is leicester royal infirmary in this seat

I think it is in Leicester South

I would be surprised if Keith Vaz didn’t hold on here.

Surely surprised is far too mild a word? I hold very little brief for Keith Vaz, but this is now the safest Labour seat in the entire E Midlands, having been a marginal when he was first elected.

This includes parts of Leicester SE that had a five figure Conservative majority in 1970 and the inclusion of these wards will have helped the Conservatives win a seat that was the successor to the Labour seat of Leicester NE.

…in 1983.

I’ve never been quite clear as to why Leicester SE was such a safe Tory seat. Perhaps it included areas outside the city boundaries? Mind you, it wouldn’t be difficult for me to find out – my friend Ted Masters in my own CLP was the Labour candidate for that constituency way back in 1955.

I think the Knighton area used to be very exclusive a few decades ago.

Incidentally, if the final sentence of his profile on this page is to be believed is Vaz the first transgender MP?

🙂

Oops

ha ha

“I’ve never been quite clear as to why Leicester SE was such a safe Tory seat. Perhaps it included areas outside the city boundaries? ”

It included Oadby & Wigston as well as Knighton and Evington in Leicester itself

what about birstall

No Birstall was never part of a Leicester seat. I need to correct my last post. Leicester South East included Oadby but not Wigston

A closer look at the result here in 1992-
Vaz (Labour)- 28, 123 (56.55%, +10.39%)
Stevens (Conservative)- 16, 807 (33.79%, -8.68%)
Mitchell (Liberal Democrat)- 4, 043 (8.13%, -3.25%)
Frankland (Green)- 453 (0.91%, N/A)
Taylor (Independent British Homeland Defence)- 308 (0.62%, N/A)

Majority- 11, 316 (22.75%)
Swing- +9.535% From Con to Lab.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/10/keith-vaz-interview

At least he supports the idea of an EU referendum.

Strangely enough it seems to be Nigel Farage talking in more left-leaning ways when he said that the economic benefits of uncontrolled immigration are worth forgoing, as some things are more valuable than money.

Still, to answer the question about whether he deserves the opprobrium he gets, that’s a “yes” in the affirmative.

Former Tory leader of Leicestershire CC decamps to UKIP

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Conservative-Leicestershire-County-Council-Leader/story-20537614-detail/story.html

LAB 58
CON 21
LD 10
UKIP 5
GRN 3
OTH 3

Kishan Devani chosen as Tory PPC

Labour Hold. 18,000 majority.

Keith Vas conceded defeat to LEAVE on BBC News just now and was almost in years!

*tears!

Has Leicester itself declared yet.

Yes, narrow win for REMAIN!

Some fairly disturbing tabloid revelations about Keith Vaz. He is one of the last people I would have suspected.

Worse is to come…

http://order-order.com/2016/09/04/244563/

‘He is one of the last people I would have suspected.’

Not sure if this is sarcasm or not. Personally can’t say I’m that surprised – always been something a bit odd about some of Vaz’s behaviour.

There are some reports he has resigned as chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee. I think he’ll have to. Also reports that this might only be tip of the iceberg with more to come out.

Some people on Twitter are speculating about a by-election in Leicester East, but I think that unlikely unless he gets convicted of anything.

To be honest use of rent boys is frowned upon – but not a hanging offence (Mark Oaten was never thrown out). If anything, it’s tragic that a marriage should be pulled apart like this.

However, it’s the criminal investigations that are hanging over him that are likely to spell his demise.

Oh, and Jack – it wasn’t sarcasm – he seemed like me to a nice guy.

He is a massive attention seeker. Not sure why it should but that always makes me a bit suspicious about someone (see also Simon Danczuk).

Plus over the years he has been caught up in previous scandals of varied significance, though not up to now relating to his personal life.

Who was the last MP to be forced out of parliament due to criminal conviction? Was it Chris Huhne?

I believe so

Well to me at least (as someone who is gay) Keith Vaz’s sexual orientation was rather obvious. I imagine this thing was rather common amongst closeted gay MP’s and probably still amongst the older crowd who thought they had to be straight and married with kids to get anywhere in politics. I am hopeful this culture will change with new intakes of MPs who grew up in a rather less homophobic world.

However if the child abuse allegations are true this obviously goes far beyond taking cocaine and hiring prostitutes (which is a resignable offence) and the police should press ahead with criminal prosecution and hopefully make a public example out of him. I obviously won’t speculate on the truth of these allagations but ‘owing your career to Greville Janner’ is hardly a good sign… Bercow has serious questions to answer too.

I presume Labour is going to kick him off the NEC too?

He’s always made my skin crawl, not surprised at all by these revelations.

What is it with gay men in straight families? Are they closet gays all along, and just get a wife to keep up appearances, or is it generally a case of their sexuality changing in later life?

It might be a bit of both. Perhaps one marries and has a family in order to convince themselves they are not gay.

Pepp – very true. Just look at how camp he is dancing in the Bhangra and Gangnam videos.

But on the serious side, it isn’t just rent boys per se (although being chair of a committee investigating their legality meant he had to go), it’s allegations of drugs with the potential of money laundering to illegals.

Incidentally he was one of the prime examples I had in mind when I wrote last week of the hypocritical MPs. Not just married and gay but pics of family in election addresses for voters.

Pepp – yes probably not for detailing here, but for a hint: he was Solicitor for Richmond Council in 1982 & Labour PPC for Richmond and Barnes, where Elm Guest House was. Not stating he was an abuser but clearly there are questions to answer even if just that he could have aided any cover up (by payment or blackmail etc).

On the lighter side he’s lost all credibility if only because even the Romanian rent boys didn’t believe that he was “Jim” who sold industrial washing machines!

(As they’d seen him on tv so many times)

That video was taken at my friends school

Only just read his Statements.

“…deeply disturbing that a national newspaper…”

Really does sound as if he’s still as pompous as ever.

Indeed – hence the likes of Sarah Wollaston & Frank Field are in charge of other select committees.

As the great Katie Hopkins has said, all of us have our grubby secrets. But Vaz has been stupid to get caught and I feel terrible for his wife and kids. This isn’t merely embarrassing, it’s jaw droppingly mortifying.

@Tristan true most people do have something that they would hate to be made common knowledge but mostly they are not on the magnitude of Mr. Vaz’s. Putting the allogations of child sexual exploitation aside as there is no evidence at this time, I pity him more than anything because living a double life and having no meaningful relationships with the gender you are attracted to beyond a financial one must be an awful way to live your life.

Pepperminttea- yes, agree totally.

Pepp – I’m sure it was just a slip, but there is evidence of the child sexual exploitation at Elm Guest House.

The Inquiry will look into why it was supressed and so on.

But I agree with you on the sexual side. I think it’s fairly common in the Asian community (and Jewish community to a lesser extent), ie getting married – and having kids – just to keep the family name going.

@Lancs yes I know there is but I was saying I am not aware of any evidence at present suggesting the MP here was involved

I suppose it’s sad that one must feel they have to live that way.

Pepp – ah I see. Yes I agree (almost).

He’ll be called as a witness in the Inquiry, but there’s no evidence yet that he was party to a cover up re the boys from council homes. From what I gather he says he doesn’t recall Elm or the area at all. (Although there’s evidence to contradict that, not least one of his own press releases when he was the PPC).

What is it with politicians and rent boys

And whilst I pity his family greatly again I fathom to understand how Vaz thought he could get away with this

Did he not know the sort of people rent boys are – people who will do or say anything so long as money is involved – the lowest of the low

A scathing review of rent boys