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

[Terry Keen]

It is so frustrating that we get at least one Conservative MP defecting during each parliament.

Oh well, lets hope that he will be the last for at least a couple of decades.

[CDM]

Of course he won't resign! That would require some form of backbone.

[bluepatriot]

Good letter Simon.

[Old Gordy]

It seems this bloke wants his job - hardly surprising!

[Chelloveck]

Oh get off your high horse. If the boot was on the other foot, you would not be calling for your new catch to resign.

In fact, it only takes a few seconds to find posts like this from Tim, positively relishing the thought of defections to the Tory Party without even a suggestion of their need to resign...

The truth is, it's all going tits up for Cameron. And about time too. None of you will be defending him after he's gone. You'll be thinking about your career and how to brown nose the next leader.

[Gordon Henderson]

Well said, Simon! I trust you will be putting your name forward when your local association is looking to replace Mr Davies with a true Conservative!

[Tory T]

Well done indeed Simon Chapman. A very good chairman of a strong association who will come out of this with a better MP.

[Joseph]

Might be a good idea for Mr Davis to resign after all Mr Cameron has fought 2 Bye elections, one in the late Eric Forth's seat where he managed to turn a safe seat into a marignal and the other in Scotland where Tories dropped ANOTHER -0.2% from the GE.
Now with Mr Campbell's future as Liberal Party Leader not all that secure, he will be certain to give the Tories a good fight and we all know what the Liberals can do at Bye-Elections and Labour is still in the bounce or honeymoon period. What a good idea to see just how popular Mr Cameron really is, good suggestion that one, takes brains to think that lot up.

[John]

Chelloveck:

Have you seen some of things that Quentin Davies said about Gordon Brown 2 years ago?

Check out the Iain Dale Blog. Quite frankly Brown must welcome him through gritted teeth.

Davies is an utterly reprehensible hypocrite who has severely let down his Association and his constituents. He should be ashamed of himself.

Simon Chapman is absolutely right as is the Editor for his stance on this.

I may not always support the leadership of the Conservative Party but I have never and will never change sides and support Labour and nor would anyone with integrity.

Incidentally, did anyone else see Brown on Sky. He looked exhausted!

[601]

"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"

Then britain must be doomed!

I am not a troll.

I just think this is a bit arrogant.

[Paul Seery]

The only consolation today is that it was not Justine Greening that defected. If had been it would have been a very sad day for the Conservative Party Parliamentary team and the party in general.

[Tory T]

Iain Dale's comment on that was great, I credited Rik W but full marks to Iain. I trust some of the papers will use that tomorrow.

[cleo]

It seems the party is intent on permanent opposition. The party has to get behind the leader, I think it was IDS who said "unite or die", very appropriate now.

[Chelloveck]

John (18:31) - I'm sure Quentin is just another self-serving egotist careerist like most of them in the HoC.

But then it is also likely that Simon equally saw the window of opportunity for himself etc. but seeing as the only thing politicians don't want less of is power, he's being naive if he thinks Q will resign.

It is time to limit MP's to two terms. This is the only way to weed out the careerists and prevent bedblockers.

[bluepatriot]

Iain Dale is obviously a fraud. His first post on this is at 2.48 but there are no comments until over 30 minutes later and then as you would expect they rush along. He clearly did not want to look slow and fabricated his time stamp.

[tapestry]

Is it true that Simon Chapman saved Quentin Davies from being deselected in January 2006 as has been suggested elsewhere?

If so, you can understand his bitterness.

If Consituencies want to deselect, it's best to get on with it!

[Alan S]

I noticed that, too, bluepatriot. Naughty Mr Dale!!!

[Chelloveck]

Mr Dale lying for political gain?

How very dare you!

[John]

Chelloveck:

I do not know sufficient to judge motives but I beg to differ on your solution.

Despite situations like this, constituents and local party organisations should be allowed to judge for themselves without defined constraints.

At the end of the day my major concern against Davies' actions is that he has seriously let down those who selected and elected him.

Similarly, I do not believe we should limit the number of terms a Prime Minister should run. Let the people decide.

[Chelloveck]

John - but the people don't really get a choice. In a safe seat, they are stuck with the same old arse, with little real chance of ever replacing them.

Why has QD let those who voted for him down? He stood and was elected on a clear Tory manifesto that has now been ripped up.

What if they voted Tory because the supported nuclear power etc? Has not the tory Party now deceived them?

