UK By-elections thread, 2021-

[thumb21]

Its a shame that Arlesey isn't part of Mid Bedfordshire. The Lib Dems could do well opposing the transformation of long Arlesey into wide Arlesey.. Sorry, obscure local meme.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Won't happen, but fingers are crossed Zahawi's issues force a Stratford on Avon by election so we can see incredibly laboured bits on Shakespeare from pundits eager to show off.

Dickhead won't resign and give us this, shame.

[YL]

Nigel Adams is now Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, and Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, so Selby & Ainsty and Uxbridge & South Ruislip are officially vacant.  For now, Nadine Dorries is officially still an MP.

Candidate announcements are beginning to trickle in.  Reclaim and Reform UK have announced a pact regarding Mid Beds and Uxbridge & SR, with Laurence Fox being the Reclaim candidate in the latter.

[JimJamUK]

Nigel Adams is now Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, and Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, so Selby & Ainsty and Uxbridge & South Ruislip are officially vacant.  For now, Nadine Dorries is officially still an MP.

Candidate announcements are beginning to trickle in.  Reclaim and Reform UK have announced a pact regarding Mid Beds and Uxbridge & SR, with Laurence Fox being the Reclaim candidate in the latter.

What a game changer.

[YL]

Nigel Adams is now Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, and Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, so Selby & Ainsty and Uxbridge & South Ruislip are officially vacant.  For now, Nadine Dorries is officially still an MP.

Candidate announcements are beginning to trickle in.  Reclaim and Reform UK have announced a pact regarding Mid Beds and Uxbridge & SR, with Laurence Fox being the Reclaim candidate in the latter.

What a game changer.

Last time Fox was endorsed by Reform UK he managed a glorious sixth place and 1.9% of the vote, though unfortunately he wasn't beaten by Count Binface.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

On an entirely different subject, money laundering is a very serious matter.

[Torrain]

Apparently, the writ will be moved for two by-elections tomorrow - so they should be up in the next four weeks. But Dorries hasn’t formally resigned yet?
https://twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1668669720604684316

(And regarding the previous comment - I hear the weather in Mongolia is lovely at this time of year)*

_{* If it’s not him, then I’ve officially lost track of MP scandals - there’s just too many right now.}

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yes, I hear the Steppe is quite magnificent.

[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

Apparently, the writ will be moved for two by-elections tomorrow - so they should be up in the next four weeks. But Dorries hasn’t formally resigned yet?
https://twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1668669720604684316

(And regarding the previous comment - I hear the weather in Mongolia is lovely at this time of year)*

_{* If it’s not him, then I’ve officially lost track of MP scandals - there’s just too many right now.}

Boris probably doesn’t want to give up being Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds.

[Estrella]

Apparently, the writ will be moved for two by-elections tomorrow - so they should be up in the next four weeks. But Dorries hasn’t formally resigned yet?
https://twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1668669720604684316

(And regarding the previous comment - I hear the weather in Mongolia is lovely at this time of year)*

_{* If it’s not him, then I’ve officially lost track of MP scandals - there’s just too many right now.}

Boris probably doesn’t want to give up being Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds.

Makes me wonder how much the profit in 'office of profit under the Crown' is.

[Torrain]

More Dorries drama, apparently. Obviously subject to change, but seems like a plausible explanation, in absence of an alternative:
https://twitter.com/JasonGroves1/status/1668920251298332672

[CumbrianLefty]

She's really not that bright, all told. A u-turn on this u-turn has to be a possibility.

[TheTide]

She's really not that bright, all told. A u-turn on this u-turn has to be a possibility.

Her reaction (as she was sitting in the audience) to BoJo's withdrawal speech in 2016 is probably testament to that. She seemed genuinely shocked when he explicitly said he wasn't standing, even though anyone with half a wit about them could tell that that was what the speech was leading up to.

[Torrain]

Dorries says her resignation will be delayed until she herself has investigated why she didn’t get a peerage:

There is much speculation about the time at which I become appointed the bailiff of Northstead Manor, as part of the arcane resignation process when standing down as an MP.

To put an end to this…
I am awaiting responses to my Subject Access Requests submitted to HOLAC, Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Office.  where I will then take the time to properly consider the information I am provided.

