The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, was a famous debate in the British House of Commons that took place on May 7 and May 8, 1940. Ostensibly a debate over one theatre of battle, the Norwegian campaign, the debate witnessed a massive outpouring of criticism and hostility towards the general conduct of the war and the government of Neville Chamberlain. In the vote at the end of the debate there was a sizable rebellion of governme...
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The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, was a famous debate in the British House of Commons that took place on May 7 and May 8, 1940. Ostensibly a debate over one theatre of battle, the Norwegian campaign, the debate witnessed a massive outpouring of criticism and hostility towards the general conduct of the war and the government of Neville Chamberlain. In the vote at the end of the debate there was a sizable rebellion of government supporters who voted against their own government or refused to support it on what was considered a Motion of Confidence (though it was not worded as such). Two days later Chamberlain resigned and was succeeded by Winston Churchill.
The debate was an adjournment debate, in which the motion technically is "that the house do now adjourn"; under Westminster rules in such debates, held to allow for wide-ranging discussion of a variety of topics, the question is usually not put to a vote. The fact that a vote did occur at the end of this debate...
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