If someone voted for QD because they supported nuclear, then clearly to maintain that pledge, his only choice was to switch to Labour.

[RodS]

Yet another sign of the calibre of politician we are breeding these days - in all parties.

[richard]

With less than 24 hours to the start of the Brown terror, it must be quite obvious now to anyone with eyes to see that the choice of Dave as Tory leader was a catastrophic mistake (as were the previous four choices from 1990 onwards.) The only way we can avoid defeat at the soon-to-be-announced General Election is for Dave to step down and for him to be replaced by Ken Clarke who always had Gordo's measure - not surprisingly as Gordo has built his career on Clarke's successful stewardship of the economy. Of course this won't happen so it's a case of 'Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for at least five more years of Opposition.'

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

"..Ken Clarke who always had Gordo's measure"

Then the Tory membership will fall to zero. The vast majority of grass-roots activist Tories would just 'retire' from active politics (only the despicable little careerists would continue).

Fatuous buerks like QD aren't going to be missed. A man with no ideas or backbone. He brought nothing to the party except his stunning looks.

[Edison Smith]

Did anyone see Alan Duncan interviewed on Channel 4 news?

Masterful performance, both dirtying Davies's name AND denigrating Brown.

Hope he gets a promotion in the reshuffle.

[Edison Smith]

I'd love for the next Tory candidate for the seat to be a gay black woman, just to piss off the salivating Quentin Davies Tories who are dragging this party down.

[Simon Denis]

Yes, Duncan was brilliant - terse, flexible and adroit. As for those currently attacking Cameron, they are mad. At the moment he is the man on the right; he is standing up for British sovereignty; Davies is cheerleading for Brussels bureau-tyranny, but so bone headed and venomous are some of the tory right that they will even make common cause with the likes of Davies so long as it embarrasses Dave. I am against further mass immigration, I like grammar schools, I reject the case for a state funded health service but even I can see that there is something crazed about the more "traditional" tories if this is the way they behave.

[MHDH]

As Simon Chapman's letter reads, he's clearly had CCHQ do it for him. Can he please confirm that he is (i) not on the Candidates' List; and (ii) if he is, that he wrote the response himself?

[John]

Chelloveck:

When we lost in 2005 and became the opposition, the 2005 Conservative manifesto effectively became void.

It is Labour's Manifesto we are following. As a Conservative I expect my Conservative MP to oppose those the Labour manifesto where it conflicts with Conservative ethos or harms the interest of the country.

Quentin Davies was elected to do this but instead of opposing Labour's manifesto he now supports it. That is how he has betrayed his constituents.

The Nuclear issue is another debate but I would suggest that in Alan Duncan's response to the recent white paper there is nothing to suggest the Conservatives oppose Nuclear power.

David Cameron's comments relate I suggest to the next Conservative Manifesto and again do not rule out nuclear power.

What he says is basically if there are better forms of power generation that can do the job then he prefers those over Nuclear. He does not rule out Nuclear power

I think that is perfectly reasonable and people will be allowed to vote on it at the next election.

[Richard Tyndall]

I am sorry but much as I do understand and sympathise with Simon Chapman, he is simply wrong to say that Mr Davies should resign (though personally I wish he would).

As I stated on a previous thread at General and local elections we do NOT vote for a party. We vote for an individual representative. As such it is encumbant upon the electorate to make sure they are fully aware of the opinions and philosophies of the person they are voting for. Quentin Davies has always been an outspoken Europhile. As such I could never have voted for him if he were my MP (which he may well be shortly as we are planing on moving over from Newark into his constituency).

It vis about time people started learning a bit more about how the electoral system works and started holding their MPs to account accordingly. Blind support for any MP simply because he is a member of a certain party is a fools game. As with the law, ignorance is no defence. We vote for individual representatives and most people should take a lot more care about how they lend their vote.

[Top of the shot]

What really annoys me about these turncoats, if it was not for the Conservative Party, they would be no where. It is very rare for anyone to get elected to parliament without the party machine.

As for leaping over to Labour, that is more out spite than conviction.

If it is true about de-selection, then they should have gone and done it. Like on any good rose, you need to prune the dead wood before you get a decent bloom !

