Dan Poulter MP

[JP1]

Ipswich Conservative MP and former Health Minister crosses the floor to Labour

 

[czechmate]

Ipswich Conservative MP and former Health Minister crosses the floor to Labour

lets hope labour don’t sack a candidate for him

 

[Swarfmonkey]

If he thinks that'll save his sorry arse from being thrown out of parliament come the next election he's going to be in for a rude surprise. Voters don't like turncoats. Mind you, that's if Labour decide to select him at the next GE, which is far from guaranteed.

Still, on the upside, it's another member of the cancer within the tory party (namely the Conservative Environment Network) gone.

 

[robs1]

He has said he is standing down and not up for election.
Pity all 600 odd of them don't do the same

 

[czechmate]

He has said he is standing down and not up for election.
Pity all 600 odd of them don't do the same

fair enough then

 

[Widgetone]

If he thinks that'll save his sorry arse from being thrown out of parliament come the next election he's going to be in for a rude surprise. Voters don't like turncoats. Mind you, that's if Labour decide to select him at the next GE, which is far from guaranteed.

Still, on the upside, it's another member of the cancer within the tory party (namely the Conservative Environment Network) gone.

The guy is a part time doctor within the public sector, and can no longer stomach what the Tories have done/not done for the NHS.
Fair play to him in my book.
Still sticks in my craw that Boris encouraged the plebs to clap for the health service. Applause doesn’t do it.

 

[nivilla1982]

https://x.com/tomhfh/status/1784265360692142537

 

[nivilla1982]

Apparently a rumour that the defection is in part motivated by him not getting a peerage from Sunak.

 

[Swarfmonkey]

The guy is a part time doctor within the public sector, and can no longer stomach what the Tories have done/not done for the NHS.
Fair play to him in my book.
Still sticks in my craw that Boris encouraged the plebs to clap for the health service. Applause doesn’t do it.

It's entirely self interest. That guy is making serious cash on the side, not only as a locum but also through his involvement in several Pharma businesses. As per usual the Register of Members' Interests is most illuminating.

If I had my way the NHS would be gone tomorrow, replaced with a healthcare system modelled on that of France or Germany. A healthcare system that doesn't pay out billions a year of taxpayer's dosh to settle medical negligence claims as the NHS does (£2.26 Billion just for NHS England, according to NHS Resolution)

 

[Daddy Pig]

The guy is a part time doctor within the public sector, and can no longer stomach what the Tories have done/not done for the NHS.
Fair play to him in my book.
Still sticks in my craw that Boris encouraged the plebs to clap for the health service. Applause doesn’t do it.

Does this mean he's also only a part time MP ? And only paid a part time salary?

 

[neilo]

Does this mean he's also only a part time MP ? And only paid a part time salary?

…and a bonus for being a minister once.

 

[fudge]

Does this mean he's also only a part time MP ? And only paid a part time salary?

This is an unnecessary jibe. Many MPs have other interests, often feathering their own nests. Mr Poulter is prepared to work in the NHS as a consultant which should be applauded. Believing in political service and working in a public service isn’t in any way incompatible. Contrast this with the self seeking delusional moron that is Liz Truss.

 

[Charlie Gill]

This is an unnecessary jibe. Many MPs have other interests, often feathering their own nests. Mr Poulter is prepared to work in the NHS as a consultant which should be applauded. Believing in political service and working in a public service isn’t in any way incompatible. Contrast this with the self seeking delusional moron that is Liz Truss.

Brandon '7 jobs' Lewis springs to mind.

 

[Danllan]

I write this intending it to be entirely without party political bias since I'd see it apply to all MPs of all parties and independents too. I base it on what I have seen of MPs first hand and on general principle:

1) The job of a basic constituency MP takes up far, far more time than most realise (including most prospective parliamentary candidates), and the workload increases enormously with promotion to government. To do these jobs properly there is no way a second occupation can be done as well.

I can see it as reasonable for any who need to do CPE to be allowed to do that while in Parliament, but nothing more.

2) Any MP who was voted for on the basis of being the 'Whatever Party Candidate' should have to resign as an MP and face the voters again if he wants to cease being an MP for that party, be it by changing party or sitting as an independent.

An exception to this could be within the last six months of a Parliament, when 'party' MPs could leave their own party to sit as an independent, but not change party.

I'll be interested to read any suggestions that would tighten / loosen these rules.

 

[Widgetone]

I write this intending it to be entirely without party political bias since I'd see it apply to all MPs of all parties and independents too. I base it on what I have seen of MPs first hand and on general principle:

1) The job of a basic constituency MP takes up far, far more time than most realise (including most prospective parliamentary candidates), and the workload increases enormously with promotion to government. To do these jobs properly there is no way a second occupation can be done as well.

I can see it as reasonable for any who need to do CPE to be allowed to do that while in Parliament, but nothing more.

2) Any MP who was voted for on the basis of being the 'Whatever Party Candidate' should have to resign as an MP and face the voters again if he wants to cease being an MP for that party, be it by changing party or sitting as an independent.

An exception to this could be within the last six months of a Parliament, when 'party' MPs could leave their own party to sit as an independent, but not change party.

I'll be interested to read any suggestions that would tighten / loosen these rules.

Well I’ll go first
Reduce the number of MPs by half, double their pay ( not expenses! ), and tighten up rules about third party earnings, with compulsory declaration and scrutiny of any lobbying activity. It would be mandatory they attend the House at least 75% of the time it is sitting.

 

[fudge]

I write this intending it to be entirely without party political bias since I'd see it apply to all MPs of all parties and independents too. I base it on what I have seen of MPs first hand and on general principle:

1) The job of a basic constituency MP takes up far, far more time than most realise (including most prospective parliamentary candidates), and the workload increases enormously with promotion to government. To do these jobs properly there is no way a second occupation can be done as well.

I can see it as reasonable for any who need to do CPE to be allowed to do that while in Parliament, but nothing more.

2) Any MP who was voted for on the basis of being the 'Whatever Party Candidate' should have to resign as an MP and face the voters again if he wants to cease being an MP for that party, be it by changing party or sitting as an independent.

An exception to this could be within the last six months of a Parliament, when 'party' MPs could leave their own party to sit as an independent, but not change party.

I'll be interested to read any suggestions that would tighten / loosen these rules.

This is just a product of your prejudice. There’s always more than one way to skin a cat and if an individual is a poor constituency mp voters can always remove them. You belittle many, many people who do more than one job successfully and ignore the benefit of personal experience outside the Westminster bubble.

 

[Tom_o_m]

He's a doctor, he's doing this out of principle as he's standing down at the election. This isn't about politics it's about shining a light on the scandalous attempts to break our NHS to justify privatising it.

 

[fudge]

He's a doctor, he's doing this out of principle as he's standing down at the election. This isn't about politics it's about shining a light on the scandalous attempts to break our NHS to justify privatising it.

Indeed whilst purporting to unconditionally support the idea of a National Health Service. Utterly dishonest, no surprise there!

 

[ollie989898]

I consider anyone who truly believes the NHS should not be entirely 100% privatised and have it done so immediately as to be either spectacularly misinformed or to be living in la la land.

There is no national health service. It is merely 3 letters the government has created to con the electorate. Maybe once upon a time there was such a thing but not any longer. Sell the lot off and install a centralised health insurance system. It is the only way.

 

[ollie989898]

He's a doctor, he's doing this out of principle as he's standing down at the election. This isn't about politics it's about shining a light on the scandalous attempts to break our NHS to justify privatising it.

If the guy is a psychiatrist he surely understands that health services are already trashed beyond all belief and that mental health services in particular are basically non-functional.