From NN Journal this evening:
Wellingborough MP Peter Bone’s 13 year political career has ended in disgrace this evening as residents have decided to remove him as their MP.
In the last ten minutes, recall petition administrators North Northamptonshire Council, announced that 10,505 Wellingborough and Rushden constituents signed their names to end his political career. Ten percent were needed to remove the MP. In the end 13 per cent signed it.
The recall petition was begun after parliament suspended the MP following a damning report published in October which found during 2012 and early 2013 he had bullied and indecently exposed himself to a male employee.
Peter Bone has tweeted a statement complaining that he has lost his seat even though 87 per cent of voters in the constituency had failed to sign the petition.
Let's pause a moment to appreciate the irony: when Nick Clegg brought in this recall system under the Coalition, the right-wing of the Conservative Party complained bitterly that he had made it too hard to get rid of an MP.
A by-election will now take place. Gen Kitchen will be the Labour candidate and Ana Savage Gunn the Liberal Democrat.
Two observations - firstly, the NN Journal might be being a bit over-excited in saying that Bone's career has ended in disgrace. There's nothing to stop the Tories from re-adopting him (particularly as he thinks he might have the support of 87% of the electorate), or he might stand as an Independent (or ReFUK?) candidate. Vanity is a strong motivator.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I do hope that the Lib Dems put a bit of effort into this one. OK, it's not winnable, but we need at least a respectable third place, above the Greens and ReFUK, if we want to raise our national profile before the General Election.