[Joseph]

Masterful performance, both dirtying Davies's name AND denigrating Brown. Edison Smith &June 26, 2007 at 20:1....Edison Smith | June 26, 2007 at 20:20

The next time you all hear the words" The Nasty Party" I would refer you all to those posts. Quite honestly I would be ashamed to put my name to them as I am sure most Tories are!!
Is this what the Tory party led by David Cameron has become and is proud of, because I am quite sure none of the former leaders would approve of it.
I believe in freedom of speech and I do not require any reminding that it is his right to express himself freely, I know that.
How do you think those posts are going to be recieved by all who read them. I would suggest not very favourably.

[Geoffrey G Brooking]

Alan Duncan next Conservative Party Chairman?

Stunning performance on C4 News.

Hope he gets a few more slots before the day is out.

[Rachel Joyce]

I agree with Tory T. This ends up as a win-win for us in the end - we get rid of a bitter man and we will end up with a better and more committed MP in the end. Labour end up with having to deal with him.

[Alan Sparring]

Alan Duncan - as rude and cocky as ever on C4 News, not the image we need to send out after a day like today.

[olivepeel]

seems all Federalists in the CP have been sleepers

[olivepeel]

seems all Federalists in the CP have been sleepers

[Paul Kennedy]

Bit of a plum seat for the Conservatives at the next G/E, bet lots of would be candidates will be getting their maps out.....it's up the A1 and on the east coast line - nice part of the country. ;)

[Cardinal Pirelli]

Good to see Alan Duncan on top form, it was no surprise that he was put up to be the spokesman as, apparently, Davies can't stand him, and I would hope that the feeling is mutual. Given Davies' voting record I think we can have a pretty good stab as to why.

[Adrian Owens]

MHDH at 20:26 obviously doesn't know Simon Chapman. Nuf' said

[Richard Tyndall]

The more you look at this then more you see that QD's defection can be nothing but good for the Conservatives. The party has rid itself of a fanatical pro EU patrician who holds views on gays which are more suited to the 19th century and who seems to view it as his natural right to rule. Whilst he may have been sound on ID cards on so many other topics he is out of touch with both the vast majority of Conservative members and the country as a whole.

With honest apologies to the people of theat town, three years or so of Labour holding Grantham - which will in all honesty make no difference to the locals except in lost pride since they will still have a Tory council - seems to me a price worth paying for the long term gains of being rid of a liability.

[Jonathan Sheppard]

Why the personal jibes at Simon. Surely it would have been remiss for the Association Chairman not to comment.

And as for the question as to whether he's on the candidates list I don't think it really matters. If he is and he wanted to fight the seat I would hope he would throw his hat into the ring.

The real story here is of a pro European MP who has criticised Brown time and time again suddenly trying to have us believe he is a big fan of the clunking fist. And he says he doesn't know where the CONSERVATIVE PARTY stands!

[Torygirl]

He was a europhile, good riddance. The C.Party should deselect all these people before the next GE, that way they don't have a chance to defect to Labour.

[Louise]

QD's defection is only good for the Tories because it shows up Cameron for what he is and has always been and means that he is now probably reaching for the political revolver for a swift game of Tory Leader's Roulette. Ken Clarke is a good choice; however, speaking of 2005, I think someone might want his old job back (hint)...at least some people on here are finally waking up to the real issues with the party.

As for MPs only serving two terms, by that measure we would never get anyone with the experience to become Prime Minister and David Cameron would soon become ineligible to stand as a candidate, let alone lead his party to what could only now be a fourth defeat. GET REAL.

[Andrew Woodman]

I'm also going to stand up for Simon here. He's a dedicated Conservative who regualarly attends regional meetings and always makes sound comments on here. Whether he's on the candidates list is irrelevant. He and his local party have been let down by this turncoat and he has a right to voice his and their views.

[James Burdett]

I find it amusing how everyone is jumping up and down over this. Yes it is bad news at the moment, it won't however add up to much in the grand scheme of things. Especially as it looks like we will have 2 bye-elections in the not too distant future which could prove to be bad news for Labour. Things are going to be bad for a few days but then things will settle down and no-one remember this. It certainly doesn't point to defeat at the next election.

[Ted]

Quite agree that Quentin Davies should resign and stand for election. Richard Tyndall is right that in the UK we elect MPs to represent us but it would be the honourable course of action to seek from his constituents re-confirmation of their support.

[it's the economy stupid]

The deliberately timed defection is already starting to backfire on Gordon Brown. Davies has been pulled apart and accused of spin, dishonesty, and opportunism by both ITV and the BBC tonight.

