This Parliament has seen a surge of cases against MPs. There are now 18 MPs sitting as Independents because their parties no longer support them. 8 were Conservatives, 7 were Labour,1 was SNP, 1 was DUP and 1 was Plaid. Looked at as percentage of MPs elected that means that 25% of Plaid MPs, 12.5% of DUP, 3% of Labour and 2% of SNP and Conservative MPs elected are currently suspended.
There are many differences in why they lost the whip. A few are on suspicion of criminal activity. Some said inappropriate things. Some behaved badly in their private lives though did not break the law. Some we are not allowed to know why Labour suspended them. Matt Hancock undertook a tv programme in the jungle.
The process for dealing with these very varied cases serves neither the public nor the MPs well. It is wrong for the public if an MP has broken the law or behaved badly but stays on for many months pending some action, in some cases barred from coming to the House. . It is wrong for the MP if it takes many months for Parliament to conclude the accusation was false. Whilst these matters  deserve proper investigation it is in everyone’s interest that decisions are speeded up.
Where the argument is over something the MP said or over actions that are not criminal the best judges are the electors at the next election. Where the accusations are about serious crimes the police and CPS are the  judges of whether to bring a prosecution.
April 25, 2024
Good morning.
And in the case of one MP, such as telling the truth.
Let us look on the brightside, in other countries, and indeed continents, corruption and appalling behaviour is considered quite the norm for their ‘leaders’ whether they be elected or not.
I mean, if they ever did anything we the little people want, they would be replaced. Just ask, Liz ? đ
April 25, 2024
There are too many alohabet soup members of Parliament
They are in no way representative of the population in general. We will see the same pattern with efnic minorities who will eventually bring their rotten ways here.
We see this in local government. The whole selection process needs changing to weed out the bad ones but this won’t happen because unlike heterosexual folks they are a protected species.
April 26, 2024
Such as my Tory MP. But it is the fact that he has NEVER worked in the private sector which irks me most. Worked for the NHS. Then the local authority. Then a SpAd. How therefore can he relate to the world of work that I live in ? He can’t !! All he sees is that BIG Government is the answer.
April 25, 2024
+++
The trick might be to dovetail their needs to ours?
Or to have a remote sort of govt. that just leaves the peasants to get on with it?
April 25, 2024
There was wrongdoing by MPs in the past too. They sometimes got away with it. Insider trading was not illegal at the time perhaps. Homosexuals who were politicians or celebrities were often not prosecuted.
On the other hand if MPs were caught they were usually quick to resign. Politicians attempting to brazen it out is a more recent phenomenon.
Regarding Sir Johnâs last paragraph, a sense of shame was a useful prompt in removing unsuitable politicians. Over the years that has completely disappeared.
The conviction politician is also in the decline. They used to be commonplace in both major parties. Now many see politics as a career step and a role they may leave even if they are in a safe seat.
April 26, 2024
Insider trading was indeed illegal, and the Marconi Scandal caused a great stir in 1913, when three ministers in the Asquith Liberal government (including the Chancellor, Lloyd George) bought shares in Marconi, after learning (via the manager of the English Marconi Company, who was the brother of the Attorney General) that the Post Office was about to commission Marconi to build a series of wireless receiving stations across the whole of the British Empire. There was a Select Committee Inquiry, and the three ministers were absolved by the majority of the inquiry committee, because Marconi was not directly contracted by the government, but via the Post Office.
That was generally considered a transparent excuse.
April 25, 2024
Doing things to help friends isn’t corruption, is it?
April 26, 2024
No. But one is there to serve their constituents and the nation, not their friends.
April 25, 2024
When you first entered parliament did you expect to end up with colleagues such as those to whom you refer, and in such numbers?
I suppose MPs are representative of the public and the public has gone bad.
April 25, 2024
Exactly. Whether it’s MPs, police, civil servants or the judiciary, they are drawn from society. When that society celebrates evil and despises righteousness, don’t expect those in public office to represent ideals the people have abandoned.
April 26, 2024
Yes
April 25, 2024
You say:- Where the accusations are about serious crimes the police and CPS are the judges of whether to bring a prosecution.
Except we have very selective policing indeed, have the vaccine regulation authorities and Gov. âexpertsâ ever been investigated over their (surely very clear cut) gross negligence in giving dangerous new tech. Covid âvaccinesâ that have injured and killed hundreds of thousands. Given even to people who had already had Covid and to young people who clearly had no need to take such pointless risks. The MHRA even largely funded by big Pharma.
April 25, 2024
+1
April 25, 2024
LL,
There is selective policy decisions who to prosecute. We saw this with the expense scandal, only a few given up for prosecution. The number should have been in the hundreds. Another example is that MPs are exempt from the offence of Misconduct in Public Office, why?
MPs have pensions linked to RPI yet they changed everyone else to CPI! Also they treat themselves differently to tax law ie benefit in kind. MPs create different rules for themselves. All those who tried to overturn, conspire and stop Brexit should not be in public office let alone an MP- that includes cabinet ministers like Hunt, Cameron who rigged the referendum and those they conspired with in opposition ie Starmer, Cooper, Miliband, Benn, Lammy.
