'No more phoney resignations by MPs' says Regional Conference

6.40.00pm GMT Sat 8th Nov 2008

Katrin winning her motion at Conference

Katrin McClure, a long standing East Riding Lib Dem Councillor, successfully called upon delegates at the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Conference to accept her proposal to stop MPs abusing our electoral system.

"What a farce," began Katrin. "When David Davis resigned his seat in June he knew he would be re-elected because Haltemprice & Howden is no longer a marginal constituency. Also by agreeing with us in opposing the detention of terrorist suspects for up-to 42 days before being charged, he had no fears of losing the by-election.We could not challenge him because there was nothing to fight over!"

"He claimed to be fighting for our Civil Liberties, but in the end all he did was to relegate himself to the back benches at a cost of at least £80,000 to the taxpayer. And in any case the Lords, as predicted at the time, have thrown it out. What a waste of East Riding Council time," argued Katrin.

"MPs should not be able to call a by-election they know they cannot lose, to gain media attention to their cause. It simply provides publicity hunters with an opportunity to get themselves in the limelight for 15 minutes at our expense," concluded Katrin.

Katrin celebrates her win with Tony McCobb & Nick Clegg

Katrin was supported by Tony McCobb, (Haltemprice & Howden). He said,"MPs are elected to serve their electorate. They are not in Parliament to enhance their own position within their own party at public expense."

The motion was opposed by James Keeley, (Skipton & Ripon PPC). He argued it was illiberal and would be an unfair restriction on MPs. The motion was passed convincingly by the conference to call upon the Government to legislate against any MP being eligible to stand in a by-election caused by their own resignation.