Patrick Mercer MP - a good resignation

[meditrina]

BBC story here

Idon'tmean what's he's done.

I mean someone who actually resigns, saying that 'you just have to fess up and get on with it" and acknowledging that he's ashamed of what he did.

What an amazing change from the usual mealy mouthed lot.

[SignoraStronza]

Disagree. If he were really so honorable he would have resigned as soon as the scandal broke rather than clinging on as an independent after being booted out of the tory party. Even after being found guilty he hung on in there and waited to see what the 'punishment' would be.

Not to worry though, he's been training up the new tory candidate for succession.

Despicable, adulterous, greedy twat.

[claig]

As far as I can see, Mercer may not have done this for honourable reasons. I think he has dropped Cameron in it and opened the door for UKIP to embarass the Tories. I feel sorry for Cameron, even though I think he has let Tory voters down. Mercer has dropped him in it, I think, and now we will have to see what happens next. I think UKIP could win it and then all bets are off about what happens next.

This is a revolution and the people will topple spinners out of their seats. People have had enough and they want change.

Patrick Mercer resignation: Tory MP once said he loathed David Cameron

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10091363/Patrick-Mercer-resignation-Tory-MP-once-said-he-loathed-David-Cameron.html

[claig]

UKIP is now likely to dominate the political agenda right up until the May 2015 election. Labour will not get a look in because they are bigger spinners than the Tories, and the people have had enough of "political correctness" and spin, which are Labour's stock-in-trade.

[celestialsquirrels]

To be fair he is the first person in that position who has actually said "I'm ashamed of what I have done". Pity it took so long to say it but you have to give him some points for doing so. Most others would rather DIE than admit their behaviour was shameful...

[meditrina]

I hadn't realised quite how long it had been rumbling for.

Parliament suspended him today, and then he resigned immediately.

Why did Parliament take so long to act?

I agree that Labour is still in too much disarray to look remotely electable, and they may now be leaving it too late. UKIP will be the third party of British politics. LDs will sink but might merge with someone else (like the old Liberal Party did) (Though a new (genuinely) Liberal Party might garner support, but there's no sign of that happening).

[claig]

celestial, Mercer had very little to lose, but Cameron has a huge amount to lose. I think Mercer has been disloyal to Cameron, but Mercer probably believes that by doing so, he has been loyal to his view of Toryism and that it was therefore worth it.

[Isitmebut]

Ukip’s Farage ‘bottled it’ in Newark, as the one-policy-pony Ukip has already got the EU MEP election ‘protest vote’ sown up next month and dreams of Westminster power.


Farage, of the United Kingdom Independence Party, by constantly attacking the one party offering the electorate an EU referedum does not want the UK to come OUT of the EU as it would end his EU ‘protest’ gravy train – and with a ‘dog’s chance’ of the Conservative’s getting a slim majority in May 2015 and offering the referendum, Farage needs power in Westminster to both please his backers and further inflate his ex City ego.


High profile Farage could not possibly fight such a strong Westminster Conservative seat as it would announce to those that don’t already know it, Ukip do not have any UK domestic policies, other than those electoral opportunist ones, currently on the back of a cigarette packet, having called his whole Ukip 2010 General Election manifesto “drivel” – yet changed many seat results on the back of it, resulting in the first UK coalition in many decades, which COULD have resulted in a paralyzed UK government/economy.


Farage should be regretting ditching his 2010 General Election manifesto for Labour votes (and wiping all traces off Ukip’s website website but shown below), as most of those policies, we could call fruitcake Conservatism on Steroids, might have swung the Newark vote his way.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8617187.stm



Farage is the LAST person to lecture anyone on expenses as on this package, he still has not answered how his £3,500 monthly allowance over 9-years, covered the £2 million he said he had put into Ukip.

MEP salary of £78,000 annual salary + Daily attendance Allowance + Staff Costs + £3,500 a month allowance.

(Up to May 2009) “Ukip leader Nigel Farage boasts of his £2m in expenses"

“Farage used EU allowances to finance his eurosceptic message”
www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/24/mps-expenses-ukip-nigel-farage

And that is apart from recent office expense mismatches highlighted recently.

Farage needs to account for ALL his expenses before accusing anyone else of wrong doing - as being a far flung MEP EU 'protester' does not give him immunity from scrutiny - especially with his political ambitions for f-a-r greater things. IMO

[Isitmebut]

BTW current Newark MP Mr Mercer is apparently resigning before the next General Election Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards that he referred himself to re ‘cash for questions’ , reports tomorrow – which speaks for itself.

