Comments on: Retiring MPs

By: Blake Reynolds

Blake Reynolds — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:11:26 +0000

Death of Ashok Kumar announced in media. He was Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. More info and tributes on Middlesbrough S thread.

By: Andy Stidwill

Andy Stidwill — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:41:20 +0000

Laura Moffatt standing down in Crawley.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:06:00 +0000

Mark Fisher (Stoke Central) has confirmed he won’t stand.
Health reasons. He suffers from hydrocephalus.
He apparently recently had a surgery and is still recovering (I read that last week he came to vote for parliamentary reforms directly from the hospital)

By: Andy Stidwill

Andy Stidwill — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:21:29 +0000

Thanks Richard. So it looks like 161 are seeking reelection.

By: richard hardingham

richard hardingham — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:14:41 +0000

I think you might have forgotten Bob Spink Castle point who is perhaps standing as an independant

By: Andy JS

Andy JS — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:12:11 +0000

The number of Tories retiring – at 37 – must be very close to the final figure, not least because of the consternation generated by the late retirements of Peter Ainsworth and John Maples which left their associations with a centrally imposed shortlist.

If the 37 figure is final, I think it means that 162 sitting Tory MPs will be seeking re-election, (taking into account the fact that Quentin Davies is no longer a Conservative and the elections of Chloe Smith and Edward Timpson).

So if the Tories win a majority of one seat, with 326 seats, they’d have 164 new MPs, a majority by the smallest margin possible – (in both sense, in fact).

Let me know if I’ve got it wrong.

By: Robert Waller (Almanac of British Politics)

Robert Waller (Almanac of British Politics) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:41:33 +0000

The 1986 byelections do count as a break. I have the House of Commons library official list of seniority.

By: Blake Reynolds

Blake Reynolds — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:21:08 +0000

Halesowen and Rowley Regis:
Conservative Home reporting that Sylvia Heal is standing down. Source Birmingham Post.

By: Pete Whitehead

Pete Whitehead — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:59:36 +0000

I think this is the Schleswig Holstein question for out time

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:40:07 +0000

” Perhaps Andrea remembers?”

Nope. I’ve read this dicussions in many places, but I can’t remember the conclusion!