Reply The only MPs prosecuted over expenses were ones thought to have committed fraud or theft. Claiming something an MP had paid for, he thought was in the rules and was approved by the officials vetting applications was not a crime.
April 25, 2024
LL
The culture of wrongdoing spreads far beyond MP’s. Police support marches in support of terrorists and clamp down on St George Day rallies. They protect protesters blocking traffic and arrest anyone trying to move them. A judge proclaimed a man innocent then gaoled him for two years. A man was wrongfully arrested and it took six months before his case was dismissed.
April 25, 2024
Police offered refreshments to oil extinction blocking roads!! Danced with LGBT and took the knee for BLM. Compare to this weeks St Georgeâs day March!
There can be no doubt Govt is behind this.
April 25, 2024
Looks likely. But even the bonkers SNP are beginning to realise the total insanity and political unpopularity of the net zero targets. Alas Sunak and Starmer still pushing this letâs go over the Cliff Lunacy.
April 25, 2024
All under the ESG, DEI, Non Equality Laws to discriminate against white English heterosexual men with no special characteristic’s. Ask RAF, Army, Police, Councils etc etc recruits if those English men are happy at being discriminated against? Wonder who they’ll vote for? More of the same or……….Reform?
April 25, 2024
Indeed. Plua they do virtually nothing about buglary, shoplifting. theft, muggings, car crime, bank frauds, knifes, antisocial behavour…
April 25, 2024
BOF, if I read reports that a person has been declared innocent, then jailed for two years, I still automatically assume that this must be outside the ‘developed world’, maybe in Kazakhstan or Nigeria. Not the UK. Whatever happened to the human rights act and the presumption of innocence in our common law?
But Julian Assange languishes in jail, apparently for having revealed facts which the US and UK government found embarrassing, not for any criminal conduct. So it is not quite an isolated incident. There are darker aspects still to the Assange affair.
I appreciate JR for hosting this forum. Much appreciated. It seems to attract users who have a sense of common decency.
April 27, 2024
You wish to watch tucker carlson and joe rogan discuss things including Assange and US plans for him.
April 25, 2024
Stunning new vid from Dr J.
âA good deathâ ( euthanasia) as spoken of by Mr Hancock also on video.
April 25, 2024
Iâm in line right behind Hancock!
April 25, 2024
âWe are the Westâs last generation before the new Dark Age begins
There is no future for our civilisation if universities’ totalitarian indoctrination of the young continuesâ
Allister Heath sadly is perhaps right again.
April 25, 2024
I agree with Sir John’s last paragraph. Can this common sense and fair approach work in this country today, where so much is set to a certain agenda and a large percentage of the electorate look no further than what is offered them by an increasingly bias and sly media.
Inappropriate speech can often now mean hard facts and truth. If facts and truth are not allowed how can we function as a democracy. People cannot choose their representatives wisely if so much is hidden.
If the whole system is now set to an agenda of MP’s changing their stance depending on which ‘community’ they are talking to, and tailoring it to suit their culture/religion/gender views etc. then can anyone govern properly anyway?
We will see a lot more being forced out for saying something ‘inappropriate’.
I have little to no trust in the judiciary deciding fairly what is a criminal act in public life and what isn’t.
Trial by left wing media will also ensure the public are kept focused in one direction.
Is it right that Labour can keep certain suspensions under wraps.
Surely the public have a right to know, lest this person is given any future role in public service by the back door.
It also calls into suspicion the nature of the crime. What can be so bad, that we must be shielded (well the MP shielded in reality). Is it worse than Rotherham and many other towns and cities up and down the land?
April 25, 2024
I fear this to be true and those leading the dance are the ones who are supposed to be brighter, smarter and well educated. This higher education seems to have left them with a very dogmatic view, and completely unable to comprehend that there should be a platform for those of differing views, without them being cancelled, or cat called as some ‘ism’ or ‘phobia’ freak.
It gives me no pleasure to say this, but I have to point the finger at many within my own family.
The young generation with professional careers (public service ones being the absolute worst) who have had higher education or are at University now (my Daughter doing a Science degree so I can’t even excuse it as being a Mickey Mouse one or a soft social one where any left wing answer is the right one).
These are the ones that should be able to take on a wider scope of view but they seem terrified by it!!
Then I see the other young members of my family who haven’t had higher education, mechanic, lorry driver, factory worker, builder, nurse, and they are much more open to different views and giving things some thought.
However, out of them all it is the ones who cannot be open minded, and cannot change their indoctrinated stance regardless of any evidence laid before them, that will more likely be in positions of influence and power.
April 26, 2024
+1 – but bare in mind if it has Science in the title, it probably is not science – social science, political science, environmental science⌠just as ârenewableâ energy is not ârenewableâ.
April 27, 2024
Nurses all have a higher education and many a Phd in science and art subjects and are an informed highly intelligent section of society taking responsibility for the lives of many. Please do not down what many think are a superior addition to medicine than medics. This is an old hat snob perception and illogical classification structure by those frankly up themselves.
