Resign and fight a by-election says Quentin Davies' Chairman

Responding to the news that Quentin Davies MP has resigned from the Conservative Party and joined the Labour Party, Simon Chapman (regular CH commenter), the Chairman of the Grantham & Stamford Conservative Association, said:

“I heard this news from Quentin Davies with enormous surprise and disappointment.  He has let down his constituents and his local party members very badly, and displayed great ill-judgement.

David Cameron has launched the most substantial and heavyweight policy review that the Conservative Party has had for generations. As Quentin Davies well knows, that is due to report this summer. Under David Cameron’s leadership the Conservative Party will show that it alone can solve the deep-seated challenges facing Britain in the 21st century, so many of which have been directly caused by the control freakery and incompetence of Gordon Brown. I have no doubt that under David’s leadership the Party will go on to win the next election whenever it is called.

I am astonished to hear about Quentin Davies’s new-found admiration for Gordon Brown, which has not been at all evident before this afternoon. If he is as straightforward and devoted to his constituents as he protests, no doubt he will resign and fight a by-election, so that that the people can decide. Until then, Quentin will have the same lack of democratic mandate that his new leader does.”

Comments

[Richard Tyndall]

I am split on that Bill and for very good reasons.

My instinctive reaction is the same as almost everyone else here which is that he should resign and stand in a by election. This is increased by my own perosnal views on Europhiles and I do wonder whether my reaction - and those of others here - would be the same if this were Frank Field or Kate Hoey crossing to the Tories.

But there is another reaction based on my personal philosophy and my belief that the parties over the last 100 years have hijacked the very good system of Parliamentary democracy and so abused it as to make it now almost useless. I am vehemently opposed to the whips system and to the ability of the parties to force MPs to follow the party line to the detriment of their own beiefs and the wishes of their constituents. This has of course got worse over the last decade but even before that all parties were guilty of similar crimes against the system.

So personally I would make influening an MP through the whips system a similar 'crime' to bribing them. Party leaders and Prime Ministers should win the support of the house based on the merit of their argumenst not on their ability to arm twist the MPs.

For that reason, even though I am opposed to almost everything QD stands for, I would still not like to see him fight a by election because in doing so he is reinforcing the false claim that we vote for a party not an individual representative.

[Bill]

Richard

I agree with you that the party system has deleterious effects. In an ideal world all MPs would be independent but how would we then govern? Surely the party system is one of faute de mieux?

[Richard Tyndall]

I am not sure I agree. I think we believe that to be the case nowas the system has become so degraded and the quality of MPs deteriorated so far into Party fodder status that, with a few honourable exceptions, we tend to see MPs as having no honour, principles or intelligence.

But if the system were dragged back towards the way it was intended - most particularly if the whips system were removed and the public and MPs educated as to their rights and responsibilities - then I believe we coyuld have a functioning system where givernment could continue to function properly but was answerable to the public through theirelected representatives. Something whichi is almost non existent now except in the most extreme of circumstances.

The other factor is the amount of legislation the parties expect to be able to get passed when in government. Much of this is wasteful and simply making work so they are seen to be doing 'something'. It should be much harder to get legislation passed and one of the ways of enforcing this would be toinsist that every vote was a free vote and that the parties could only win their legislation through by the quality of their argument.

This is by no means impractical although it would severly limit the ability of givernments to get large amounts of legislation passed. That in itself seems a plus to me.

[Richard Tyndall]

Apologies for the standard of my typing. I think faster than I type hence the mistakes when I try and keep up.

[TomTom]

I would still not like to see him fight a by election because in doing so he is reinforcing the false claim that we vote for a party not an individual representative.

In which case move completely to the List System and have the parties pick the candidates and appoint successor MPs from The List.......then we won't need constituencies any more and Politics can be run from London and constituency associations can be wound up

[Richard Tyndall]

Absolutely not TomTom,

exactly the opposite of the point I was making in fact. The idea that we should vote for a party is the root of the problem. It is not the legal position nor should it be the principle under which we operate.

We elect individual representatives. That is a fact. Nothing should allow the parties to dilute that very important democratic principle.

[Deputy Editor]

Harry Phibbs has dug out the infamous report of his neglected sheep:

The Times, 29/10/1991 Edition: 3* Page:

MP fined Pounds 1,500 for neglecting sheep;Quentin Davies
By: Michael Hornsby

A Conservative MP was fined Pounds 1,500 with Pounds 1,000 costs
yesterday for breach of animal welfare laws after a court was told
that his sheep had been found in an horrific condition by government
veterinary inspectors.

One ewe on the Lincolnshire estate of Quentin Davies, MP for Stamford
and Spalding, was found barely able to move, magistrates at Boston,
Lincolnshire, were told. Many other sheep were emaciated, with little
flesh on the spinal and pelvic regions.

Investigations began after the ministry received an anonymous
telephone tip-off. Davies, aged 47, a merchant banker, admitted owning
sheep that had been caused unnecessary suffering and was also found
guilty of failing to ensure the sheep were fed a wholesome diet.Seven
other charges were withdrawn.

