party, unless Ming Campbell likewise abandoned the dangerous policy of giving the British people a vote on the Lisbon treaty.

Maybe you all knew that, but I didn't.

Amusingly, Mrs (as she then was) Williams was incandescent when David Owen decided not to join up with the Liberals. She thought him a splitter.

Now she seems prepared to quit the party over a single (frankly medium sized at best) issue.

Comments

[Simon Stephenson]

"Now she seems prepared to quit the party over a single (frankly medium sized at best) issue."

Are you not making an assumption here that Lisbon Treaty (Constitution) issue is ALL that is tempting Shirley Williams to re-rat?

Maybe not an error of the Fundamental Heffer variety, but an error nevertheless, I feel.

But then, maybe that's what party political mischief-making is all about.

[Will Rees]

If you asked Lib Dems that held office won through election: "what price integrity, credibility and trust?"
I would have though very few would give the answer "Baroness Shirley Williams."

What is confusing me MOST over this issue why the amendment Ian Davidson got down to be voted on Wednesday is being scrupulously ignored by the mainstream media. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/048/amend/pbc0482702a.1319-1321.html It allows Lib Dems their "in-out" referendum AS WELL as the referendum on the latest round of ever closer union, that all major parties pledged in their manifestos at the last election.

[Tim Hedges]

She marched at Grunwick and no one will take this precious public schoolgirl seriously again. Who the hell cares about some has-been changing from one party to another?

[Mark Pack]

Shirley Williams has said this story isn't true:
http://www.libdemvoice.org/the-truth-about-shirley-williams-and-europe-2344.html