April 27, 2024
Furthermore if we administer highly curative but potentially fatal chemicals according to blood sciences and homeostasis, taking responsibility for our actions and Nurses having diagnosed deviations from normal by the instigation of biochemical and radiological investigation and an understanding of human sciences, by physiological investigations such as electrocardiography and analysis of current and potential abnormalities, by physical examination and acting upon findings , by cytological examination etcetera etcetera .It is all scientific , but used with a knowledge of the human condition. These and much more are Nurses jobs.. not Doctors.
April 25, 2024
LL :
Allister Heath is absolutely right. There are now over 150,000 Chinese âstudentsâ âstudyingâ in the UK. They are funding and corrupting our whole university system (as well as stealing our IP and rsearch work) and thus our whole educational system, government, civil service, corporates, police, judiciary and media etc. Of course weâve always had Marxists in our universities â remember the Cambridge 5 spies in the 1930s, Kim Philby et al – but now the situation is far worse.
Woke is simply the fifth column Marxists/communists at work to destroy the Westâs wealth, social cohesion and ultimately security. Woke will invent and promote any policy which weakens and wrecks our nation. Attacking our history, implementing diversity to replace meritocracy, abolishing free speech, causing racist, religious and gender divisions and ruining our education/culture, police, judicial system, economy and military capability are all tools they use.
The reason why so much woke is hypocritical and impractical economy destroying nonsense is because the only coherent thread running through it all is the wrecking of the West using the tactics of the economy destroying Net Zero and mass immigration (population replacement and social disharmony) whilst organising protests, strikes, lock-ins, lock-outs, harassment and disruptive demonstrations for any reason they can find.
And it all starts in our Chinese funded universities.
Reply There can be genuine Chinese students not spying for their government.
April 25, 2024
Itâs not the Chinese students that is the concern, itâs the Chinese owned and run schools, like St Bees 400 years old and no no longer oursđ˘. It follows a Chinese syllabus!
I would have torn it down with my own hands rather than suffer this humiliation, not to mention committed communist BRITISH PEOPLE coming out of these institutions.
April 25, 2024
reply to reply..of course they are not all spies etc But you may be sure plenty are and even then why are we educating our ‘enemy’ to the best money can buy? excluding spaces for British aspiring young!
April 27, 2024
All students have family to think about back at home. Think debanking, think cancellation , think struggle sessions, imagine worse.
April 25, 2024
Tim Stanley in the same rag is much nearer the mark:”Israel could be Biden’s Vietnam”
I was only thinking the same thing myself last night.I personally salute those American students.
April 26, 2024
Well why on earth do you continually hark back to the education of youth both in schools and universities.People evolve , they learn new things everyday, prioritise their information and feelings about it in order to function.There are peer leaders with a stronger influence who have more impact than post grads, although granted ,the modern skills usually derive from a university background.I challenge the perception that formal education is the be all of all usable knowledge.
April 25, 2024
Many MPs lack an ethical purpose. They just see it like a normal job.
I am also pleased to report Elon Musk has today agreed with me that the West is heading for civil war because politicians are Balkanising the west and that it will turn very ugly.
April 25, 2024
Indeed, he is surely right but has he not got enough problems with Twitter/ X and Tesla surely all absurdly over valued and heading south. This as people realise how inconvenient and pricey EV cars can be. They do not even save CO2 or energy in practice over their lives compared to just keeping your old petrol car.
April 25, 2024
MPs are drawn from the public they intend to serve.
The problem with parachuting in people from outside, is that the then locals know nothing about them.
At least if the proposed Mp’s were taken from the local area, a past reputation or history of behaviour may go some way to avoid them being elected in the first place.
Big politics and a we know better than you attitude is part of the failure.
April 25, 2024
They are drawn by the Political Machine, NOT by the public itself any longer. We need to get back to selecting our own candidates, people we know, trust and respect. If we donât recover Parliament there is nothing else. Once Parliament is fettered, and it is, nothing else can be free.
April 25, 2024
Yes, it is not for a partisan committee of MPs to decide who can and who cannot sit in Parliament, that decision should rest solely with the electorate.
I read that some snotty nosed Tory halfwits are still mocking Lee Anderson for saying things many Tory MPs agree with but haven’t got the guts to say so. That’s the Tory party, even worse than their partners in crime, filth Labour
God forbid that we have to suffer five years of a real woke, white-hating, man-hating bunch of fascist ghouls . It will be far right this and far right that, 24-7.
I note Labour intend to renationalise the railways. Someone pass me a Luger so that I may blow my brains out.
April 25, 2024
Dom,
Blow your brains out??
You would then be able to stand as a candidate for the LibDems. đ
April 25, 2024
Is only the MPs had prevented the demonisation of Mr Powell.
Set a precedent for the truth to be widely shared in parliament.
So many wrongs could have been called out without fear.
DomâŚplease do not do that.
By the by it reminds one that they have stripped us of any defence.
Thanks ( most, not all ) politicians.
Thanks so very much.
April 25, 2024
Defence is now low cost. Drone v drone with a net! One taking the other down. And technical, jamming is very serious work now.