I have requested copies of WhatsApp’s, text messages, all emails and minutes of meetings both formal and informal with names of senior figures un redacted. My office continues to function as normal and will of course continue to serve my constituents of Mid Bedfordshire as we have done for the last 18 yrs until this time.

it is absolutely my intention to resign, but given what I know to be true and the number of varying and conflicting statements issued by No10 since the weekend, this process is now sadly necessary

A number of commentators have broken down why this won’t work for a number of legal reasons, but you probably guessed all that already. For my two cents, I think she wants to muddy the waters so she’s around long enough to speak/vote in the privileges committee debate on Johnson, scheduled for Monday. All bets off after that - could just as easily u-turn again.

[CumbrianLefty]

It should also ensure any by-election is held after Uxbridge and Selby, thus potentially prolonging any resultant pain for Johnson's successor.

[Torrain]

The two confirmed by-elections (Uxbridge South and Ruislip, Selby and Ainsty) have been set for July 20th.

[YL]

The two confirmed by-elections (Uxbridge South and Ruislip, Selby and Ainsty) have been set for July 20th.

If Mid Bedfordshire is to be held on the same day the writ needs to be moved and thus Dorries needs to be out of the Commons by next Wednesday.

[Torrain]

If Mid Bedfordshire is to be held on the same day the writ needs to be moved and thus Dorries needs to be out of the Commons by next Wednesday.

Odds on her resigning next Thursday?

[Tintrlvr]

If Mid Bedfordshire is to be held on the same day the writ needs to be moved and thus Dorries needs to be out of the Commons by next Wednesday.

Odds on her resigning next Thursday?

I suppose they could then schedule the by-election for July 21 out of pure spite. Might help the Tories hold on since tactical voters might get confused by strong Labour performances in the former two.

[DL]

I suppose they could then schedule the by-election for July 21 out of pure spite. Might help the Tories hold on since tactical voters might get confused by strong Labour performances in the former two.

Is there a law that byelections and general elections must be on a Thursday or is that just a convention that could be easily ignored?

[YL]

I suppose they could then schedule the by-election for July 21 out of pure spite. Might help the Tories hold on since tactical voters might get confused by strong Labour performances in the former two.

Is there a law that byelections and general elections must be on a Thursday or is that just a convention that could be easily ignored?

A convention, but it's over 40 years since there's been a parliamentary by-election not on a Thursday.  (OTOH, it's two days since there was a local by-election not on a Thursday.)

[Sestak]

It should also ensure any by-election is held after Uxbridge and Selby, thus potentially prolonging any resultant pain for Johnson's successor.

lmao if Mid Beds is later could Johnson run in Uxbridge, lose, and then be put forward as the candidate for Mid Beds?

[Torrain]

It should also ensure any by-election is held after Uxbridge and Selby, thus potentially prolonging any resultant pain for Johnson's successor.

lmao if Mid Beds is later could Johnson run in Uxbridge, lose, and then be put forward as the candidate for Mid Beds?

Sorry to be boring. But it sounds like candidates are being selected over the next couple of days - with several selection meetings this evening for both Labour and the Conservatives. Even in Mid Beds there’s already a shortlist (lacking Johnson), where the by-election isn’t official yet.

[YL]

It should also ensure any by-election is held after Uxbridge and Selby, thus potentially prolonging any resultant pain for Johnson's successor.

lmao if Mid Beds is later could Johnson run in Uxbridge, lose, and then be put forward as the candidate for Mid Beds?

Sorry to be boring. But it sounds like candidates are being selected over the next couple of days - with several selection meetings this evening for both Labour and the Conservatives. Even in Mid Beds there’s already a shortlist (lacking Johnson), where the by-election isn’t official yet.

Indeed, they have now picked a candidate, Festus Akinbusoye, the incumbent Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire.  (Which I suppose means that if he wins there will be a by-election in turn for that post.)

Meanwhile Labour picked Alistair Strathern, a cabinet member on Waltham Forest council in London, for Mid Beds, and Keir Mather, who is a policy advisor to the CBI and used to work for Wes Streeting and who will become the Baby of the House if he wins, for Selby & Ainsty.

[YL]

David Warburton, the MP for Somerton & Frome who was suspended from the Conservatives over various allegations, is apparently resigning.  So it looks like we have another one!

The seat was Lib Dem from 1997 until 2015 and would fall to them on a 15% swing.