He's just lost his rag and made a fool of himself on Radio 5.

[fed up with politics]

Half the country is under water, a major British city cut off, people drowned, hundreds of people left homeless and not one politician is on hand to ask why the Government has cut back on flood defences or the lack of preparedness. Rather than wasting time attacking Quentin Davies' defection, Alun Duncan on C4 news should have been asking where the money Prescott promised for flood defences has gone and David Cameron should be writing to the Environment Secretary asking why people weren't evacuated from Sheffield rather than bothering with a p***ed off MP.

[david]

Latest yoyugov poll,on sky, Tories have a 1% lead, Libdems down to 12% Goodbye Ming!!

[Richard Carey]

My first chance to comment on this issue today, and I'm happy to use it to stand up in support of a neighbouring Association and their Chairman.

I've worked with G&S Conservatives on local elections, and with Simon since he came to lend support to a target seat in '05. Simon is both a tremendous defender of key conservative values, and someone who recognises the many ways in which we need to broaden our support - I draw your attention to, for example, some of his posts on here before banging the drum on the need for us to espouse vital human rights issues in foreign policy, to name just one. You might say, really, that his approach to politics espouses the Editor's "and theory", in contrast to Mr Davies' apparent "me theory".

Davies has made this decision for reasons best known to himself, really, as his actions do nothing to advance his supposed causes aside from that of Quentin Davies and a bit of quick publicity. The vitriol and pomposity of his resignation essay was enough to convince me to move on pretty quickly. Yes, defections happen, and we need to do our best to take this calmly (although I'd like to see someone put the guy's balls in a vice...) and get on with our own agenda. If we manage it right, on the national level it's one or two news cycles at worst. It's also interesting, on a more local note, that Davies has said that he will stand again, but not in his present constituency. Perhaps he's not really so sure that he's doing the right thing by his constituents? (Or maybe he's just heard that Lincolnshire Conservatives have a habit of giving defectors at all levels a good whupping? Is that a word?)

Simon - I hope (forlornly, probably!) that Davies will have the decency to do as you suggest, and also wish your Association the very best at what can't be the easiest moment. I've recently been approached about signing up for our by-election volunteer taskforce, and would welcome an early opportunity to put my skills to use in support of our friends and neighbours in Lincolnshire!

[Ted]

fed up - perhaps that should be David Cameron's PMQ line tomorrow? Why waste it today when all the interviwers would ask are questions on Quentin.

[Mark Fulford]

The BBC’s online coverage has been refreshingly balanced. I think Nick Assinder was spot on with his summary:

"What the defection amounts to is another blow to David Cameron, although a small one and a nice bit of early PR for the Brown premiership."

[MrB]

Alan Duncan is visibly extremely angry with QD on newsnight...I don't blame him.

[Cllr Keith Standring]

Quentin Davies' defection is really as a pebble thrown into a pool of water - the ripples will last for a short period, then the water settles and anyone might ask, "Is there a pebble in there?".

I give my entire support to Simon Chapman - clearly someone who seeks to work to ethical principles.

[Basil Blogs]

Quentin Davies hopes for Labour Cabinet position

If Quentin Davies is hoping for a Cabinet position like that offered to Paddy Ashdown then I'm afraid he is going to be disappointed, the only Cabinet he'll be in is a Water one.

He should have asked Shaun Woodward what it is like before becoming a turncoat.

[torylady]

Alan Duncan is visibly extremely angry with QD on newsnight...I don't blame him.

Posted by: MrB | June 26, 2007 at 22:44

Visibly angry? The man was in hysterics and could hardly contain his laughter. He looked like he was about to wet himself as Quentin Davies exposed himself to the entire nation as nothing but a stupid clown.

I can't wait to see him struggle for a seat tomorrow beside Dennis Skinner on the Labour benches at Prime Minister's Question Time.

[Paul Oakley]

Yes, Davies is a swivel-eyed europhile; illogical and arrogant. Yes, we're glad to see the back of him. Nevertheless, I feel a bit sorry for the chap. If he has any future plans for office in the Commons or the Lords the fact remains that he will never truly be trusted or accepted by his new party. Look at Shaun Woodward's glittering post-Conservative career.

[Edison Smith]

Cameron shouldn't shy away from it at PMQs.

He should mention it before Blair - get his retaliation in first. God knows how he could spin it though.