We donât need the massively heavy Challengers @ 70 tons, too complex, need a whole garage of mechanics to keep them going. We are an island! We must stop fighting other peopleâs wars!
We need Hypersonics, the Storm Shadow is slow but vastly superior to the French equivalent – ours skims the water and is not detected by radar. But the Russians have it sussed and can take control technically and change direction and target.
It a battle of BRAINS. And we had better shape up!
April 27, 2024
But we are expected to take human fall out !
April 25, 2024
National Rail – nationalised – thats why we have limited services on bank holidays and people can’t then use the railways for their holidays to visit their families and so on.
This conservative government has nationalised four railway companies in the past five years. The Tories have actually nationalised almost half of Britains rail. LNER, Northern Rail, Transport for Wales, Southeastern, Scotrail, Caledonian Sleeper, have losses been halted or have subsidies increased? Have services improved or have they deteriorated?
This government also gave Virgin, who were running an excellent and reasonably priced service away to Aventi who have wrecked it, why?
April 25, 2024
Avanti.
April 25, 2024
Not many would have a firearm licence for that! With luck it will jam, and we will continue to enjoy your comments here!
April 25, 2024
The decision about who can and canât get on the Candidates list (I.e. sit in Parliament) is taken by the Party apparatchiks- many of whom are wanna-be-MPs.
April 25, 2024
“A Luger” Dom? What’s wrong with a British made weapon though you may have to travel to Ukraine to find one (?)
April 25, 2024
đ𤣠I saw an advert for a French gun. Nearly new, never fired, dropped once!
April 25, 2024
In the case of Bridgen, the Not-a-Conservative-Party dispensed with someone who is telling a very inconvenient truth and whilst Sunak and the LibCONs may not support him, a very large proportion of the public does.
Local Constituencies should choose their candidates without any input from CCHQ’s “find lobby-fodder unit.” Then the standard of MP may improve.
April 25, 2024
I agree. My disgraced MP was parachuted in from Scotland and had no connection with our area. He’s never don’t anything for his voters and continued to sit on Scottish committees for years. Local people should be allowed to select their candidate not have a Yes man foisted upon them by central office. This process has weakened Conservatives over the last few decades and turned the party into socialists.
April 25, 2024
+1 a truth that will unequivically never be hidden as worldwide.
April 25, 2024
đđťđđť
April 25, 2024
Well we all now know only Liberals need apply for the NACP.
April 25, 2024
O/T Letters will by now have been delivered, read and reflected upon – so likely today we can expect the Chancellor and Governor to resign in a fit of conscience with a possible bounce in the FX rate.
April 25, 2024
What is an O/T letter?
April 25, 2024
O/T? âOff topicâ
April 25, 2024
@ Madge – “O/T” refers to “Off topic”, i.e. the Comment refers to something other than the subject of the day’s diary. “Letters” refers to the letters issued further to the diary of 21st. (last Sunday).
April 25, 2024
Off Topic I expect.
April 25, 2024
Free speech should allow everyone to say virtually whatever they like. If their wording is true they are simply stating fact.
Those whose words are frequently wrong will be regarded as careless, misleading, malicious or idiotic, resulting in others ignoring whatever they say and rendering them ineffective.
People wrongly using harsh words damage themselves most. Clearly some words should not be allowed. However, many of those who feign ultra sensitivity in being offended at simple everyday remarks are offenders themselves: as the sources of recurring nuisance in opposing routine free speech.
Some may be treated differently when mental illness is evident.
April 25, 2024
It’s a very good thing there are more independent MPs. They are independent of the coercion applied by the party whips to keep silent on matters that might embarrass the leadership. They can then speak out on significant issues, as Andrew Bridgen is doing. MPs slinking away from his speeches in Parliament is to my mind a sign of their guilty consciences. They’re uneasily aware by now that they shouldn’t have gone along with the Covid racket, but they don’t want to be reminded of it. Any more than Starmer and his front bench want to be reminded of mass deaths by bombing and starvation in Gaza. The truth can be dangerous for political careers.
April 25, 2024
Good MPs would debate the issue.
April 25, 2024
There many questions to be asked about Gaza HM such as…
Why (when you can build an extensive underground fortress/tunnel system) you can’t build any air-raid shelters for your civilian population? Or why the women and children of Gaza can’t be evacuated to a nearby Arab State (or better still – Iran) Or why in all the news videos from inside “war torn” Gaza, you never see any heavily armed men? Or what levels of food, water and fuel Hamas have been storing away underground over the years? (and how they are using them to care for their people)…and more.
I sometimes watch the BBC/Sky reports and often wonder about these things but sadly never get answers.
I’m told is that the {sic – cruel} Israelis are needlessly bombing Gaza for some reason the reporter can’t quite explain and that they must stop now. That there are probably less than a 100 hostages left alive, so why continue? Plus, once everyone stops selling the Israelis weapons, then Hamas, Hezbolla and Iran will have a much better chance of the defending themselves against the IDF and the Palestinians can all live in peace & harmony. At least I think that’s what they are suggesting…..
