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

[jim360]

Snap, Gromit (but, in point of fact, Churchill was elected Conservative in 1900, crossed the floor in 1904, won as a Liberal in 1906; and in 1924, when he went the other way, he did so outside Parliament, having lost his seat in 1922).

[ichkeria]

Sarah Wollaston probably does hold the views she held in 2017.

[naomi24]

Jim, //Many politicians have crossed the floor and never seen fit to call by-elections//

That doesn't make it right. Think how delighted you would be if your Remainer MP suddenly became an ardent Brexiteer and fought against everything you hold dear.

[ichkeria]

In the matter of Brexit, Sarah Wollaston changed her mind on that before the election.
By all means have a by election, but I’d argue strongly there is no obligation, be it Tories or Labour defecting to the Lib Dems via Change UK or Tories defecting to UKIP

[Bigbad]

Yes.
She already changed from a leaver to a remainer, and from Conservative to The Independent Group/Change UK to an independent and now Lib Dem
I agree that most people vote for a party rather than a person, so her constituents should be able to make their minds up about someone who can’t make her own mind up.

I don’t think there has been a By-election since Chuka Umanna started playing change parties either.

[retrocop]

I have always voted Tory in my ward. I will not do so again. Paul Scully (Tory) does not represent me and my particular interest when I requested him support a lobby that had petitioned parliament on a matter. None of the committee members ,I imagine, had a clue about the subject and the legislation that was proposed.Dianne Abbot was on the committee so I started off with little confidence on the conclusion of the report. At least Mr Scully had the courtesy to e-mail me and told me he was not going to support the petition. I thanked him and courteously informed him as a life long Tory voter he had lost a vote.Sure he hasn't lost much sleep over that but as the Ad says, 'Every little counts'. :-)

[youngmafbog]

Yes a by-election should be called, it is nonsense to suggest the majority of voters vote for a person - they dont.

The public should be able to remove these traitors.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// She left the Conservative Party 6 Months ago, why has it taken you so long to ask the question? ///

If you check the date it is the latest news, isn't this the news section?

/// Former Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston has joined the Liberal Democrats, saying it was the best way for her to fight for the UK to remain in the EU. ///

The people voted to leave the EU, and I presume that is why the majority of her voters voted her in.

Why should they now want a MP representing them who wants to remain in the EU?

Liberal Democrats they should now be force to change their name, Democrats who are not prepared to honour a democratic vote, what hypocrisy.

[youngmafbog]

You are correct AOG, Democratic is the last hing that party is. All it seems to be doing now is taking part in more treachery and attracting the treasonous deserters.

[THECORBYLOON]

ANOTHEOLDGIT, was Churchill a traitor and a turncoat?

[Old_Geezer]

"If an MP votes against the party of which they are a member, then that is democracy at work."

But only if they are upholding the majority view of their constituents. Or with respect to a nationwide decision, only if they are upholding the majority view of the nation. Otherwise they are just pleasing themselves.

[Old_Geezer]

I missed that bit where Churchill sided with the EU against the UK.

[andy-hughes]

I would regard an MP voting with their conscience against their party as part and parcel of the democratic process.

But I believe that an MP actually changing parties mid-term represents such a seismic shift of attitude that they cannot reasonably be said to represent the people who voted for them, so a byelection should automatically be written into the rules to cover such an eventuality.

As I have said, if the MP is confident that they still represent the majority in their constituency, they will have nothing to fear in asking them to vote again.

[youngmafbog]

"if the MP is confident that they still represent the majority in their constituency, they will have nothing to fear in asking them to vote again."

And there lies the problem doesnt it. They know they will be out on their butt. By clinging on they are probably hoping to be allocated a Lib non-Dem safe seat (if there are any left)

I think at the next GE there is gong to be a rude awakening for a fair few Mp's especially the traitorous quisling ones.

[Gromit]

Old Geezer,
The EU was all Churchill’s idea...

Winston Churchill: September 19, 1946.
// I am now going to say something that will astonish you. The first step in the re-creation of the European family must be a partnership between France and Germany. In this way only can France recover the moral and cultural leadership of Europe. There can be no revival of Europe without a spiritually great France and a spiritually great Germany. The structure of the United States of Europe will be such as to make the material strength of a single State less important. Small nations will count as much as large ones and gain their honour by a contribution to the common cause. The ancient States and principalities of Germany, freely joined for mutual convenience in a federal system, might take their individual places among the United States of Europe. //

[naomi24]

Sneaky Gromit. You left a bit out again. He also said ‘Great Britain, the British Commonwealth of Nations, mighty America – and I trust Soviet Russia, for then indeed all would be well – must be the friends and sponsors of the new Europe and must champion its right to live Therefore I say to you ‘Let Europe arise!’

This was solely Churchill's thoughts on rebuilding war-torn Europe. He had no intention of this country ever being a part of a United States of Europe.

https://rm.coe.int/16806981f3

[New Judge]

Well she, along with Chukkus A-Fiver has changed parties twice in less than six months (the first change being to a party that seems to have disappeared up its own backside). I'm not sure the country has the funds (or the electorate the time) for such frequent elections.

[Spicerack]

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

^ That's got to be the thickest statement I've ever seen on AB.
Apologies if anyone else has already pointed out the idiocy.

[ichkeria]

And what oh wise one moves you to give me that accolade.
Which I think is quite an accolade given the stiff competition lol

[fiveleaves]

At a general election you vote for an MP to represent you in the House of Commons. If he/she is a member of a political party, well that's a secondary issue. Or that's the way it should work.
Please also stop brandishing the word "traitor" around. At the end of the day a MP has to go with their conscience