CQMS said:
Like him or loathe him, we need more politicians like him instead of the creatures that toe the party line that we are offered.
I think we need more independent MPs. The party whip system means that MPs largely vote in order to advance their careers rather than to advance the interests of their constituents.
My MP has never voted against the government, even when voting for legislation that directly damaged his constituency, for example by closing our hospitals. Hazel Blears famously voted for the same legislation then turned up at a protest against the legislation to get her photo in the local paper.
My MP's happy. His party loyalty was rewarded by a ministerial post. His constituents are dropping like flies because it now takes up to an hour and a half to get to the nearest hospital if you have a heart attack.
Independents, who are loyal to their constituents because they don't have a party pulling their strings are a good thing. Megalomaniacs who form their own, often extremist, parties in an effort to lead we untermenschen in a glorious revolution are a very bad thing indeed.
Think of the people who have done this:-
Tommy Sheridan - Solidarity - Permatanned Marxist
Colin Fox - Scottish Socialist Party - 1970s style 'industrial' Marxist
Arthur Scargill - Socialist Labour Party - Stalinist
Nick Griffin - BNP - National Socialist
Der Fuhrer - NAZI - National Socialist
Gorgeous George - Respect - Trotskyist
Do we really want folks like that representing us in Parliament?