April 26, 2024
Re your question about journalists, Ian, I see that 55 British and US journalists have complained to the Israeli government that “foreign reporters are still being denied access to the territory, outside of the rare and escorted trips with the Israeli military”. The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem has made a similar complaint. The BBC says that Jeremy Bowen reports on Gaza, but has to first submit his reports to the IDF. What you’re seeing of the war, therefore, is only what one side wants us to see. It’s the same embedded journalism that we had when Blair and Bush invaded Iraq. I don’t watch it or read it, and I don’t know why you do.
April 26, 2024
I’m not of the opinion that the Israelis are without blame in all of this but I do understand their problem. I also understand that Hamas is not only holding the kidnapped Israelis hostage but also it’s own population. I recall a quote by Golda Meir along the lines of “As long as the Arabs love their children less than they hate the Jews, there will be War” Unfortunately, this still seems to run true and being given ‘access’ by the IDF doesn’t stop those Journalist asking my questions….
To be clear, I am not Jewish but I was a soldier a long time ago. It is very hard to fight an enemy that wears no uniform and hides behind woman and children. If I was a young IDF soldier, I’d want all the air cover I could get, simply because I’d want to survive and get back to my own family. War is a terrible thing and there are ruthless, evil people behind this one.
April 26, 2024
Al-Jazeera have locals reporting from Gaza-some have already been killed.The US has tried -unsuccessfully to-date-to pressure the Qatari government to get A-J to curtail their coverage.
April 25, 2024
Yes at least 100 Independent MPs might voice what the electorate out there think, and possibly change the shape of disastrous UK politics.
April 25, 2024
The mayoral candidate for Greater Manchester wasnât invited onto tonightâs BBC1 debate âŚ.because he was an ââ independentââ âŚthe system is stacked against the people
April 25, 2024
MPs need to be able to speak freely from the government and Opposition benches as they always did.
The job of the Whips was to take soundings and give the PM the bad news – he then had to amend his proposals until they were acceptable my a majority of MPs. Thatâs why âParliament decidesâ – NOT the PM and certainly NOT the Civil Service.
But the world is on its head – so now the whips bully, bribe and threaten MPs and the PM says âParliament will vote until it votes the right wayâ! I have never heard such nonsense in my life!
So the standing of Government is rock bottom. I have had a 9 year dispute with a County Council regarding a highways problem. It is so serious that The Department of Highways has now instructed the Council on the law and told it to come into line. The Council refuses and also refuses to respond to the Minister!
We donât need to overturn the Government, it has overturned itself.
April 25, 2024
The whipping system was introduced near the end of the 19th c. From the start it was the way the Chief Whips of the different parties can tell in a weekly letter sent to each of their partyâs MPs at the beginning of the week how to vote in the various votes of that week. In particular the three-line whip (the vote is underlined three times) indicates that the MPs (would) have to be present in the chamber and have to support this particular vote.
The idea that individual MPs can âgive the PM the bad newsâ and that âhe then had to amend his proposals until they are acceptable by a majority of MPsâ is for the birds (see I.Hardman, âWhy we get the wrong politiciansâ, revised Kindle ed. 2023 and instituteforgovernment.org.uk, 17/11/2023 âWhips: what is their role?â)
April 26, 2024
Your argument ends with only independent MPs
No party affiliated people standing for election.
How do you create a manifesto of policies prior to the election?
April 25, 2024
Yesterday I came across something Mr Cummings had posted on X that possibly explains the problem.
He states how, in his opinion, MP hopefuls are chosen. The criteria.
I think it is called kompromat!
And it doesnât deliver the sort of people we need!
April 25, 2024
‘Yesterday I came across something Mr Cummings had posted on X that possibly explains the problem.
He states how, in his opinion, MP hopefuls are chosen. The criteria.’
Do tell us what they are, EH.
April 25, 2024
behaving like sheep, no real opinion.
April 25, 2024
You don’t need to be told, think liberal woksters, end of!
April 25, 2024
No because as you well know my comment would be deleted.
You have no imagination?
Or search for what Mr C said. He was very explicit.
April 25, 2024
Morning Sir John,
So, what has changed? I don’t remember such high levels say forty years ago, so what’s changed?
Has the selection process changed? Has central office taken over from the local branches determining the local candidate?
Are there just more people watching MPs and looking for stories to expose?
Has the notion of public service been replaced with greed is good?
I disagree with Formula 57’s suggestion that the public has gone bad.
April 25, 2024
Some said inappropriate things.
This is concerning. What happened to free speech? Hounded out by the opposing parties and acquiesced to by their own party because it is easier than defending free speech.
The electorate can decide, just as they will about living arrangements and taxes.
April 25, 2024
Surely the whole point of protected speech within Parliament is so MPs can test ideas and be controversial?
It is for the listener to decide whether the speaker is correct, not the mob,
April 25, 2024
@Narrow Shoulders – when you are chosen by a gang leader to become an MP and not the people you wish to represent – constituents, if your views are not aligned with your only boss( you serve your leader, not your constituents), you are denied the basics of free thought let alone free speech.
