CU is a bottle job. He could’ve been Labour leader but bottled it because he wasn’t ready. So instead he watched labour be taken over by the Marxists he disagrees with running the Labour Party.

COYP

At some point you have to make a stand about your values. Chuka changes these as often as people change their clothes. I think at the GE Labour will put him to the sword.

He would have been better to have stayed in the party on the back benches doing a "Churchill in the Wilderness". At some point Labour are going to realise that Corbyn isn't the answer and then they will look around for a new centre moderate leader which could have been him.

Bye bye Chuka no doubt a career at the BBC is in the offing.

One more point

I posted on HOL that I wouldn't be surprised if there was a dropout or two and today we have learned that Matt Hancock has pulled out of the contest.

I believe that Stewart is likely to gain most from Hancock's departure. Both McVey’s and Leadsom’s 20 supporters may well transfer almost unanimously to Johnson. If Raab cannot attract most of their supporters he will be in deep water and could decide to withdraw unless of course he doesn't get 33 votes or finishes bottom of the pile, as each scenario would see him eliminated automatically.

Javid has only four Brexiteer votes, accordingly, the majority of his votes, if he drops out, are likely to edge towards Jeremy Hunt.

Gove of course is still in the race for second place, albeit clinging on by his fingertips. His vote didn’t evaporate, although one suspects that if his use of cocaine hadn't been revealed he could well now be second.

Edited by Willo (14 Jun 2019 11.47pm)

He still represents his electorate so has no need to resign and force a by election. His job, as always, is to use his best judgements on behalf of the people he represents so if he feels the need to join the LibDems sobeit. Their opportunity to express their opinion comes at the next GE.

Personally I think his logic is impeccable. Labour has abandoned the values he believes in, so abandoned him. He tried to be part of a new movement in good faith but has had second thoughts, in the light of experience and with hindsight.

We can all do that. Especially those who voted Leave in 2016. Nothing should ever be set in stone and people denied the opportunity to express a change of mind.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

It's fairly obvious that he represents himself. He should quit and let his constituents decided whether he still represents them or not

Agreed.

This is not a case of a man of integrity leaving his party on a point of principle. This is a politician who was miffed that he was on the back benches when he felt he should have a seat at the big table.

A man of principle would have stayed in the Labour party and fought for the values he believed in. Corbyn is 70 and won't be around for ever. My guess is that the next leader of the Labour party will be more mainstream than Jeremy. However if people like Chukka leave then the odds of the next leader being a Corbyn clone just goes up.

Having left he throws in his hat with a bunch of Tory losers, why? politically they have nothing in common apart from wanting to Remain so it was hardly a surprise when he felt he couldn't work with them.

I think it's time to bring in a rule to force a by election within 6 months if an MP leaves a party.

One more point