Retiring M.P (now Ex) defects to the LibDems

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Nice to see he doesn't give a monkey's about his constituents isn't it?

Most cowardly defection for quite a while IMO.

[Platypus]

how common ARE defections over there? They seem to happen monthly, at minimum!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well this isn't technically a defection as Parliament has been dissolved and he's retiring as an M.P (One of the reasons why I'm happy to call him a coward), but defections don't happen all that often; there's usually a few every Parliament but not a massive amount... the whip gets withdrawn from some M.P's more though.

[minionofmidas]

Yeah, I hate it when defectors don't try to hold their seat.
Especially if they might actually have made some -even if slight- difference to the election result there.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yeah, I hate it when defectors don't try to hold their seat.
Especially if they might actually have made some -even if slight- difference to the election result there.

What makes this worse (and the only reason why I'm annoyed about it; Sedgemore is a self described Libertarian nowadays) Is that he didn't even defect when Parliament was still in session (in other words he didn't even have the guts to face his former collegues from the other benches... even Marsden did that...)

[Platypus]

I don't think there has been a defection in aussie parliament for a long long time. Some have become independents, none that I can remember have switched parties. Meg Lees was forced out of the Democrats and created her own party, though.

I think you'd have to go back to Lyons, 70-odd years ago, to find a prominent defection, if not any defection.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Big defections are pretty rare here as well; the last big names to defect were the Gang of Four who left Labour to form the SDP in the early '80's.

[Silent Hunter]

Sedgemore turned up at the LD press conference yesterday, sporting one dodgy comb-over.

His op-ed in yesterday's Indy was little short of nasty.

He described the 'Blair Babes' as 'Stepford Wives' a while back.

The Lib Dems are welcome to him.

[Peter]

Big defections are pretty rare here as well; the last big names to defect were the Gang of Four who left Labour to form the SDP in the early '80's.

David Owen really was a great man; Only Portillo has really come close to emulating him in my opinion. They were both Prime Ministers we never had.

[angus]

Nice to see he doesn't give a monkey's about his constituents isn't it?

Most cowardly defection for quite a while IMO.

LOL.

"I urge everyone from the centre and left of British politics to give Blair a bloody nose at the election and to vote for the Lib Dems in recognition of the fact that the tawdry New Labour project is dead," he said.

well, it sounds like Mr. Blair is the British version of Mr. Clinton in that particular aspect.  On the other hand, the latter had the personality to drag his party rightward with him. 

[afleitch]

Bravo! That's what i say. I disagree entirely with his politics (and the Lib Dems) but if you want a leftist government in Britain- vote Lib Dem