[Edison Smith]

A bit cynical to point out, but this in a way has been a ok day for 'Modernisation'.

It won't do any harm for the 'progressive vote'. The Tories tonight are sans one traditional, overweight middle-aged man who's anti gay rights, anti pro-choice and pro fox-hunting.

He was once fined for 2 charges of animal cruelty relating to sheep on his estate. (Source: BBC News http://open.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/programme/RNLN044W_A)

If a man like that fits into a Brown Labour party, what does that say to their voters?

[tony mcspinmerchant]

That was a very revealing look at Brown and his over the top "security" on Newsnight.

Looks like we've got another Ceaucescu as our new Prime Minister.

Not very British at all.

[Ali T]

I don’t think I have found so many positive comments ever on ConservativesHome.

Who would have thought that a resignation of one of our MPs would be greeted with such a mixture of optimism, joy and anger at their defection.

Am I the only one who thinks it is astonishing that Labour actually think that this is going to worry us, or that people won’t see through the spin.

Labour have clearly been courting him for ages and have not only written his resignation letter but have also told him what to say in any interviews.

What I find really bad is that he is trying to say that he does not know where the Party stands issues like Europe when we all know that he is a fanatical pro-EU MP and one who must have detested DC’s stance on calling for a referendum on the latest treaty which wants to surrender huge amounts of our sovereignty to Brussels.

You only need the intellectual capability of a boiled potato to know where DC has position the party on the European project.

Lets face facts he was an utterly useless shadow minister who had absolutely no chance of making it into a Cameron Government, so in a last ditch attempt to have one last fling with political power before he retires he has sold his soul to the dark side. Was it a ministerial position that he was promised or perhaps given his pro-EU views a place on board the Euro gravy train.

I almost feel sorry for Brown, who must be thinking to himself, ‘is the only person that we could find willing to defect?’ especially given some of the comments that he has made in the past about Blair, Brown and New Labour.

I agree with all those who hope he does the decent thing and resign forcing a by-election, I suspect he won't though.

I for one would love to put my name forward, but I suspect there will be a long line of A-listers already eyeing this seat up.

[Nigel]

Davies is a swivel-eyed europhile; illogical and arrogant. Yes, we're glad to see the back of him.... he will never truly be trusted or accepted by his new party. Look at Shaun Woodward's glittering post-Conservative career.

The only "swivel-eyed" people on here seem to be fulminating, rabid Euro-hating obsessives. The sound of knees jerking is deafening.

Shaun Woodward is currently Minister of State in the Department of Culture - a higher rank than Daveboy Cameron and the bunch of schoolkids now running the Tory party are ever likely to achieve the way they are going.

No doubt the bile and hatred pouring out here would have been spread all over Winston Churchill if there'd been weblogs in 1905... What a load of narrow minded obsessives you all are.

The Tory party of today is in a shocking state. A sad bunch of losers.

[LMAO]

I didn't realise quite what a cretinous oaf Davies was until I saw him make a fool of himself on Newsnight.

Brown's welcome to him, particulary now the whole performance is being criticised by most of the media as pure spin timed to coincide with Brown's "coronation" tomorrow.

[Annabel Herriott]

Is it possible under "the rules" to deselect a sitting MP? I wish Simon all the luck in the world for his efforts at getting rid of this thoroughly unpleasant carpetbagger. A special AGM?? There must be some way to boot him out. The party needs him like a dose of...name your worst nightmare!

[Scotty]

"Cameron shouldn't shy away from it at PMQs.

He should mention it before Blair - get his retaliation in first. God knows how he could spin it though."

Edison, I agree with you although he does not need to spin it. He just has to show up with the whole Conservative front and back bench behind him in support. I would be tempted to congratulate Brown on the way he has managed to turn a planned PR stunt into a disaster, and maybe point out to Blair that he should have offered Brown his spin team to organise the event better???

[dongbong99]

I thought quentin davies came out of the newsnight showdown looking very good. He was facing two opponents if you include an agressive Paxman, and he defeated them both.
He beat Alan Duncan with worrying ease.
The truth is that we have lost a thoughtful and decent MP who was particularly excised by the way that our troops were being let down by cameron's opportunism in parliament. The spin coming from CCHQ tonight is that Davies is a rabid europhile and so a natural defector. Well, he was enough of a party man to happily serve under the euro-sceptic IDS and to vote for the eurosceptic David Davis at the last leadership election.

