Tory MP defects to Labour Party..

I've always bought into the thinking that if anyone decides to move parties mid term, it should automatically trigger a by-election. Ok so as someone said their first priority is the best interests of the country, but tell that to those people who assign their trust to a candidate via the ballot box. Those same people who in their minds voted for someone peddling the party line. Once that fundamentally changes, it should rest upon the constituents to make their choice again. Just seems like the fair thing to do IMO.

It would defo have been an interesting by-election being quite a marginal seat. Would it have taken a massive swing towards one party.

Tories will be worryingly looking at the ward boundaries again here closely identifying if they can bolster the vote before the next election is my guess..

 

Indeed, I did think it really puts into perspective how left of centre (or otherwise) Starmer's Labour party are.

 

Christian Wakeford:

That's the guy who was elected as a representative of probably the most right-wing conservative party in 70 years. Look at what he's voted for.

Keir's manifesto had better be spectacular.

 

But then even if it was then Wakeford wouldn't be up for it, I suppose. I've always said that I'll wait for the manifesto, but I'm starting to think that I've already made my decision.

 

38 or 39 now I believe. Remember each 1 they lose gives Labour +1, so it makes 2 difference to the majority.

 

But you vote for the candidate not the party under our electoral system.

 

******* unreal, isn’t it.

 

Good PR for Starmer and he's right to milk it for its political advantage but as has been mentioned what does it say about the current Labour Party when they are happily welcoming Tories in? Lying Starmer may well be more competent than Johnson but to expect real social change from Labour now it is in the right's clutches is expecting miracles. Labour under Starmer is looking more and more like a party that has reverted back to a position which just says 'we can manage capitalism more effectively but we wont upset things'. There may be a few titbits thrown out to the weak, poor and vulnerable if Labour gets in but there'll be no major shift in power or wealth. The opposition is positioning itself as a more efficient Tory Party.

 

The candidate runs under the banner of the party though and for many the decision who to vote for is based on the party and the Manifesto of the party.

Can't say I would be happy if I voted for a Labour MP and they moved over to the tories, I wouldn't want to have to wait years to take my vote away from them.

 

Incoming.

 

I just don't understand how someone who went into politics as a conservative can decide, because of anger at the party leadership, that they are now a socialist. Shows a distinct lack of political conviction and suggests that he us just another career politician out to save his job. Charlatan.

 

My take on this is two fold. He doesn't need to call a by-election for changing parties but if he did and stood as the labour candidate, I'm pretty sure he'd be re-elected so it's a bit of a stunt.
Second, the red wall seats are where a general election is going to be won or lost. I think that is a good thing because any sane party would concentrate on them. (In the past labour took them for granted and the Tories didn't bother on the basis they'd never win). I think they reneged on much of their levelling up by trimming the transport infrastructure and haven't quite realised how potentially fleeting the support they gained actually is. Or that voters in the red wall don't like being played for mugs. Its even a thing in GoT: The North remembers!

 

He’s left because he had a tiny majority & only got in because of Brexit. There was probably a 99.9% chance he was losing his seat in the next election regardless of whether Boris is in charge or not

 

Completely torn on this.

I’d be a hypocrite if I said there shouldn’t be a by-election as I wanted one when the ‘funny tinge’ brigade left the Labour Party a few years ago.

It’s always good when the Tories are losing seats.

However he shouldn’t be in the Labour Party. His voting record is terrible. Even when plenty of other Tories were voting against the whip he never did. He even went on his Facebook page & tried to justify his voting record. He’s even given an interview to sky news saying his views haven’t changed. If I was in Bury & this guy was my Labour MP I don’t think I could vote for him.

 

If the people of bury south were bothered they could recall him?

 

Incendiary stuff here. A tory basically accusing the govt of blackmail and telling MPs to go to the coppers.

 

I saw this break on Sky news and I find it absolutely incredible. This is criminal behaviour. Blackmailing people.

Press briefings, media smear campaigns, threats of deselection, losing their seat to boundary change, withdrawing public monies for their region. Just for standing up to a liar and handing in a letter to the 1922 committee.

If anybody had any doubt about what sort of person Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is, and what depths he will stoop to keep his vile grubby mits on the levers of power.... there should no longer be any doubt.

 

Whips have always manipulated MPs but this seems a different level.

 

Agree. Whips are there to try and keep people in line. And I'm sure down the years there will have been some very unsavoury stuff. But this is way beyond the reach of what they should be doing and is indeed criminal.

Fair play to Wragg for having the guts to out this publicly at the select committee.