Mr Mercer a previous officer in the British Army served his county then and since, speaking up on all things defence related.

But serving and putting your life on the line for your country does NOT excuse wrong doing in parliament, even if that MP is worth twice those critiquing him, especially those who’s only fight is an outdated class one going back to the 1970’s.

The MP had to go, let’s see across all parties who feels up to replacing the man originally elected.

[claig]

'Ukip’s Farage ‘bottled it’ in Newark'

That is a very harsh judgement. A more charitable view would be that he didn't want to "distract from the message".

'especially with his political ambitions for f-a-r greater things'

Are you saying that he wants to be leader of the Tory Party?

[Isitmebut]

Claig….there is clearly more ‘military’ in Farage than anyone realised; as no matter how much the man salivates over a Westminster parliamentary seat, he knows NOT to put his head above the parapet, never mind charge, WITHOUT ANY (POLICY) AMMO.

Farage has 'a mesage' as we've got it, the UK should have a referendum on the EU, but Ukip cannot deliver it - and Farage knows it, so is looking to jump to a Westminster seat asap - but has tried for a Westminster seat how many times before now, four or five times, and failed?

Why would you think that Farage, who stopped the Conservatives getting a small majority in 2010 and putting the parliamentary party (and the country) through a bruising coalition - which without the wills of two good men would have caused a constitutional crisis and got little done - might have a shot at Conservative leader?

Few Conservatives can have ANY respect for a leader of a party after 20-years, who still does not have a UK domestic General Election manifesto he stands on?

[meditrina]

I saw a commentary this morning (quoting bits of what Farage has said) that explains in decision in terms of timing - he's got a big programme of events lined up for the EU elections and has decided that he'd rather keep that together (aim presumably to get a bigger share of the vote nationwide) then put his personal efforts into one constituency at the expense of national campaigning. Both EU and by elections attract 'protest' votes, so both have potential to give good results for UKIP, and they stand to have more to capitalise across the country for EU than for one parliamentary seat.

And yes, it's good generalship to stick with a plan (assuming you assess it as still valid) rather than heading off opportunistically, even when the opportunity is desirable and perhaps something that would have been pursued at a different time.

[slug]

Nah. UKIP came 4th in Newark the last election. Failing spectacularly again would crush the mirage they have managed to project of a well supported party. Farage is far too wily to risk that. Plus, as mentioned above, the MEP gravy train is much more lucrative and less scrutinised than the Westminster one.

Farage knows which way his bread is buttered.

[claig]

I think Farage has made a mistake and is now open to the accusation of "bottling" it, unfortunately.

How does it work? When do the nominations for candidates in a by-election close? Couls Farage change his mind, could he lull them into a false sense of security and then hit them beteen the eyes with a lightning surprise saying that by public demand he has decided to stand?

Farage would win it hands down and the tremors would be felt on Mars, the public would be celebrating all night in bars, knocking back beverages and jars at the prospect of kicking out the hoorahs.

[claig]

Also if there is a by-election now, will th seat still have to be contested again in 1 years' time at the general election i.e. is the winner of the by-election only a temporary holder of that seat?

[Isitmebut]

Claig...carrying on the military theme, Mr Farage having feigned a flanking movement, with insufficient assets at his disposal, has now …. sortie over.. ….. done a runner.

An interesting point on fighting the seat again in the so close General Election, but as I’m doing the ironing I can’t be bothered to look it up at the moment, however if there is no time exception, it does seem a waste of time.

[claig]

I heard Farage say that he is "on the battle bus to Swindon"
That shows he is no quitter and the fight goes on, on the "bottle bus".

" if there is no time exception, it does seem a waste of time."

On the contrary, it means that the public would love nothing better than to vote Farage in for a year. There would be no downside, only upside.

For Farage, he would get so much publicity that it would be a nightmare for Cameron. No matter how many Oxbridge spinners, teenage scribblers, and politicaly correct policy unit progressives he could throw at the election, Farage, single-handedly, with just a pint and a panatella, would trounce the whole Oxbridge lot of them, and that would spell the beginning of the end.

But, I thought that Farage might not do it, just as he didn't stand for Eastleigh. Apparently, he is on the "battle bus to Swindon" instead.

[claig]

The people of Newark would shake Farage's hand in every pub and bar in Newark. Drinks would be on the house for Farage. Pensioners would buy him a pint.