I also found his defection stylish, classy, witty, and clever in its timing. It was also
a considerable sacrifice on his part I am sure, in terms of personal relatonships.
The truth is the party has no class anymore,
people like Tebbit and Davies are reviled by the conservative press and CCHQ, and we are run by nonentities. No wonder Davies was fed up.

This was political suicide. The seppuku (japanese ritual hara-kiri) of political suicide. The best. Classy, useful to the party he is leaving, and useful to himself if he is lucky. And I admire him for it.

[Scotty]

"The truth is that we have lost a thoughtful and decent MP who was particularly excised by the way that our troops were being let down by cameron's opportunism in parliament"

I have family in the military who are doing their fair share of active duty and I want an enquiry into this war. As for using people like my relatives to try and score a political point against Cameron, that is opportunism in the worse taste!!!!!

[Richard Carey]

Davies' right hand was strapped up during his appearance on Newsnight. Who will confess to be the person who shook Davies' hand to wish him goodbye from the Conservative Party? Good work, that man!

[Praguetory]

Good call Scotty. Cameron should get the boot in first at PMQs. Should mention that timestamps set from when you start preparing a post so I find some of the accusations levelled at Iain most bizarre.

[Richard Carey]

The best. Classy, useful to the party he is leaving, and useful to himself if he is lucky. And I admire him for it.

Dongbong99, if that's your idea of being useful to those of us in the party that QD "has left behind" (frankly, I think we left him behind a while ago, not a bad thing on the back of today's events) then perhaps you'd be better used in going out and "being useful" to someone else!

[Nicholas Bennett]

Davies complains about lack of principle so stands on his head and praises a man who until recently he was attacking.

I suspect that like Woodward he realises that at 63 his future is behind him. Despite his denials on Newsnight will he get a peerage after the election?

[Graham Smith]

If Mr Davies really believes his future lies with Labour, surely he should resign his seat and seek election in a safe Labour seat like Sedgefield, where a by-election may soon take place? ;-)

Now, if I might be permitted to speak a little uncharitably concerning the Member for Grantham and Stamford, may I point out that he has FAILED TO DELIVER on promises to prevent services moving away from Grantham Hospital? If my understanding is correct, as a Shadow Minister he FAILED TO DELIVER on a range of issues and, despite being given a second chance, was eventually sacked as simply not being up to the job.

It has been suggested in another place that Mr Davies FAILED TO DELIVER in the area of consituency work by leaving constituents in need during his long holidays; indeed there appears to be a volume of evidence in the public domain showing a poor record of responding promptly to consituents.

In closing, might I therefore note that he will soon be in good company when he takes his seat on Government benches amongst so many other politicians who, despite receiving a golden inheritance from John Major's Government, have simply FAILED TO DELIVER.

[Reality check]

"David Cameron has launched the most substantial and heavyweight policy review that the Conservative Party has had for generations."

A generation is 20 years. What an insult to Maggie! Did the wets as CCHQ draft that nonsense?

[Richard Carey]

This might be o/t, but deserved...

What an insult to Maggie!

Which decade are you living in? Your pseudonym is a bit a joke in that respect, "Reality Check"!

Lady Thatcher made a huge contribution to her country in her time, "Reality Check", but we're working to beat the guy who becomes PM tomorrow in a very different age.

What exactly are you working for?

[Louise Stanley]

Since when has Cameron ever put the boot in to anyone at PMQs? He's not going to be able to start tomorrow - and QD defected for the right reasons, not the wrong ones: MPs represent their constituents, and their constituents vote for governments not gay rights. Unfortunately the Tories - you lot included - are heading into the abyss of the dark days of Hague and IDS and I - as someone who fought 2005 tooth and nail to get a decent government in - am not going to go with them, nor am I prepared to see them go in.

I wonder how Howard would have handled PMQs as Prime Minister had Hazel Blears defected from Labour to Conservative at this point, two years into a government that never was? Food for thought.

[TV Eye]

Didn't see C4 but I thought Alan Duncan was very sub-standard on Newsnight. He was even more swarmy and cocky than QD himself. The bit that our energy policy must be 100% pro-nuclear because Duncan was having dinner with people from nuclear firms was risible and he walked right into the elephant trap that plenty more MPs are making the same criticisms of DC behind the scenes.

[Michael Davidson]

Alan Duncan was awful tonight - he couldn't have come across as more cocky, smarmy and unpleasant.

