Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Harry Barnes points out that if the Haltemprice and Howden bye-election is not held in the next five weeks David Davis will be waiting a long time for his next pay cheque.
Parliament goes into recess on Tuesday 22nd July and the Conservatives are likely to wish to hold the Bye-election before then. This is certainly in the interests of David Davis, for if the vote took place during the recess (and as expected he wins) he would then be unable to take his seat until sworn into the Commons afterwards. Not only would he be unable to act as an MP in the meantime, but he wouldn't again be paid his MP's salary until then. The recess lasts until 6th October.
Surely his mate 'call me Dave' wouldn't be that vindictive... would he? Although, as Harry also points out, Labour could use its majority to delay the election anyway, but as they are unlikely to contest it they probably won't want to soil their hands with it.
After more than 4 days since his announcement why hasn't David Davis actually resigned? But he always was inept, irrespective of the issue.
Richard Allen said:
June 16, 2008 7:54 PM | permalink
Harry,
David has stated that he will resign his seat in the next few days. I assume that he wants a chance to speak to the House before he does so, maybe at PMQ's.
Richard Allen: Your point is plausible. But he is still hopeless. When he was Tory Minister for Europe, he knew less about his job than any Minister I ever came across. It is a good job, he isn't resigning over the Lisbon Treaty.
June 16, 2008 12:33 PM | permalink
I think you've missed the point, just for once a politician isn't doing it for the money it's for the principal