“It is for the listener to decide whether the speaker is correct, not the mob,” correct – but lost with the shower that run the show.
April 25, 2024
If lost track of the number of times I have told you that this is the worst House of Commons in my lifetime and I’ve witnessed many bad ones.
April 25, 2024
The public choosing between 2 or 3 hand picked people for LibLabCon doesn’t really work though, because malevolent hands are picking them. Many voters will now look to Independents and smaller parties for their choice, because we see how corrupt and undemocratic is the present system.
There has to be far deeper focus on candidate selection.
Each MP could sit for election based on a personal manifesto and is bound to stick +/- with that if elected. Whipping done away with. Perhaps 10 candidates per constituency picked via some sort of primaries with their CVs open to inspection? Parties present but on a far lower level and, like Lee Anderson, MPs have the whip hand in moving between parties and changing the PM and cabinet, rather than parties having the whip hand over MPs.
We shouldn’t be again in a situation where the government has no interest in implementing its own manifesto.
April 25, 2024
Politicians are in the gutter with their noses in the ever deepening trough. They now get into politics for the money that is their motivation. It is not for the love of the country, its people or its way of live. Indeed most of the Labour front bench despise the country, its history and its heroes of yesterday.
There is no one to vote for anymore. I would vote for JR, unfortunately he now belongs to a party that no longer speaks for conservatives.
April 25, 2024
And yet the ‘man in the street’ probably thinks that only Conservative MPs are being suspended – so there’s a communications shortfall here. But CCHQ, I think, must step back from its pushing ‘exotic’ candidates onto local associations. Certain minorities are over-represented in parliament – and over-represented in the list of those in trouble.
April 25, 2024
@Sea_Warrior – CCHQ along with this Conservative Government have misplaced their purpose, their function. It would appear some have realised that in the CCHQ and are stepping down at the election – but will do more damage before they leave.
April 25, 2024
One cogent observation from the above, focusing upon the Conservatives, is that a regrettably significant number of its recent Commons intakes ought never to have been selected as PPCs or put on the candidates’ list at all. Whatever happened to due diligence? Is it overridden, in the minds of those who control the list and browbeat the associations in constituencies with a vacancy, by a clear track record of service to those false gods Diversity, Equality and Inclusion?
April 25, 2024
Or are they being jettisoned because certain things/events are now coming to light?
Thanks to the efforts of people like Dr John.
It was surely better when only rich men were politicians and had a huge vested interest in their estates?
April 25, 2024
Well Sir John, I am not sure what point you are making with this?
We know that in the wold of man (that includes women) erring from the righteous path of purity is normal.
MPs from all stripes are hopefully members of the world of man, so no surprise that some of them are a bit flaky.
That’s life.
April 25, 2024
Sir John
There is a seeming gulf of purpose from what we call MPâs. Yes wrong doing, as in abuse of position is one thing, the more important bit is why do we as mere mortals elect an MP. Surely, we expect those we elect to serve their constituency, the constituents, followed by the Country. But, serving a âgangâ leader whom none of us elect is a bit out of kilter in a democracy. The idea that you vote for someone because they are part of a party is a contradiction, that implies in the first instance they have an alternative boss, a leader the opposite of constituency and country. It also confers on the system that it is a leader of the gang, to repeat a person we donât elect, who gets to choose the candidates and not those(constituents) that someone wishes to represent. The constituent, the citizen of the UK is deliberately maneuvered out of democracy â is that why those we finish up with just serve themselves to the exclusion of those they are just said to serve?
April 25, 2024
“Where the argument is over something the MP said or over actions that are not criminal the best judges are the electors at the next election.”
Up to a point, Sir John. In the case of non-criminal statements or actions, the party of which the MP is a member still surely has a right to decide if it will support that MP at the next GE, in light of said statement or actions. Certainly that decision should be taken expeditiously, but if the decision is negative, then the whip should be withdrawn. The MP could of course choose to run as an independent , and put his (usually his) case to the electorate. If the MP retains party support, then the voters will judge.
April 25, 2024
Yet again I am in total agreement with you, Sir John. This is what occurs when common sense does not prevail. Something which is sorely lacking across all aspects of our lives these days!
April 25, 2024
Why do you need 10 nominations, subscribers from the constituency and pay ÂŁ500 deposit to become a candidate MP âŚits just a barrier set up by Labour & Tory, a closed shop, to stop Independents from entering parliament âŚthose Independents MPs that canât be controlled by the system
There should be no restrictions on who can be an MPs âŚtheyâre scared of the people
April 25, 2024
Independent MP canât control the system either. Have a think. They all pull in different ways and the civil service takes the reins and reigns!
April 25, 2024
@ glen cullen – to discourage the lunatic fringe, the capricious and self-publicity seekers, all of whom risk detracting from the seriousness of the process. Recall the deposit is refundable in full provided a candidate receives more than five per cent. of valid votes cast.
