MP's who Resign now standing Independents

I doubt any one of them would be returned in an election,

Momentum has said it has started campaigning in the constituencies of the 8 MP’s who left the party

Yes, we most definitely should have by-elections.
These politicians want their cake and eat it too and I think a few of will be out on their ears. In Broxtowe we have a new office which has opened for our prospective Labour MP. It even has water bowls outside for dogs - as if they can vote! I'm not sure we can afford Labour but ...
Good riddance Anna Soubrey.

The Labour Party is no longer a “broad church”

And that is why , instead of leaving in high dudgeon, it is often better to stay and stand your ground to make sure you keep a " broad church" . Those who have left this week will not be in agreement over everything either.

Re Winston Churchill..he was the right person at the right time and was just what was needed at that time but he made a hell of a lot of bad judgements on the way. He was no saint..nor would want to be painted as one! We are all fallible!

Labour MP’s left the Labour Party in 1981 and in 2019,

1981 the far left we’re getting to powerful

2019. The far left run the party

PECS surely that is the problem. The parties’ manifestos have changed. Both parties now seem to be controlled by self-serving MPs who couldn’t care less about the country. They are no longer representing their constituents.

Bollocks! I and many many others vote for the manifesto of a party not an individual. The MP is the person promising to do whst they can to carryout a manifesto.
I have only ever once been in a constituency when the party whose manifesto I preferred won the seat. All this swapping about and leaving constituents unsure of what their MP stands for or now not standing for what the majority thought they stood for makes a mockery of our democratic process. But then the whole thing began because of mismanagement of British democracy .

I agree with everything M0nica and Jane10 have said. This is the UK, not the US, and in this country we vote for the candidate, not the party.

And consider this: we are on the brink of something interesting with these 11 breakaway MPs (we certainly live in interesting times). If they were all to stand in a by-election, I would hope they would all be re-elected under their new independent status. But just supposing they weren't. We would immediately lose the impetus in Parliament of the principles they are standing up for. Everything they are trying to do would be swept away. We need to allow them to continue to have their voice in Parliament, to challenge all that is wrong in their original parties.

Andy knows I've been a 'fan' from his first posts.
A lovely bit of tongue in cheek merriment amongst all the gloom and doom.
Keep them coming, Andy.

Twice, Tory to Liberal Liberal back to Tory

I am so glad some politicians put country before party.
How many times did Churchill cross the floor btw?

Well I find them crass and offensive. Gorgeous grannies? Vile comment.

thanks , i like your posts very much...

I used to find your posts irritating beyond belief andycameron but I have to say I’m beginning to find you endearing! I must need my head examined... ?

no deal, great news ,,here we go out

much love all you gorgeous grannies

POGS we have read so many posts claiming the vote at the Labour Party conference was 1st. General Election. 2nd.
People’s vote .

I wasn’t giving thought to those who have turned Independent because of charges such as perjury , suppose still upset after listening to Luciana Berger and those who express sympathy but nothing more .

Heard today the Tory MP for this constituency has been charged with two offences of forgery and one of providing false or misleading information for allowance claims .

If guilty I wouldn’t defend him if he turned independent, but for me there is a difference between him and the MP’s who have suffered racism and those who support them .

Life isn’t black and white is it.

Anniebach

You know I have brought to the attention for 3 years now on GN the anti-semetic, bullying, harassment some Labour MP's have reported.

I fully understand why you feel that having to leave the Labour Party they loved because they felt this had reached a point where they were in a place where ' enough is enough' should not happen.

The reasons were given and anti-semitism was indeed a primary factor but so to was Remain in the EU/Holding a 2nd Referendum, Defence, lack of faith in the Leader etc.

I am genuinely thinking about the wider picture not just the 11 Labour MP's who have just become Independents but the 18 who have done so various reasons such as being found guilty of perjury (appeal may or may not be allowed)

Day 6

Thank you.

You have grasped the point why I started a separate thread to try and be politically unbiased as the ' 18' Independent MP's are from LABOUR/CONSERVATIVES/LIB DEM Parties and have decided to become INDEPENDENT MP' s thus removing themselves from their Party line.

Who knows what could happen next?

We could have a Parliament where 40 MP's who stood on their respective Party Manifestos and ticket ALL choosing to become INDEPENDENT MP's.

Use the law ? Ruth Smeeth had to have police protection to attend last years party conference.

How could any MP bring a case against the top table of the Labour Party

No Annie I am glad she made a stand. It highlighted an issue which she had to face head on with little support.in her position I'd have done the same.

Once you fall foul of a party leader and it's ethos you have to question your allegiance to that party.

However, it is the ease of becoming an Independent MP (for whatever reason) and retaining status that POGS is questioning.

I believe if you resign from your party you do have a duty to the people who voted you in to re-elect you or reject you via the ballot box in a by-election. Many die-hard Labour Liverpudlians might not want their party allegiance weakened by her resignation. She is there to serve the people. It is a debatable question if she can do that in allegiance and sitting alongside three Tories, maybe?

There are national laws that deal with acts of racism. It would be best if those who are victims could use the law. Especially high profile public figures. I appreciate it would be a dreadful ordeal, having already been abused but it might help to send a clear message that this type of abuse and vilification is totally unacceptable, wherever it raises its ugly head.

What else should a victim of bullying and racism do Day6
Put up with it or resign ?

POGS, I fully agree. I do believe those who remove themselves from their party, for whatever reason ( including the bullying/racism in Luciana Berger's case ) should have to do more than simply remove themselves to another bench and sit with their "friends".

I was talking with others yesterday and it was mentioned that ideologically Soubry and Umunna could be miles apart. To form a party there would have to be a lot of compromise. He also mentioned unless they are backed by wealthy Remainer sponsors, as a group they'll probably be washed up once we leave the EU. Interesting conversation.

Like most things, well have to watch and wait. In the meantime I do hope the parliamentary legal eagles are also considering the problem of greater numbers of independent MPs who are now rejecting their parties but still sitting in the house even though they originally allied themself to a party and were elected as part of it.

If independence once sitting in the Commons is so easy to achieve we could see the two party system ( I know there are more but they have less impact) being a thing of the past.

Anniebach

That sadly is another story. There are too many voices over the past 3 years that have been dispicably hounded.

I started this thread however hoping for the Procedure of how easy it is for ALL MP's from which ever party to simply decide to become INDEPENDENT MP's should move forward now there are so many.

But yes you are correct!

I understand why you think so POG, but it is so wrong that a MP can be bullied out of a party , it wouldn’t be allowed outside of parliament.