[Chelloveck]

"Why the personal jibes at Simon. Surely it would have been remiss for the Association Chairman not to comment."

It would have been honest to qualify his statement with his own intention (non-intention) to stand.

I agree. If Simon has no intention to stand for the seat himself, his statement is worthy and welcome.

If he does see it as an opportunity for himself, then it is all a bit grubby.

Only Simon can answer this. Simon?

[Traditional Tory]

David Cameron has launched the most substantial and heavyweight policy review that the Conservative Party has had for generations.

I'm sure local 'Chair' Mr Chapman will go far with that sort of comment. Hopefully he will have wiped the egg off his face before he adds his name to the list of local hopefuls.

[Traditional Tory]

Sadly I was abroad at the time of this momentous development in the ongoing degeneration of our party under Cameron. It's good to see that an ever-rolling wave of fat-chewing indignation(mostly of the Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells school) still gives me the opportunity to comment.

I was on the panel that interviewed Quentin Davies for my old constituency over 20 years ago and it seems like yesterday. He was impressive, but it was very quickly apparent that he was on the pro-EEC left of the party so he certainly did not get my support.

Now, however, the fact that Davies comes from the left of the party makes his shattering attack on David Cameron all the more effective.

The Cameron malaise goes far beyond the man 'not being Conservative enough' which of course is what he actually wants everybody to believe. It goes right to the very heart of the qualities we expect from a Conservative leader, in particular moral strength and integrity.

As for the bleats of 'resign!', Quentin Davies was elected - as an individual - by the people of Stamford, and there is absolutely no reason why he should do so. If any constituent needs his MP to help him with a problem is there any reason to suppose that Davies will serve him any less efficiently than he would have done last week?

And if anybody wishes to make the specious argument that he was elected on the last Tory manifesto I would remind them that the author of that manifesto - Cameron - has already disowned it.

Cameron lost the traditional Right months ago - indeed that appears to have been part of his lamentable 'strategy'. Now with the recent interventions of Davies, Portillo and Mellor it is plain that he is losing the 'One Nation' Left as well.

Looks like Cameron is set to be left with a dwindling core consisting of what remains of the 'My Party Right or Wrong' brigade - mostly in their 80's, but with some younger imitators, as we see from various comments on CH.

One could not ask for an element more totally out of touch with the independent and irreverent spirit of 'Modern Britain'

[Editor]

It would be very odd if the Chairman of QD's Association did not make a statement of this kind. I have spoken to Simon and know that he has had lots of media calls. Putting out a statement like this is the sensible thing to do.

[Observer]

Quentin Davies was elected - as an individual - by the people of Stamford, and there is absolutely no reason why he should do so

True. In fact 70.2% voters did NOt vote for him and he only obtained 46.9% votes cast. So as a Conservative elected on a minority vote he represented 100% constituents and still does.

[Louise Bagshawe]

It may be worth saying that Corby & East Northants is a neighbouring marginal to the safe seat of Grantham & Stamford.

We had immediate offers of help and assitance from various safe and Tory-held marginal seats surrounding us. Simon Chapman as Chairman of G&S got in touch right away to offer help in our marginal.

Surrounding MPs like Alan Duncan, Philip Hollobone, Peter Bone, Jonathan Djangoly, Stewart Jackson, etc, and Roger Helmer our MEP also got in touch to help, to campaign and to assist.

Whilst the Grantham & Stamford activists could not have been more helpful to the local marginal seats, Quentin Davies MP, alone out of all the Conservative MPs in the region, never bothered to get in touch at all.

I commend Simon for this statement and Corby & East Northants thanks him and the activists of the seat for their help and kindness.

[Traditional Tory]

When I was an association officer such matters were managed at area level via 'Mutual Aid'

I certainly do not recall approaches being made personally to adjacent MPs. Sounds bang out of order to me.

How did they manage such things when you were in the Labour Party Louise?

Terrible people, these defectors.

[Louise Bagshawe]

No approaches were made by Corby to neighbouring MPs; instead, local and not so local, they all approached us to offer their help, except for Mr. Davies. As to how Labour manages it, I would not know - I joined them when I was 25 in 96, but was back working as a Tory activist in 1997 and in every election since.

[MHDH]

A couple of points in response to the remarks about what I posted. If Mr Chapman has no interest in the seat, please let him confirm that the letter was his own work, pure and unsullied.

