The speeding up of turnover rates has almost nothing to do with shifts to the right or left, and much more to do with wider cultural change in Parliament.
One in his first term, one in his fifth, each intends to depart the green benches next year.
The Erewash MP’s departure raises serious question for the party on how to retain female MPs.
Laura Sandys’ decision to resign is symptomatic of deep unhappiness among women MPs
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Former Tory MP Louise Mensch has replaced Toby Young as The Sun on Sunday's star political columnist (he's back to his brilliant blogging best at The Telegraph). The former Corby MP uses today's column to praise the Prime Minister's Europe speech: "David Cameron played a blinder this week. His […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. As Peter Hoskin noted yesterday, the writs for a number of seats will be moved today, and will bring the number of by-elections in this parliament to 13. We've just hit half-way through this term, and so one might reasonably assume that there will be at least 20 by-elections […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter A search of Twitter reveals very little comment from Tory MPs on the naked photographs of Prince Harry that have been circulating across the internet for the last 48 hours and which now appear on the front page of The Sun. The screenshot below comes from the Sky News […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter On 8th to 11th August Lord Ashcroft polled the voters of Corby and East Northamptonshire and has found that Labour is heading for a comfortable victory in the by-election caused by the resignation of Louise Mensch. Compared to the General Election when Ms Mensch won the seat from Labour, the […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter ConservativeHome understands that, despite earlier reports, the date for the Corby by-election is still not set in stone. At the moment, there are two options. Here they are, with some of the considerations that will factor in the choice: 15 November This is the date that has been mentioned […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Since being elected as MP for Corby two years ago, Louise Mensch has been one of the busiest, most engaging and vibrant voices on the backbenches — and now, sadly, she has resigned. I’ve pasted her correspondence with the Prime Minister below, but the basic point is that she […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Yesterday, Louise Mensch took to Twitter to highlight how, disgustingly, a Facebook user had invited her to a party for the occasion of Lady Thatcher’s death. As this person had themselves down as a Labour supporter, she encouraged Ed Miliband’s party to say or do something in reproach: What […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter The Politics.co.uk website has named Nadine Dorries MP as the best MP on Twitter. The website's Ian Dunt recommends following the Tory MP for Mid-Bedfordshire for representing the Tory right and for her general outspoken-ness. He also commends her humanity: "There is a disarmingly charming side, where Dorries offers […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Louise Mensch, the Tory MP for Corby is recommending that her followers donate £5 to the Liberal Democrats for today only. She thinks it will show solidarity with the Cleggs who have been targeted by UNuncut protestors today. Hundreds gathered outside the Putney home of the Lib Dem leader, some […]
The less experience first-time MPs have of fighting a seat, the more likely they are to quit.