A by-election is announced ....

[Guest]

Conservative politician and novelist Louise Mensch is to stand down as an MP, the party has announced. The MP for Corby, a marginal seat, is moving to New York with her three children to be with her husband of a year, Peter Mensch, who is manager of rock band Metallica.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19146805

Well, well, well. Dave must be hoping for a few extra gold medals today to bury this news

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep

[Northender]

The by-election could be tricky, but the Tory establishment must surely be rather relieved at her impending departure.

[amateur51]

The by-election could be tricky, but the Tory establishment must surely be rather relieved at her impending departure.

It's a marginal seat with a low Lib-Dem vote last time and a BNP presence. I daresay that Mr Farage will be checking what's in his piggy bank this time too.

It has all the makings of a fascinating and classic mid-term by-election

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

judging by local sentiment it will go labour

[french frank]

the Tory establishment must surely be rather relieved at her impending departure.

They might have preferred it to be Mid-Bedfordshire ...

[cloughie]

Conservative politician and novelist Louise Mensch is to stand down as an MP, the party has announced. The MP for Corby, a marginal seat, is moving to New York with her three children to be with her husband of a year, Peter Mensch, who is manager of rock band Metallica.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19146805

Well, well, well. Dave must be hoping for a few extra gold medals today to bury this news

I can just see the headlines 'Rock Chick MP quits for the Big Apple'

[Lateralthinking1]

judging by local sentiment it will go labour

Labour will win surely? At one time known locally as "Little Scotland" due to the large number of Scottish migrant workers who came to Corby for its steelworks. Conservative majority at the last election - just 1951.

Certainly Labour must win. It would be a disaster if they didn't. In their favour, the 7,834 LD vote looks like a useful pool from which Miliband can draw water. Against, the slightly alarming 2005 result, when the Conservatives almost won.

I didn't like Louise Mensch - all that Nigel Kennedy stuff etc - but she showed her ability in a key Select Committee and made her presence known.

I sense she will back at some point, and in a safe seat, which might be a part of the reason for this timing, but then I predicted that Labour's Ruth Kelly would return and she hasn't done so yet.

[amateur51]

I sense she will back at some point, and in a safe seat, which might be a part of the reason for this timing, but then I predicted that Labour's Ruth Kelly would return and she hasn't done so yet.

Let's keep it that way, eh Lat?

[johncorrigan]

I can just see the headlines 'Rock Chick MP quits for the Big Apple'

or given her regular use of social media, 'Twit errs on side of safety'.

[Flosshilde]

I wonder how many male politicians would give up a promising career to move for the sake of their wife's career?

[johncorrigan]

I wonder how many male politicians would give up a promising career to move for the sake of their wife's career?

True enough, flosshilde. They usually give it up 'to spend more time with their family'. Sometimes wonder how much say their family has in the matter.

[cloughie]

They usually give it up 'to spend more time with their family'.

Often the domestic kitchen is cooler than the political one.

[Flosshilde]

True enough, flosshilde. They usually give it up 'to spend more time with their family'. Sometimes wonder how much say their family has in the matter.

Probably not a lot. It's usually done to avoid being sacked for gross incompetence (not that that's a great risk these days ) or sex (in former days they would have been told to go to the Library & look in the top left drawer of the desk). Neither of which seems to be the case with Louise Mensch - she seems to have been a favourite of Cameron's.

[johncorrigan]

Neither of which seems to be the case with Louise Mensch - she seems to have been a favourite of Cameron's.

....and we know what excellent judgement he has shown.