Secondly, if David Laws or Nick Clegg had (or do) joined the Conservatives, will there be a clamour for them to resign and fight under their new colours?

[Rebecca B]

Agreed. Can conservative home set up an electronic petition to get him to fight a by election? At the very least if we can get more signatures to tell him to go than he got votes it is going to make him look pretty dumb.

[Gareth]

Commiserations Simon. I can't begin to imagine how angry your members must be. What an odious, egotistical, overrated, lttle hypocrite Davies is.

[malcolm]

Good letter Simon. Yesterday must have been a difficult day for you but today and tomorrow will be better I can assure you.
I hope you are able to keep all your constituency party onside in the weeks to come and that make a much better choice of candidate next time.

[Bill]

The fact that an MP does not have to resign if he changes parties does not mean he should not resign and FWIW I think most people looking at this issue from their own perspective would think any such MP should resign. In the workplace if you can't stand what you are doing your ultimate only alternative is to quit. The same should apply to MPs; after all they can always stand in a new election to see if they are still wanted.

[Reality check]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN BY THE EDITOR.

[Editor]

Reality check: You are rude about Ben Rogers on YourPlatform and rude about another comment-maker here. If you continue in this manner I will take steps to ban you from the site. This should be a website where people can engage in grown-up debates not constant personal attacks.

[Dominic]

It would seem Mr Davies has got every thing right about Cameron and everything wrong about Gordon.
Cameron comes across to the public as a silly overgrown schoolboy and makes the Conservative Party a laughing stock
Let us go back Thatcherism and respect for old fashioned values and start gaining respect from the public at large.
I do think Davies should have resigned

[Bill]

I'm as sceptical (to put it mildly) as the next man about the Chocolate Orange Inspector but even I felt a passing twinge of sorrow for him coupled with fear for the party when I read the letter.

[Simon Denis]

This distinction drawn by Richard Tyndall and others between the individual and the party is a red herring. The fact is that as an individual, Davies presented himself for election on a broadly right wing platform. He has now abandoned that platform for another one, well to the left of the first. He cannot be sure that his voters agree with this transformation and therefore ought to give them the chance to express their view in a by-election. If they are so impressed with him as an individual, doubtless they will return him to the house. That said, as a Europhil, he is well versed in the arts of ignoring public opinion.

We should recall, at this point, that individuals don't or shouldn't get put into parliament on the basis of their personalities. Indeed, when they try they generally fail. Besides, who can imagine the lumbering, elephantine, mediocre Davies gaining a seat on the basis of his charisma?

The fact is that candidates are elected in so far as they accurately reflect the broad political view of the active, relative majority. Voters for other parties have only themselves to blame if they can't agree on a single opponent to this relative majority. Non-voters have absolutely no right to POLITICAL representation as they can't be bothered to get up off their backsides and nail their colours to any particular mast.

So, I repeat: Davies was elected by a conservative majority having offered them a conservative programme. He is now sitting as a socialist or at least as a labour party man. He has therefore, ipso facto, signed up to a number of policies and views which are the reverse of his declared positions when he was elected. To stay in parliament on that basis is the action of a cheat.

[Richard Tyndall]

So all those councillors who defected to the Conservatives, and the many MPs in the past who have crossed the floor are all cheats? Churchill? Was he a cheat?

Or is it only when someone leaves our party that we get to call them cheats?

The law, the principle and the ideas underlying constituency representation position are all very clear. We elect an individual representative not a party. That is the way it is and te way it should be. Anything else simply reinforces the undemocratic power of the parties and the whips.

[Simon Denis]

Yes - Churchill was a cheat. He himself called it ratting. He was also a genius, something I do not believe can be said of Quentin Davies.

[bill]

Richard

Putting all the constitutional stuff to one side (of which we sometimes have so much we get lost in the detail), do you not think he should/ought to resign?

[malcolm]

Looking at Labourhome I don't think Quentin Davies is going to be made very welcome in the Labour Party.
Most lefties, are pleased he's embarrased Cameron but appalled that he's joined them. My views are diametrically opposite. Sorry that he's embarrased our party but if we had to lose an MP he would be the one I chose.

[Sean Fear]

Personally, I think that MPs, who belong to parties, who swich sides do have a moral obligation to fight a by-election, because they have got elected under a label, which they now reject.

But the constitutional position is quite clear, and no-one has chosen this honourable course since Bruce Douglas Mann.