Louise Mensch resigns...

If it was any other constituency I'd hope it was 2 just for comedy value.

As it is I'm hoping it's option 1 or 3.

What exactly has she done in her short term career as an MP. Not a lot by the sound of it. And let's face it. Everything Louise Bagshawe does is for the benefit of Louise Bagshawe and nobody else.

Its either

1. She has a movie deal in the US.

um.. or

1. Boris wants to be an MP now,
2. She has realised that you can't be a feminist and a tory, so after publicly supporting the lib dems and nick clegg, is leaving her seat to labour, making a withering "frustrated" remark to david cameron.

Her ex is Anglo-Italian.

Did you read the quote up thread where she said (direct quote) "I hero worship him" and talks about branding herself with his name?

The debate would not be different if it was a man. The scenario would still be one adult taking the children away from their other parent and abandoning a long-term public commitment for the sake of lust and money.

The debate with you would be easier if you actually read what has been written.

How do you know she has broken up a family? Are you closely connected to her Ex? (Who just so happens to be American with ties to New York, where she plans to move). What makes you assume she 'hero worships' her DH? Do you know either of them? Have you tried sustaining a relationship with you each living on different continents, with an ocean between you?

I entered into a contract with my employers, as did everybody who is employed. It doesn't mean that they can prevent me from leaving.

If it were a man in this situation, this debate would be very very different.

She entered into a contract with the electorate and swore an oath to serve their interests. It should be for the electorate to decide when she goes. I am sure the people of Corby are happy she has gone but it sits uneasily that she has gone to chase the money, breaking up a family unit in the process, to be with an old man who she hero worships. These are not valid reasons in my opinion.

More important to who?

Considering that her capability as an MP has been constantly questioned, and her popularity with her own constituents appears to me minimal, I would argue the opposite.

Had she have had a massive impact, and used her position to campaign for worthy causes I may have felt differently. As it is, I don't see that she is going to be any loss at all to UK politics.

And its not necessarily making a decision to increase their existing wealth, but may be a decision reached because it is the most logical and practical solution to a problem. Just because somebody has a higher profile and perhaps more income than the majority, it doesn't mean the same problems don't arise for them. If my DH lived and worked in another country, it would be most practical for me to move to him as he earns at least double what I do. That's not to say my job isn't equally important to his, just that his earnings would sustain our lifestyle, where mine wouldn't.

But squidgy, HER job is more important.
And, once again, depressing that people of their wealth and stature make life decisions based on how to get EVEN more money...

I predict a tax avoidance scandal is imminent.

Not sure why people are surprised that she has resigned rather than her DH. MP salary is approx £66k.

Peter Mensch owns his own management company, and manages some very, very high profile acts - Metallica, Jimmy Page, RHCP, Muse, Josh Groban. I can't imagine any scenario where his earnings are eclipsed by hers???

Has anyone found out yet if her ex husband who is the young children's main care giver is also moving to NY and if her children will go with her to NY or whether she is just going there for sex with her OAP husband and because he is very rich and MPs and writing tends to be paid peanuts?

True, mindosa.But the kids make a convenient excuse whereas the husband would just sound selfish.

I suspect, along with others, that it is neither the hubby nor the kids which are the real reason, but either a scandal about to break here (trad reason for spending more time with one's family) or more likely the pull of as yet unknown better career opportunities in the US. Time will tell. Maybe we're being unfair and no career will emerge there (or attempt at one), and she will be photographed on endless trips to the park with her kids. Can't see it myself for one so blatantly ambitious, but maybe the leopard has genuinely changed its spots.

If the kids are just a cover, I think it's a bit mean to tar other women with the 'can't cope' brush.

"She is the living incarnation of Pandora Braithwaite from the Adrian Mole series."

OMG bang on! That has made my day

She is resigning to live with her husband in New York. Thats it really, nothing to do with balancing life with her children.

Also, she didn't "stop a lucrative career". She's continued writing alongside her work as an MP, and has found time to launch an Internet start-up in the US as well.

Gosh,her husband is old. (Have googled - eurgh.)

No accounting for tastes.

And when someone admits that they haven't read the whole thread but comes on to lecture everyone else, including the many people whose posts they "couldn't be arsed to read", it really pisses me off.

"with what I will assume was a motive to make a change"

"you cannot deny her motivation was honourable."

Why not? Because you assume that it is?

I'm sad to see her go. She is the living incarnation of Pandora Braithwaite from the Adrian Mole series. I always felt entertained.

clement

I know: "we may not have seen the last of Louise Mensch." sounds positively threatening.

Oh just realised do you mean slutwalk?

scummymummy what are slapper walks?

I can't be arsed to read the whole of this thread because most of the first two pages as it made me feel so despondent. But yey sisterhood .

None of us really know anything of her private life, not really our business. But she had stopped a lucrative career to do something she felt was worthwhile, with what I will assume was a motive to make a change. Perhaps she realised her novels were shallow nonsense and wanted to make a real difference to people's lives. Whether you agree with her politics or not, you cannot deny her motivation was honourable.

I think it is utterly crap that she is the one who has to quit her job and move to New York and not the other way round. Surely managing a band is way more flexible than the hours/career of an mp. So much for a woman's choice. And when you read this thread, I'm not surprised she felt she had no other choice. I can't believe I feel so het up about a thread on mumsnet but the majority of you sound like a bunch of small minded judgy individuals who are unable to see past their own lives.

I am not a Tory, but I am very sorry to see a woman MP having to resign for family reasons. No man would cite this as a reason. It seems incredibly incredibly unfair. And even sadder that she is moaned and bitched about.

Things will never change if the main critic in these situations is other women.

Comments there make me feel rather tame!