The Independent Group

Stevie G

Perfect time for Chukka to have joined and walked into the leadership job for the lib Dems.

Although I think the new independence group should avoid having "democrats" in their title if they're going to continue to be selective about when democracy should be used

krish

Interesting theoretical question. I don't think the monarch would invite them to form a government and would probably re-dissolve parliament, with a new general election called. There would be a bit of constitutional crisis, but the vast majority of the public (certainly not 52:48) would probably support that decision. Constituency parties would then hopefully carefully select true candidates.

Might very well be seen as an organised coup with those candidates facing treason charges.

Rasczak

No, it is not a credible scenario.  To be successful you would have to have actively made false statements and deceived multiple people involved in your nomination/recommendation to become an MP.  There would be a criminal offence in there somewhere.  Furthermore, the scenario would require hundreds of individuals to successfully conceal their entire background for decades including surviving background checks by local parties (prior to selection as MP candidate), Police and the Security Services.

Even if an individual did get through all that, it would have taken so long they would probably have grown up and moderated their views.

IronGiant

Well, it was an academic question, and an extreme example...    It didn't have to be credible.

But for reasons you and krish have explained, even if technically possible, it would never get that far.

Cliff

It seems that the 'official sound bite' response from Conservatives, is that they are sad to see them go, but they don't need to hold a by-election, and we hope one day they will return.

On the other hand, Corbyn and his cohorts, are very hostile and have said they should hold an by-election. (in other words - we don't like your sort, don't come back)

richp007

An exercise in how not to run damage limitation. He'll be lucky if there's any of his party left come March 29th.

It'll just be him, Len and John lying across the front bench's to take up space!

Stevie G

From the sound of it most of the Labour MPs who've left were being forced out anyway for not loyal to their hallowed leader and continuing to bully them into having by-elections would suit them anyway. It's shocking how quickly Labour has been taken over by the nasty hardcore far left. Hard to see it being recovered from here, not with the weight of Momentum behind it. I've already seen shares on Facebook from a few Momentum supporting lefties I know slating some of those Labour MPs and 'reminding' people not to vote for them at the next GE

Clem_Dye

What a farce British politics has turned into! (OK, a lot more farcical than it has been recently.) This whole debacle just re-emphasises to me that politicians of all hues cannot be trusted to do anything that the electorate instructs them to do. The mandate given to them in 2016 was to get the UK out of the EU, not to ignore what the majority of voters had opted for and follow their own personal agendas. The Mother of Parliaments is now a global laughing stock, pretty much like the UK is. Whatever the outcome of the mess that this unfurling fiasco will eventually bring, I for one will find it extremely difficult to cast a vote in any further general elections.

Clem

Deezell

Er, UK,  ( unlike other modern democracies) doesn't have a constitution?

krish

FTFY

We have a constitutional monarchy

We have constitutional experts

We have a Constitution of the United Kingdom Wikipedia page ...