Richmond by-election
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So, Millionaire Zac Goldsmith (he of the racist mayoral campaign) seemingly cannot get enough of elections:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37764269
The Tories will not contest the seat, and, ealistically speaking, there will not be a pro-Heathrow candidate (so no referendum on the question). The Lib Dems are scenting blood, so the amoral power whores will be trying to shift the amoral power whore.
Would a by-election be required if Goldsmith just left the Tories instead but remained as an independent MP?
Just sent this letter to the local paper:
Quote:I see that the Tory party is not going to contest the by-election provoked by Zac Goldsmith's resignation and is to give him a free run as a Nimby candidate. But if they want it to be a referendum on Heathrow why don't they stand Simon Nayyar who was their candidate in nearby Feltham and Heston at last year's general election? In his election address he listed as one of his priorities: "Supporting Heathrow's growth to secure prosperity for our constituency and country" and declared "I strongly support Feltham and Heston's desire to see Heathrow grow". So much for the view that it is only the LibDems who promise different things in different places.As Richmond Park constituency (Richmond and North Kingston) falls into our West London branch's patch we'll be discussing our activity in it at our branch meeting next Tuesday. We won't be contesting of course (since the party's stopped standing in by elections after being beaten by Mr Blobby) but we'll certainly be doing something, leafletting, maybe a few street stalls (but let's hope it doesn't fall in mid-January).
jondwhite wrote:Would a by-election be required if Goldsmith just left the Tories instead but remained as an independent MP?No, and technically MPs aren't allowed to resign (but it is becoming mor common): the method is to apply for a Crown Office which disqualifies them from Parliament:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resignation_from_the_British_House_of_Commons
jondwhite wrote:Would a by-election be required if Goldsmith just left the Tories instead but remained as an independent MP?No, and technically MPs aren't allowed to resign (but it is becoming mor common): the method is to apply for a Crown Office which disqualifies them from Parliament:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resignation_from_the_British_House_of_Commons
He's being officially appointed Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds. As if with his billions he needs a sinecure.
Young Master Smeet wrote:jondwhite wrote:Would a by-election be required if Goldsmith just left the Tories instead but remained as an independent MP?No, and technically MPs aren't allowed to resign (but it is becoming mor common): the method is to apply for a Crown Office which disqualifies them from Parliament:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resignation_from_the_British_House_of_Commons
Then why didn't he just stop paying Tory party membership and remain as an independent MP?
Because he pledged he would provoke a by-election if the government went ahead with Heathrow expansion. He made such a fuss about this during last year's election (he's my MP or, rather, the MP for the constituency I fall into) that if he didn't he'd be completely discredited. He needs to restore this after his disatrous campaign to become mayor of London during which he played the anti-Muslim card.
There is a precedent:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Davis_(British_politician)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haltemprice_and_Howden_by-election,_2008#Analogous_UK_parliamentary_elections
Quote:A small number of previous by-elections have been initiated when the sitting MP resigned on a point of principle and stood for immediate re-election. This has occurred three times since the Second World War, the Lincoln by-election in 1973 and the Mitcham and Morden by-election in 1982 when the sitting MPs changed parties, and in 1986 when fifteen Northern Irish MPsresigned in protest against the Anglo-Irish Agreement. In addition in 1955 Sir Richard Acland resigned with the intention to re-contest Gravesend as an independent in protest against the Labour Party's support for nuclear weapons, but the 1955 general election overtook events and he lost.[7]At the 1997 general election, neither Labour nor the Liberal Democrats stood against the Conservatives in the seat of Tatton, urging their supporters to back the independent Martin Bell, over the Cash-for-questions affair.[8] Bell defeated Neil Hamilton and won the seat. In both the 2001 and 2005 general elections, the Liberal Democrats did not field a candidate in Wyre Forest, instead supporting the Health Concern candidate Richard Taylor.ALB wrote:We won't be contesting of course (since the party's stopped standing in by elections after being beaten by Mr Blobby)LOL
Mr. Blobby is innocent !!If my memory serves me right, it was the Livingstone by-election in 2005 which resulted in the party decision not to stand in by-electionsIn Livingstone we got 32 votes and were at the bottom of the poll, beaten even by a religious crazy candidate.The Labour winner was later discredited in the MP expenses scandal and sent to jail.
I'm afraid he's not. He accomplished his feat ten years earlier in what we know as the Little and Sad by-election but at least we didn't finish bottom.
But my point was that Mr Blobby was not instrumental in us ceasing contesting by-elections but that it was our derisory vote in Livingston – which I have to partially accept responsibility for as election agent2006 Motion 3. "That no more by-elections be contested as they appear to be a waste of money." Lancaster Branch. For: 72 Against: 70 Abstain: 7 MOTION CarriedIt also sparked off that perennial debate…candidate’s photo or camera shy.
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