Dorries has gone…

In my opinion she was 'gone' well before shex was gone.

I don't know who would have the best chance of beating the Tories - but I would guess campaign HQ's for both parties run some sort of poll.

The two parties really need to go with the one who looks more likely.

DiamondLily

The problem that might happen is that Labour/LD might split the no-Tory vote, and enable the Tory to slide in hat way.

In some of these places, tactical voting works best.🙂

Definitely. Usually its clear who to chose - but this is a difficult one.

Although the Labour Party were second to the Tories at the last election, Mid Bedfordshire is a rural constituency, like North Shropshire where Labour had also been second at the previous election and the LibDems third, yet it was Helen Morgan, the LibDem candidate who won decisively with 47.2% of the vote in last year's by-election after the disgraced Tory MP Owen Paterson designed.

Casdon

I think you’re right DiamondLily. In this particular seat she had a huge majority last time, with 59.8% of the vote. Labour came second with almost 6000 seats more than the Lib Dem’s,
so I’m not sure why the Lib Dem’s are going against Labour for it - it would surely make more sense for it to be a two horse race, or the Tories will get in again.

Well, the last by elections, although Labour and the LDs both put up candidates, their campaigning depended on what party had the best chance of winning the seat.

Johnson's old seat in Uxbridge was disrupted by the huge rows over extended ULEZ, and the Tories scraped in with 500 extra votes.

This won't apply in Dorries constituency.

I think you’re right DiamondLily. In this particular seat she had a huge majority last time, with 59.8% of the vote. Labour came second with almost 6000 seats more than the Lib Dem’s,
so I’m not sure why the Lib Dem’s are going against Labour for it - it would surely make more sense for it to be a two horse race, or the Tories will get in again.

The problem that might happen is that Labour/LD might split the no-Tory vote, and enable the Tory to slide in hat way.

In some of these places, tactical voting works best.🙂

The LibDem candidate will be local Councillor Emma Holland Lindsay who has been actively campaigning since 23rd June.

This byelection must be held ASAP.

www.libdems.org.uk/news/article/lib-dems-select-emma-holland-lindsay-as-mid-bedfordshire-by-election-candidate

Her book, which she'd timed to be released just before the Tory party conference has been delayed, for legal issues to be cleared, by the publisher:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/aug/31/nadine-dorries-book-on-boris-johnsons-downfall-delayed-due-to-legal-issues

Urmstongran

I suppose, to be fair, she did increase her constituency votes over the years. They must have thought she was doing something right. Oh hang on, same probably applies to Dianne Abbott ...
😁

Exactly, and she's not the sharpest tool in the box either. Dorries has resigned, Abbott is not standing at the next election, so I suppose it's all panned put in the end.

I’m no fan of Dianne Abbott on several levels but I doubt if there’s an MP in the country who works harder than she does for her constituents.

I suppose, to be fair, she did increase her constituency votes over the years. They must have thought she was doing something right. Oh hang on, same probably applies to Dianne Abbott ...
😁

Grantanow

Her resignation letter shows why Sunak was right not to put her in the Lords. Oblivion calls though I think she'll be noisy for some time to come. Hopefully most people will disregard her.

Dorries? Same as Anna Soubry. 🤣
Empty vessels make most noise.

Casdon

Freya5

MaizieD

What is 'the establishment', Freya5?

And what is its 'view'?

Is it the same as mine? That Dorries is not very bright and is a very silly woman?

The establishment, important and powerful people who control a country or an organisation.
I do not agree with everything they do or propose.
Not siding with Dorries, at all, but then I don't profess to know her either. Obviously many on here do know her very well to make such judgements.

Do you know Angela Rayner then Freya5, as you made not dissimilar judgements about her?

My sisters, daughters and friends are all interested in politics. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out Dorris resigned (trump arrested again) on our whatsap groups.
Obvs none of us support the tories

I tend to think of the ‘establishment’ as anyone who thinks people like Trump and Johnson are people who are there ‘for the people’ other than being in it for their own personal gains.

Freya5

MaizieD

What is 'the establishment', Freya5?

And what is its 'view'?

Is it the same as mine? That Dorries is not very bright and is a very silly woman?

The establishment, important and powerful people who control a country or an organisation.
I do not agree with everything they do or propose.
Not siding with Dorries, at all, but then I don't profess to know her either. Obviously many on here do know her very well to make such judgements.

Do you know Angela Rayner then Freya5, as you made not dissimilar judgements about her?

What other job do any of us know of where you can fail to turn up (she hasn't had a surgery in her constituency for over a year), badmouth your boss and still draw your salary? She is yet another person let down by that liar Johnson, and boy, is she bitter. Mind you, some of what she says in her very silly resignation letter is right......

MaizieD

What is 'the establishment', Freya5?

And what is its 'view'?

Is it the same as mine? That Dorries is not very bright and is a very silly woman?

The establishment, important and powerful people who control a country or an organisation.
I do not agree with everything they do or propose.
Not siding with Dorries, at all, but then I don't profess to know her either. Obviously many on here do know her very well to make such judgements.

nanna8

I thought Sunak was unpopular but clearly not from the comments on here. I thought the letter was hard but maybe she is right. I have no clue but I can’t really see that what she wrote was so bad that all the closet Tories should emerge.

I don't know where you get the impression that posters on this thread support Sunak in any way. Or that they are closet tories.

Since you took office a year ago, the country is run by a zombie Parliament where nothing meaningful has happened. What exactly has been done or have you achieved? You hold the office of Prime Minister unelected, without a single vote, not even from your own MPs. You have no mandate from the people and the Government is adrift. You have squandered the goodwill of the nation, for what?

That was one of the 'nuggets' among the dross that I noted. I don't think many people of any political persuasion would disagree with it.

nanna8

I thought Sunak was unpopular but clearly not from the comments on here. I thought the letter was hard but maybe she is right. I have no clue but I can’t really see that what she wrote was so bad that all the closet Tories should emerge.

I'm afraid you don't have to be a "closet Tory" to see ND for what she is. I doubt many people see her as being a good MP and few would see her as being worthy of elevation to the House of Lords. She is a spiteful bitter woman with little talent and absolutely no integrity. Sadly there are far too many people in politics who share her characteristics.

She's an embittered bone idle grifter who is utterly self centred and doesn't give a toss about her constituents. Even for an atypical Tory, she's one of the worst.

She always said she would release the book then.

What a strange and bitter woman she is.

The Plot - the Dorries book we can't wait for - is due for publication on 28th September. The Tory Party conference starts on October 1st. And the by-election will be around that time. It's a certainty that extracts from The Plot will be published in the DM too. The revenge continues!

Freya5

Wheniwasyourage

Hate is too strong when most of us don’t know her Freya5, but she arouses dislike and even contempt for taking a public salary without bothering to turn up in parliament and do her job. Not to mention being a Boris Johnson toadie until he didn’t give her a peerage!

Dislike I understand, and why, but politics, all sides, is full of people who take rather than give.

I can’t think of many who have failed to attend parliament or any constituency events for over a year, been openly vindictive towards the current leader of their own party to do deliberate harm, and have said they are going to resign immediately but not done so Freya5, do tell who you are thinking of?

Wheniwasyourage

Hate is too strong when most of us don’t know her Freya5, but she arouses dislike and even contempt for taking a public salary without bothering to turn up in parliament and do her job. Not to mention being a Boris Johnson toadie until he didn’t give her a peerage!

Dislike I understand, and why, but politics, all sides, is full of people who take rather than give.