Why can a MP change Parties without a bye election?

Question

Its happened again, Why can a MP change parties without a bye election.
As he is voted in by a majority, for a particular Party, surely that majority don't all suddenly agree that he/she should change sides.

Answer 1

In legal terms, when you vote you're considered to be voting for the individual and not the party.

Answer 2

The UK electoral system recognises candidates rather than parties. When an MP is elected he must serve his entire term, unless he accepts stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, forcing a by-election. Electing an MP is a personal matter. In many seats it is the person who is more important than the party, but in any case, the system recognises the sitting MP as being the one who holds the seat, not the party. We don't really elect a government here, just 646 individual elections for individual MPs. And crossing the floor is nothing new - the Conservative PM Winston Churchill was a Liberal before he was a Tory! The way I see it I take my hat off to this latest Tory defector - he now stands no chance of retaining his seat in a safe Tory area, so he must really be going wth his instincts, and I can't see Labour parachuting him into more productive territory either!

Really, if we were voting for the party then why bother having a first past the post majoritarian system? We could just have a nice and honest PR, like single transferable vote or AMS regional lists like in Scotland.

Answer 3

It's far worse than you think. Not only can an MP cross the floor of the House, as indeed did Winston Churchill, from Liberal to Tory party; an MP is not even required to actually turn up at the House of Commons.

In fact, a person once elected to the House of Commons as an MP, is required to do exactly nothing and can sit at home feet up and watch TV for five years if he/she wishes.

Of course, we all know this is not going to happen, don't we? Well, actually it did happen, because for a long time elected MPs of Sin Fine refused to take their seats in the Commons because it would have meant swearing the oath of allegiance.

The main incentive to get MPs to come to the Commons are all those little perks, such as the expenses account etc.

My MP is creaming off about two hundred thousand a year as an MP plus what he makes elsewhere.

I'm not making this up. You can find out exactly what you're MP is doing by visiting "theyworkforyou"" via Google. Should take you there. Once at the site slap in your post code in the slot provided and you will then see a list of what your MP does or does not do. You'll also find out how much your MP earns from all of this.

Try this link : -

http://www.theyworkforyou.com

Answer 4

Yes there should be a bye election when MP changes party. For it is nonsence that u vote for the person. Nearly everyone votes for the party. If u voted for the person then that would mean that if I stood for the Monster Raving Loony party I would get the same amount of votes as if i had stood for the Labour party. People vote for the parties policies so if u stand for tories u are voted in on their policies.

Answer 5

You vote for the MP not the party. The MP is in theory in dependant which is why I do not like the labour party which only allows an abstention if a member disagrees with a policy.

Churchill changes from Tory to Liberal to Tory his augment is that he did not change but the party did.

An MP is a representative and must be allowed to use his loaf of bread he can not please even most of those who elected him for most of the time

Given that most of us would not trust this lot with yesterdays newspaper (last night's Echo in Liverpool ) what is your gripe?

Answer 6

When you vote it isn't for the party it is for that individual they just so happen to be aligned to a party. If that MP feels that his or her beliefs are more closely aligned to another party then they can change parties. As the vote is for the person there is no reason for a bye election.

Answer 7

Perhaps they get tired of the rhetoric of the party they were
in and decide to change sides. Look at the voting records
you will see members of both sides voting on the opposite
side.

I can see where this would piss off the party if there is a
very narrow majority in that the House or Senate.

Perhaps you can gain enough support to force a recall vote
and get him out of office.

Answer 8

Ryan B is right but to me you are voting for the party and all they stand for.

Answer 9

you should ask Mr Davis apparently he has pulled it off//and Ryan you are wrong