[A sweet little innocent bunny]

Why is Simon so against qualifying his statement with his intention/non-intention to put himself forward for the seat?

Of course it is relevant that the chairman of the association should comment. But it's just as relevant for us non-party members to understand if personal gain might be at the root of it.

Remember, you Tories are claiming that QD should resign as people voted for a 'party not a person' whilst simultaneously calling for Gordon Brown to call an election because, um, people voted for a 'person not a party'.

Is this what Quentin meant by trying to face both ways at the same time?

[Simon Denis]

We're not facing both ways, poor, not so innocent bunny, for the issue at stake is neither the individual, nor even the party but the ideological programme. If Brown continues the broad agenda of the labour party as set out in 05 then he has no case to answer. If, on the other hand, he suddently introduces a bill say to abolish the monarchy or close the public schools, then he would, in conscience if not in law, be obliged to seek popular endorsement through a general election, for both these measures would represent a radical departure from what most people reasonably expected. Similarly, now that Davies sits as a socialist courtesy of tory votes, he is in the position of a miserable, self-serving cheat UNLESS he submits his new position to the approval of his constituents at a by-election.

[Richard Tyndall]

That makes no sense at all Simon.

What you are therefore saying by extension is that the label (name) is not important and if QD continues to follow the political beliefs he stated when elected - particualry his Europhilia - then he should not need to seek reelection.

You can't have it both ways.

Which is why this claim that he should resign is so shaky not just legally (where it has no grounds at all) but also on principle.

[Simon Denis]

My dear Richard, I am not having it both ways - which sounds rather filthy anyway! Nor am I talking exclusively about labels. I am saying that an MP, like a government, has to have some essential honesty. If they are elected on a platform or a programme they cannot in conscience abandon it without at the same time resigning their office. By accepting the Labour "label" Davies has IPSO FACTO abandoned many of his Tory policy positions. You can see it in his volte face over the reputation and competence of Gordon Brown. As he was elected in his anti-Brown incarnation - whether this involved Europhilia or not is a side issue - he should resign now that he is pro-Brown. Or do you think he's somehow sneaked over to the government benches with his Tory convictions unimpeded and in tact?

[Richard Tyndall]

But many MPs down the ages have, rightly or wrongly, claimed it is not they who have changed but their party.

Now I agree that in QDs case he has no credibility what so ever given what he has said in the past. But the basic principle remains the same. Just because an MP resigns the party - whether he crosses the floor or not - should not be grounds for resignation.

[Andrew Bradley]

What great news that Quentin Davies has somewhat incredibly and almost unbelievably joined the Labour Party. I am sure that someone who comes across as a pompous p--t and arrogant and who is also called Quentin will be welcomed in the Labour Party! I gather he wants to stand for Labour at the next election - can hardly see the good comrades welcoming Quin as a candidate. To me it seems a bit like allowing Karl Marx to stand for the BNP.

I am glad that it has been mentioned that he was prosecuted by or at the request of the RSPCA for cruelty to animals. I suspect he knows about as much farming as a steeplejack or plumber. Does the good man live in his constituency. I stand to be corrected but is not the Frampton where he has his estate, near Boston.

Quite frankly we are well rid of him and I for one hope that if there are any other Conservative MP's who are similarly unhappy then they also bugger off asap and are never heard of again. Was this not the same Quin who was a front bench spokesman when we were led by that political pigmy IDS. Surely this says it all and shows our good fortune in him leaving us and the sooner the rest of the similarly minded knights of the shires types who voted for IDS go the better. This will give us the chance to select some candidates for the 21st century and I hope Grantham makes a good start. Please dont select some old councillor who has been on SKDC for years or a local landowner called Piers or Gervaise. There must be loads of good candidates in the smoke and I can assure them that Grantham is only about 70 mins away from Kings X so get out your GNER timetables.

[Richard Tyndall]

Actually Bradley that is pretty offensive to all the good supporters and potential candidates who live in the area and don't come 'from the smoke'.

One of the problems with the Conservatives at the moment is thinking they can parachute candidates in because they are on the 'A' list and come from the 'right' background. Grantham - much as we superior types across the border in Nottinghamshire like to mock it - is just as likely to produce a good candidate as anywhere else. And if not from the immediate area then there are plenty of good prospective candidates in the adjoining shires who would be just as suitable as a a Boris or Tarquin coming up the line for a visit from London.

[mary ellis]

quentin davies should resign so that grantham can vote for an mp whose allegiance is not in doubt.

[David Stimpson]

I hope that Davis, I shall not use his Christain name as it sticks in my mouth, resigns so that a by-election can be held. Davis was always 'true blue' throughout, now we find a red streak running down the middle of his back!
The man is a traitor to the Conservative cause! where would we be if we all felt as he? If Davis thought that the Conservative party had no direction, nor could define anything to stand for, then he should have remained and given the Conservative party something to stand for, to give the party direction if that is how he felt.
I feel sorry for the people of Grantham and Stamford, they deserve better. If Quentin Davis thinks that the people will vote for him next time round, then he and so too the Labour party, are in for a great shock!