April 25, 2024
….and labour & tory politics aren’t ‘lunatics’
April 25, 2024
In the age of self, democracy is excluded, it is a manipulated phrase by those that distort it
Magna Carta was issued in June 1215 and was the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law. Only 4 of the 64 clauses exist today, parliament has constantly eroded everything this âGreater Charterâ granted the people of Britian, the aim being to create a new power base of self-gratification for those that finished up in our great institution of parliament â the citizen has been sidelined. Services to constituents and country has been sidelined. Even the words to-serve have been sidelined
Even now Runnymede, considered the home of the Magna Carter, in 1215 the birthplace of democracy, has since 1963 become part of the USA. Is that because the UKs power base doesnât want to be associated with any notions of democracy?
April 25, 2024
The American Lawyers erected a stone at Runnymede. The table at which is is said their wicked John signed remains on the island in a private house. I have been with Norris McWhirter, Enoch Powell and others, to see it.
To legally repeal part or all of a Constitutional Statute, it has to be done EXPLICITELY. Magna Carta is overwhelmingly intact. But we need to know that and fight for it to be asserted, over, for instance, the illegally enacted Treaty of Rome!
April 26, 2024
@Lynn Atkinson – the birthplace as it is said of Democracy. The Magna Carta is followed and defended by a great many of the Worlds Free people. Only in the UK do we have a Parliament and a Government that refuses to defend its principles. You mention the Treaty of Rome that the UK Government chose to reneged on the Magna Carta on, this should also include the likes of the ECHR, the UN and so on. Bureaucrats with no democratic legitimacy getting to rule, is no different to a out of control Monarch – the very thing the ‘Great Charter’ sort to protect us from.
April 25, 2024
Its ANZAC day today, with massive parades in Sydney, the Australian and New Zealand remembrance day âŚ.not mentioned on the BBC or Sky …I wonder if parliament will give it a mention ?
April 25, 2024
As a person who fought and won a seat as an Independent Residents Candidate on a Borough Council I take great exception to political party candidates using the phrase ‘Independent’ when they cause some problems for their parties, or themselves, in public office. To be an Independent takes a lot more time, money and personal input to achieve. Political parties just choose someone and then do the publicity. As a Green Councillor once said to me ‘If the Tories put up a purple cabbage and told the electorate to vote for it, they would’. Same applies to other political parties I guess depending on the person making the comment. I am insulted by these people taking on the title I held with pride because people voted for me and not a political party.
April 25, 2024
Mr Redwood will pay no attention to what we say, unless it is in his and his party’s favour.
How many of the Tory MPs who remain have anything much in common with the average person. Where do they come from? What lives have they lived which can be the same as the majority of us?
Just look more than one Tory MP who has been thrown out, daring to speak clearly. Look at those who stay loyal, the majority are weak brains.
April 25, 2024
Prangwizard: If any MPs have anything in common with some of us & feel concerned, affronted and just a bit angry at reading reports, and condemnation it seems to me, from (1) an Irish minister “Asylum Seekers pouring into Ireland from the UK says minister ” and (2) The Guardian headline ” UK accused by Amnesty ( i.e. Amnesty International ) of deliberately destabilising human rights globally” – then perhaps they might question, challenge and request a government response we can all see and hear loud and clear. We are apparently guilty of destabilising human rights on the global stage for our own political ends ……. Yet another two entities joining the all too apparent UK pile-on.
April 25, 2024
Mirrored to whats happening in our colleges and universities
April 25, 2024
PW – Firsr paragraph 100% Spot on. Unless any comment agrees with his or their narrative then we are wasting our time.
April 25, 2024
I see a load of comment directly in opposition to JR and his politics.
There is much to criticise, but not that on this blog.
April 25, 2024
Much needed comment and well said. Thanks.
April 25, 2024
I’m surprised someone given a jail sentence even if suspended is allowed to continue without the public that elected them being given a by-election.
April 25, 2024
@ a-tracy – your surprise may be lessened by the fact that whilst those sentenced to more than twelve months gaol are automatically deprived of their seat in parliament, those sentenced to less risk a recall petition where if at least ten per cent. of consitituents vote to recall, a by-election ensues with the prospect of the deposed M.P. standing as a candidate.
April 25, 2024
Certainly at least one of the ex-Tory members was kicked out because the ‘party’ couldn’t confront the data he was presenting. The unfairness and deceit by the party stood out a mile. This one was all about party loyalty and absolutely nothing to do with the truth. This MP was punished unfairly for not following the party line, proving just how deceitful this government is. – WHAT A SHAM.
It would be unfair to kick MPs out while their court cases was still pending, but should certainly be forced to go if found guilty of criminal activity.
The quality of MPs has been a matter of concern for some time. It seems charisma and an innocent smile beat experience and decency any day — When are we going to raise the bar to get more professional people into parliament. MPs should at least be able to understand what is being discussed, have a mind of their own and not rely just on civil service briefings. It seems few have the ability to ‘think’ with too many subjects that come up.
April 25, 2024
When the rot gets into the apple there is no point in eating it ; choosing good fruit to eat is a matter for the consumer – and no-one wants to spend their money foolishly . Quality of selection is down to the skills of those who are responsible for choice and if this falls short the sort of mess we see now is inevitable .
