Should A By-Election Be Called, If A Traitor To Their Party And To Those Those Who Voted Them In Power, Joins Another Party?

[anotheoldgit]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49353240

[naomi24]

Yes. Immediately.

[Old_Geezer]

No. Folk voted for them not a party.
That said I reckon constituents ought to be able to call a vote of no confidence in their representative much easier.

[Togo]

Of course it should. This turncoat has left thousands of people without representation in the house of commotions...……...ohhh hang on.

[hellywelly4]

I always vote for the party, not the person, so I think there should be a by-election as I think most people do the same as me.

[naomi24]

OG, //No. Folk voted for them not a party. //

I vote for a party - not for an individual - and I bet you do too.

[Old_Geezer]

I may choose to vote for an individual based partly on them being in a particular party, but no one votes for a party. That's a PR trap, telling you who you're getting rather than letting you vote for a person.

[ToraToraTora]

Yes they should, I take OG's point but usually the candidate is selected by the party hierarchy(nodded through by the local committee) so the constituents have not had a say in the candidate, really they voted for the party so yes if that MP then joins another party I'd say it should trigger a bye election and they can stand for their new party.

[naomi24]

OG, //no one votes for a party//

I do. Always.

I bet you've never voted for someone who represents a party you don't like - hence you're voting for a party rather than an individual.

[ichkeria]

She was a prominent leave campaigner as well.
Oh dear :-)
They have their Goings as well as their Cummings.

[anotheoldgit]

Old_Geezer

Do you vote for them if they happen to have a pretty face then?

People vote for candidates who happen to represent the political party of their choice.

If this type of thing is allowed to continue what is stopping a candidate standing for election under the disguise of a local popular party and then once in power moving over to their chosen party?

[ichkeria]

I’m not sure the government would welcome a by-election in Totnes just now ;-)
Or indeed anywhere ...

[Old_Geezer]

Of course I've voted for candidates in a party I don't prefer. Parties I really don't like are unlikely to attract candidates who hold my views anyway, so are besides the point. Ultimately it's the views the representative will support, not the party they joined, that counts.

[Old_Geezer]

What the heck has pretty faces to do with anything ?

[ichkeria]

Also, parties themselves can change direction midterm.
For example, the Conservative party’s manifesto promised “an orderly Brexit” :-)

[Khandro]

OG; //Folk voted for them not a party. //

That is not true, millions of people always vote for the party, many of them without even knowing the name of their candidate.

[Khandro]

^^ prior to voting

[Jackdaw33]

I must disagree. She was elected as an MP and is entitled to serve her term before being unceremoniously dumped. She won't be an MP next time round.

[naomi24]

Jackdaw, the system 'entitles' her but if she no longer represents the people who voted for her - which she doesn't - it shouldn't.

[ludwig]

Yes. Unless they stand as an independent, they stand as a representative of a particular party with the implied promise they'll support the manifesto of that party.

If they subsequently decide they can no longer do that, that's fair enough, but it should trigger a by-election so that the electorate can decide if they still want that individual to represent them.

[cassa333]

I’ve always thought they should. It doesn’t matter which party they belonged to either.

When you win a seat under the banner of a specific organisation and their manifesto then you should stick to it. If you disagree with the manifesto then you shouldn’t be a member of that party.

Would these people have won their seats from a cold start of not having the party backing and party money? Would people have voted for them as independent or another party?

Only the electorate can say.