Politicians swapping parties

Foxholer said:
They may do when they stand, but details of manifesto policies may emerge that become unconscionable - to them - as has obviously been what has happened with the Tory 'rebels'.

Btw. The voting paper lists candidates as <Name...Party> not the other way around! So while many 'vote along Party lines', it's actually the candidate that is elected, not the Party. If a GE was based on Party rather than Person, there would be little/no need ror candidates, as the winning Party could simply appoint someone AFTER victory!
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I think the logic could be deduced differently. The process is normally that the 'Party' selects the candidate (hence the favoured get safe seats!) and the Party machine promotes the person whose name then appears on the voting slip. Of course there will be a few areas where the personality is a major consideration and also a few Independent candidates.

So I'd claim the what's printed on the voting paper comes after the promotional machinery led by the Party.

So, in my book, switching sides should reset the deal with the voters and need a by election.
 
Why did the anti Europe faction in the Tory party stay in it when clearly they were a minority ? What’s more damning admitting that the parties beliefs have changed and swapping to or starting up something new more akin to your beliefs or poisoning from within.
A lot of MPs get votes because of their personalities and historical performances.
Rees Mogg should join Farage but will he ? Their opinions are the same but he won’t possibly because of the benefits the Tory membership gives ...
I appreciate some of you are upset about this but it works both ways .. Boris purged his party, his right, they voted him as leader but in the end he reduced his majority until an election. But with a reduced majority and no need for an election (why bother he can do sweet FA on his agenda if it’s not approved by the house) we could actually get some sensible policies through that are not extremist and more focused on the UK’s well being. So in the end Boris gets a title, but can not damage anything and Corbyn needs the support to make changes so his hands are tied.
Sit back and have a few beers and let the country recover knowing full well it’s just hot air and bravado.
 
Kevin Schofield is reporting that Labour-turned-Change UK-turned-Independent-turned-Lib Dem MP Chuka Umunna is abandoning his Labour safe seat of Streatham for the more marginal Westminster seat – currently held by Tory MP Mark Field with a 3,000 majority.
 
Kellfire said:
You vote for an MP, not a party. Suck it up.
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Only partly true.
Here's just 3 examples.
National Parties 'place' candidates in safe seats.
Bercow gets in because there no opposing candidate by agreement between the Parties
The Brexit Party scored highly in the European elections even though the majority of their candidates were unknown to the people in their regions.

(why do you feel need the add the surplus contentious phrase 'suck it up'?)
 
Old Skier said:
Anything to actually add to the debate
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A question mark perhaps!

While Kellfire's reply lacked subtlety, it was certainly 'accurate'!

To me, the current method works better than the alternative as it allows the MP to use their conscience where they deem the Party line is wrong - as several/many have. There may be consequences of course, but otherwise (with MPs compelled to vote as per Party instructions) there is little point having 'representatives' in Parliament in the first place!
 
Foxholer said:
A question mark perhaps!

While Kellfire's reply lacked subtlety, it was certainly 'accurate'!

To me, the current method works better than the alternative as it allows the MP to use their conscience where they deem the Party line is wrong - as several/many have. There may be consequences of course, but otherwise (with MPs compelled to vote as per Party instructions) there is little point having 'representatives' in Parliament in the first place!
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OK, but at the time of an GE potential MPs side with a Party with whom they agree- hence I contend the Party has primacy in presenting their candidates to the voters. Independents do their own thing at their own expense. Since the ballot paper must summarise and print who is the choice MP it clearly has the Name as the prime data. I'd agree that the conditions can change once an MP takes their seat and has a change of mind over policy
 
drdel said:
OK, but at the time of an GE potential MPs side with a Party with whom they agree- hence I contend the Party has primacy in presenting their candidates to the voters. Independents do their own thing at their own expense. Since the ballot paper must summarise and print who is the choice MP it clearly has the Name as the prime data. I'd agree that the conditions can change once an MP takes their seat and has a change of mind over policy
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It's a balance.

The Party can have the ultimate say - removing the Whip and banning subsequent Selection for candidate, but for the rest of the Parliamentary term, the MP is simply 'not in his/her Party', so isn't totally controlled by the Party, therefore CAN act according to their conscience if they deem necessary.
 
Do not a lot of us vote based on what is in a parties manifesto.

If a member of one party feels that the Party has made a serious deviation from what was stated in the party manifesto on which they were elected should they not be free to switch parties.
 
I wonder how many voters actually really know what an individual MP's beliefs are? How many voters read the bumf that the local constituency party posts through the letter box?

Many probably vote based on what the political leaning is in many constituencies. Some might watch the party political broadcasts, and vote based on what they are 'sold' in the broadcast. But I'd be surprised if many actively hunt out the manifesto and read up on the local candidate.

Equally, just how many who vote for a particular party would be happy to accept their candidate switched horses? I can think of a few die hard Labour areas in the northeast who'd look to lynch an MP who switched from Labour.

But if a constituency feels strongly enough let them raise a Recall Petition - job jobbed and solved.
 
Kellfire said:
You vote for an MP, not a party. Suck it up.
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I disagree here because for example Jacob Reece mogg keeps his seat all the time because he is in a strong conservative constituency. If he switched to say lib dems and someone took over as conservative in that area he wouldn't get in
 
For years my Tory candidate had been Damian Green but a year or two back there were constituency border changes and Damian Collins became the option - we didnt get a choice so I reckon it's the party that you vote for first and the candidate second.
 
chrisd said:
For years my Tory candidate had been Damian Green but a year or two back there were constituency border changes and Damian Collins became the option - we didnt get a choice so I reckon it's the party that you vote for first and the candidate second.
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Don’t confuse the way you make your decision on who to vote for with the way we elect people. We elect people. That’s simply a fact.
 
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