Election Year or Fear!

[Ram Pant]

Thats it then, problem solved. Trump is a woman!

CIS or Trans?

[Geoff Parkstone]

He has that Es*** fake tan so likely from Shoeburyness, so 50!50 I reckon

[ramAnag]

I know there are no requirements about by-election but surely has to be a change. You can't have a party where over half the Mps are defections.

Its got to be raised surely.

Completely agree and not just because of the recent defections, although having a party with eight MPs, half of which were elected on a completely different ‘ticket’ does highlight the issue.

They’re basically saying that the person is more important than the Party at election time and I think most would agree that that is seldom the case.

[SithHappens]

Completely agree and not just because of the recent defections, although having a party with eight MPs, half of which were elected on a completely different ‘ticket’ does highlight the issue.

They’re basically saying that the person is more important than the Party at election time and I think most would agree that that is seldom the case.

I also feel it should happen with a change of PM.

For me i would give 6 months to call either an election or by election. That is fair to the person concerned as gives them time to demonstrate ability to do the job in their new role/ party.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Completely agree and not just because of the recent defections, although having a party with eight MPs, half of which were elected on a completely different ?ticket? does highlight the issue.

They?re basically saying that the person is more important than the Party at election time and I think most would agree that that is seldom the case.

You raise an interesting point here. Many years ago Id say the individual was more important than the party in terms of MP-hood. Post war (WW2), with the advent of stronger party politics, three line whips and so on, most of my lifetime has seen the party being the most important factor. But now I am seeing the peronalities become more important again, enhanced by the way MP's (or candidates) have embraced celebrity status and used social media to make it about them first and the party second. no doubt that people vote for personalities now, good local MP's eg Abbott (which makes farage an exception) and I think there is a tendency to look for a strong individual with local connections to take up vacancies, rather than dumping a party apparatchik on a vacant constituency.

Im not suggesting Jenrick, Braverman or the other guy whose name I forget from Swale's former gaffe are necessarily good or bad constituency MPs but I think they are now under more pressure to work for their votes rather than rely on blue rosette/red rosette guaranteeing victory. yes there will be some constituencies where the rightly dressed pig will get in but I sense thats is lessening in importance, which I think is positive (although not when MP's assume this celebrity status that is all to common).

Not sure where I'm going with this except to say that we will continue to see growing importance of the individual which, as someone who despises "party politicians" I would welcome, with some reservations.

Should there be bye elections as Sith says, or a GE if the PM changes - On balance I think so, as this would make defectors forge strong local ties before doing so, which I think would be positive.

That said:
1) a defector from Tory to Reform likely would get in with an increased majority given the way Reform have evolved in 18 months;
2) if a change of PM created a general election, Truss would have caused more chaos than she did as the GE following her ascendancy to the throne wouldnt have happened before she had herselg=f been replaced and needed a second one!

[SithHappens]

I can't speak for all MP's, don't know most but 2 that spring to mind where the individual is the deciding factor is Corbyn and Abbott.

I don't know if would get increased majority under Reform or not. Certainly a change of PM could see a totally different outcome.

[swaledale]

I also feel it should happen with a change of PM.

For me i would give 6 months to call either an election or by election. That is fair to the person concerned as gives them time to demonstrate ability to do the job in their new role/ party.

I can see the logic with an MP, they were voted in mostly becuase of the party they represent and to chnage "colours" at any point after an election is misrepresentation.


With PM, its less the case, I realise that up to a point, people vote on the basis of a party leader, though as GP points out, some vote for the party irrespective of who their MP is, others vote on the basis of the leader, but given the UK election system isn't a presidential one, thats a false premise, the only people who vote the PM in are the voters in his or her consituency. The PM just happens to be who is Leader of the party who gains the most votes, that can chnage for a variety of reasons and its not IMO an issue on the basis of the UK's unwritten constitution. So I wouldn't go for that, as with all leaders, their performance rather depends upon the team around them.

In terms of Starmer, my view is that he is certainly a decent, person with good technical skills and is actually doing a good job of governing. The problem is that he has no charisma, he's a poor communicator and his leadership skills seem lacking. One would have thought that the team around him could compensate for these flaws, but they seem of the same ilk.

[swaledale]

Madness is catching from across the ‘pond’. Remind me, weren’t Braverman, Jenrick and Zahawi all leading members of the Government that got hammered less than two years ago?

Patel next?

Apparently Suella ‘feels like she’s come home’. Bonkers!

Its certainly ironic, when these failures from a previous government, claim the Uk is broken, yet seem oblivious thattheywere members of the last government that did so much damage!

I find it odd that Braverman can go on about "uncontrolled immigration", when she was part of the government that allowed it to happen post Brexit and doesn't seem to be aware that legal immigration has halved over the past year! As rabid Brexiteer, she also seems unaware of how much damage her Brexit has done to the UK!

I liked the ex Tory MP Justine greening's comment, about transferring out all the extreme, crazy right wingers during the January transfer window, which would allow the Tory party to rebuild their team with more moderate, talented people! Indeed I can see that these defections may well enable the Tory party to become a sensible right of centre party that isn't frothing at the mouth over far right falsehoods and instead becomes what it used to be. There needs to be a good opposition party that isn't screaming nonsense all the time.

As for Reform, no party led by Farage has actually managed to work cohesively, and there is no sign that Reform will be any different, Farage is all about him, I predict some interesting times ahead.

[swaledale]

Always admired Andy Burnham, but then I’m seemingly also one of the remaining reduced number of Starmer supporters.
Don’t necessarily see the former as direct competition for the PM but he would be a good addition to the Parliamentary Party in terms of character and communication skills (God knows they need it!). An alternative leader in waiting perhaps.
Rayner? Not sure. Think she was probably hard done to, but she does have a tendency to shoot herself in the foot.

No your not, despite a number of reservations, he has done reasonably in very diffiuclt circumstances. He has obvious weaknesses and seems to have a piss poor team around him, but many things have been done which just don't get aired, even by Labour, they just aren't very good at getting a positive message across. He is by far the best PM for a long time, though admittedly that isn't a high bar to clear, but its something.

As for Burnham, yes he does have his good points, but he could have played a much better game, kept quiet, talked to Starmer about returning as an MP and not been so openly manouvering for months. That I find distasteful and unhelpful. Best thing he can do is keep quiet and run Manchester well, stop being a disruptive influence and looking like a naked opportunist!

[SithHappens]

Suella Braverman says there should be a by-election if someone moves parties but not in her case as she's different to everyone else.