Pages

Wednesday 19 January 2022

Christian Defects



Christian Wakeford: Tory MP defects to Labour telling Boris Johnson he is 'incapable of offering leadership'

Christian Wakeford's defection comes after about 12 Tory MPs handed in letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson this morning and ahead of PMQs where the PM fought for his political life.

Bury South MP Christian Wakeford has defected from the Conservatives to Labour amid growing Tory unrest about the prime minister.

As he crossed the political divide, Mr Wakeford told Boris Johnson that "you and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves".

Crikey, what an exciting day, an MP I've never heard defects from Conservative to Labour. I hope he knows what he is doing. He's scuttled off to the the party which once saddled itself with Jeremy Corbyn as leader. It's a clue. There are others.

6 comments:

DiscoveredJoys said...

Twelve letters of 'no confidence'? Luxury.

Perhaps the rebel-rousing of the papers and broadcasters is less well founded than they would have us believe.

Sam Vega said...

Two ironies among many.

First, Wakeford was among those who wanted a mandatory by-election for anyone changing parties.

Second, his constituency has a very high concentration of Jewish voters. I bet they are glad he waited until Corbyn had been deposed; that was decent and thoughtful of him.

Tammly said...

What! there's a high concentration of Jews in Bury South?! What the hell are they doing there?

Sam Vega said...

Tammly:

Dunno, but I remember them from when I briefly lived in that area in 1980. Here's the wiki article on the constituency:

"The seat covers Prestwich, Whitefield and Radcliffe, towns that were absorbed into Bury Council in 1974. The western border contains much of Bury's green belt land including Philips Park in Whitefield, Prestwich Clough and Drinkwater Park, making up 500 acres of green space. Prestwich and Whitefield are residential areas with one of the largest Jewish communities outside London."

And this of Prestwich:

"An estimated 19% of the population of Prestwich and Whitefield are Jewish and are part of the second largest Jewish community in the UK outside London, which also reaches over the border into Salford's Broughton and Manchester's districts of Crumpsall and Cheetham Hill.[16]

The area in the south of Prestwich known as Sedgley Park has a very sizeable Jewish population and is served by some five synagogues.[17] There are many Jewish businesses, specialist shops and delicatessens along King's Road, Bury New Road and Bury Old Road."

My first full-time paid job was in a children's home in Bury new Road.

Tammly said...

Well, knock me down with a gefilte! Never knew that and me being half Jewishish.

A K Haart said...

DJ - I agree, more storm in a teacup than they would like us to believe.

Sam - yes, he comes across as a career creep to me. Boris may be well rid of him.

Tammly - I didn't know it either, but you couldn't knock me down with a gefilte - I don't know what they are.