So, I wasn't expecting that

[caramel_betty]

I'd never thought she'd turn into, say, Tony Benn and spend three hundred years in the Commons, but I'm somewhat surprised by Louise Mensch's resignation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19146805 Conservative politician and novelist Louise Mensch is to stand down

Comments

[burkesworks]

Mensch's constituency contains Corby - and that town would come as an even bigger culture shock to BoJo than it has to Mensch (assuming she's visited the place since the last general election). All Labour need is a half-decent candidate and a bit of hard work to win this back. If BoJo is parachuted anywhere, it won't be this seat; he'd have an even rougher landing than he did on that zip wire last week.

[caramel_betty]

Oh, it's pretty unlikely - PoliticalBetting seem now to be assuming that every by-election, every slight sniffle that could be used to justify standing aside on health grounds, every selection fight is a possibility for BoJo.

I imagine he'd be chasing something a little less marginal. And there are plenty of Conservative MPs with 5 figure majorities.

Still, name recognition can count for an enormous amount. I'd be genuinely interested to see the result of such a by-election, in the unlikely event it happened.

[hano]

I'd love to see it too. Especially if he lost, which, given a competent Labour, candidate he would. Sadly it's not going to happen, not least cos the Cameronites would be doing their damndest to make sure Boris wasn't selected.

[juggzy]

I came to appreciate her - she was wrong, yes, and an idiot a lot of the time, but she genuinely wanted to help people, even if I disagreed with her as to what would help people.