The only supporters of the establishment in Newark would be the Oxbridge journalists and the Socialist Worker's Party and all the other far-left and anarchist groups, as well as some climate change activists sporting wind turbines on their heads.

If it got desperate, then Cameron might have to visit Newark to make a speech, but the only people listening would be the Socialist Workers' Party and some Oxbridge journalists and they would be applauding wildly for the BBC newscasts that would be transmitted to try and sway the public.

The end result would be a trouncing even more than the one that Cleggy took. The only person in the establishment happy at the trouncing would be Cleggy as that would mean that there was someone more unpopular than him.

Tickets would sell out, the public would buy up all the popcorn, sit back and enjoy the show.

But, Farage is on the "battle bus to Swindon" instead. He has more important fish to fry.

[claig]

And if Farage were to sit on the green benches in the House of Spinners for one whole year before the election and deliver similar speeches to the ones he delivers to Van Rompuy, Barroso and all the mafioso that he does in Brussels, then there would be panic in the Chambers. God knows what the Speaker would do to try and stem the panic. There would be so many shouts of "Order, Order" and Farage would probably order a pint and light up a panatella and watch his approval ratings rocket through the roof.

History would be written and people would talk about it for centuries - the year the people beat the spinners.

[Isitmebut]

Are you sure you're not his wife, you'll have in riding into election battles on a white steed next.

Farage can not be a "nightmare" for anyone in a General Election until he published his 2015 manifesto, as initially Ukip's domestic policies were mainly worrying about what Muslim women wear was to attract BNP foot soldiers, then slowly trying to attractive Conservative 'fruits' (candidates and voters) - but HIS big challenge is to now publish a 2015 manifesto that matches his cross party opportunist rhetoric, which IMO is nearly impossible.

Farage can not be direct/credible on most serious issues without alienating one party or another, and a wishy washy manifesto will be shot down in flames by all mainstream parties and the media if it appeared.

A no policy Farage means political parties have to work around him as there is nothing they can do to trump a trend due to the absence of policies; on the other hand a Farage WITH domestic policies WILL be a nightmare for a party or two, once he and Ukip decide what they stand for economically and socially - but a credible manifesto being all things to all men/women, by definition cannot exist.

[Isitmebut]

Claig ... once again, you can not have the national front to accuse any mainstream politic party of ‘spin’, when the worse possible spin is WIN VOTES (and influence an election) on a 2010 manifesto, AND AFTERWARDS disown it as “DRIVEL”.

Any fool of a politician can either spend money we have not got, or attack another party's policies, when they can't think of any of their own to defend.

[claig]

Children would spend all their pocket money to fund UKIP, pensioners in "care" homes would have whiprounds, everyone would volunteer to campaign for free - this would be a real "Big Society", not like Cameron's one of spin. The whole nation would be united against the spinners. Things would never be the same again.

But, alas, Farage is on the "battle bus to Swindon". Maybe he has a plan up his sleeve, maybe he knows what he is doing, maybe he will yet win.

[claig]

"Any fool of a politician can either spend money we have not got, or attack another party's policies, when they can't think of any of their own to defend."

But that is what Cameron does with our "ring-fenced foreign aid" money and it doesn't win him any votes.

Farage can win without even having to say what his policies are. His name only has to appear on the ballot paper for the result to be a wipeout. That is the difference between Farage and any "fool" of a politician or spinner.

[claig]

Watch the socialists panic. The people are speaking. This is about the new poll today. This is from Labourlist



"New poll has Labour ELEVEN points behind UKIP in Euro elections

Ok, so it’s probably an outlier – but this is a terrifying poll for Labour from ComRes for ITV:

Con 18 (-4) Lab 27 (-3) UKIP 38 (+8) LD 8 (-) O 9 (-1)

That’s a UKIP lead of ELEVEN over Labour. Another poll today had a UKIP lead of nine."

labourlist.org/2014/04/new-poll-has-labour-eleven-points-behind-ukip-in-euro-elections/

The socialists, Cameron's progressives and the entire establishment is reeling. Farage could finish them all off, but instead he is "on the battle bus to Swindon".

[claig]

My guess is that UKIP may even top 50% and they will of course win.

Then watch the spinners from the other parties on TV playing it down, saying that the election wasn't very important and that it will all be alright on the night.

[hopingforanothermircale]

Are you being serious? A good resignation? In addition to the comments above about how he should have gone sooner and is only landing Cameron in it etc, I couldn't believe how arrogant and smug he sounded and looked when making his resignation speech from College Green. Did not come across as genuine at all.