April 25, 2024
It is obvious that something is seriously wrong with the selection of Conservative candidates. Far too many suffer from defects of character which make them unsuitable for private life. This should include failings in personal morality which should be a prime test in candidate selection.
April 25, 2024
âMatt Hancock undertook a tv programme in the jungle.â
Thatâs not all Matt Hancock did.
April 25, 2024
Which of his numerous follies are you thinking off?
April 25, 2024
An independent mayor candidate has the following manifesto pledges â
⢠Scrap the money-grabbing scheme known as the Clean Air Zone (CAZ)
⢠Fix the police by turning them back into a Police Force
⢠Sack senior police officers who failed the victims of the grooming gangs
⢠Tackle knife crime by offering neighbourhoods a vote on Stop & Search
⢠Create a Free Speech Charter so everyone understands their rights
⢠End rough sleeping in one year
⢠Promote the family as the foundation of our society
⢠Create a Waste & Incompetence Watchdog to inform the public on how their taxes are squandered
⢠Support Bolton to hold a referendum on if they wish to be part of Greater Manchester
⢠Give the people a referendum on if they want to keep the position of Mayor
Sound like the old conservative party !
April 25, 2024
Such MPs probably have the same affliction that seems to affect many of the witnesses to the Covid and Post Office inquiries i.e. they have such poor memories of what they are accused of that they cannot be held culpable.
April 25, 2024
The reactions of MP’s from all parties to the debates initiated by the Member for North West Leicestershire is shameful and a kick in the teeth to any ideal of freedom of speech. Most of our parliamentary representatives are guilty of protecting their own careers at the expense of open debate. All through the Covid years any dissent was stamped on and many highly qualified and eminent scientists and doctors were silenced or discredited. Trust in our governance has dissipated. I now can only feel a deep cynicism for anything said by our leaders and their advisors.
April 25, 2024
To reclaim our country and secure our heritage and way of life we need just two simple Acts of Parliament
The Referendum Act
The Recall Act
That should restore DEMOCRACY back to its roots.
April 25, 2024
The present system isn’t working. The Standards and Privileges Committee has got too big for its boots and is sanctioning M.P.s not merely for behaviour within Parliament but also for behaviour outside Parliament (e.g. Chris Pincher and Peter Bone) which should be left to Police or if not a Police matter not sanctioned. Political parties have become slap-happy in removing the whip from their M.P.s. An off the cuff reform I suggest is triggering byelections both only and always in four circumstances:
1) An M.P. dies
2) An M.P. resigns
3) The Court process (including appeals if any) results on an M.P. being found guilty of a crime and imprisoned for more than 6 months
4) An M.P. departs for more than one month the label he/she was elected on (that should stop all these M.P.s being suspended from the whip as well as M.P.s like ours in Bury South crossing the floor – after all most M.Ps were elected mainly because of their party label).
April 25, 2024
We have to retain our deselection powers.
April 25, 2024
Are there no conditions of Service for MPs, as there are in the Medical profession and in the Armed Forces? Surely they must be accountable to the electors at the time they’ve been found guilty, and not have the pleasure of being able to hang on until the next election?
April 25, 2024
Nothing can stop what is coming, Nothing and the Enormity of what is coming will shock the world. Panic everywhere folks.
April 25, 2024
It will only shock the west. Everyone else can see it coming. They have the distance for perspective. Have you read âthe strange death of Europe?â
April 26, 2024
LA: In my case yes. An excellent though often disturbing read. The author’s 2018 Afterword states in a final paragraph, ” As this book suggests, there is an ongoing effort to make the European publics not believe the evidence of their own lives. The point of this book is in part to point out that there is no point in the pretence – no point in pretending that everything going on does not constitute the most significant change possible in a culture…. “
April 25, 2024
Can’t see anyone bidding for any rail franchises now that labour have promised to nationalise them all.
The open access train operating companies are going to be massively shafted, given that they invented services from scratch, showed real innovation, in the face of a national rail system that didn’t want those services. Their investment will be destroyed. People actively want and use the London to Sunderland and Bradford services that grand central provides for instance (at far lower cost than the other east coast operators), and also have other innovations like being able to buy your ticket onboard and not have to pre-book. Which again is very popular with the passengers.
The fact that the conservative west midlands mayor took west midlands trains into his ownership I guess demonstrating that no sides of the political spectrum are prepared to fight for any element of competition and innovation from the private sector.
April 25, 2024
John – thanks for this litany of misdemeanours. We’ll wait for the BBC and civil servants to decide which are guilty. Please no bye elections.
April 25, 2024
I wish MPs and journalists spoke like the young army officer who updated / apologised thanked the police and public for the army horses running through London.
And also why we should reintroduce national service. Voluntary and for a short period. In order to instil our young men with more masculinity / sense of self-discipline etc (Also, the last head of MI6 said we need to reintroduce military service).
April 26, 2024
I don’t believe the electors are particularly bothered by the hype the media searches for unless they are unusually gullible.
Obvious criminal activity will sway the populus,but the pettiness of media will not have such a great impact.