Posted on 10/09/2014 8:00:49 PM PDT by goldstategop
n his acceptance speech Mr Carswell, who gained 21,113 votes (59.75%) on a 44% swing from the Conservatives, said: "I resigned from parliament to face this election because I answer first, foremost and last to you. You are my boss. I will not let you down.
"To my new party I offer these thoughts: humility when we win, modesty when we are proved right. If we speak with passion, let it always be tempered by compassion.
"We must be a party for all Britain and all Britons: first and second generation as much as every other. Our strength must lie in our breadth.
"If we stay true to that there is nothing that we cannot achieve. Nothing we cannot achieve in Essex and East Anglia, in England and the whole country beyond."
He condemned the other Westminster parties for operating "cosy cartel politics". His party leader, Nigel Farage, said: "Congratulations Douglas Carswell, a brave and honourable man who has a just reward."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Woohoo!
Good news. Congrats
Also, note the insanely close result in a Labour held seat that was also up!
Labour Liz McInnes, 11,633 (41%)
UKIP John Bickley, 11,016 (39%)
Has a member of Congress done this — resign and then ask the voters to return them as a member of their new party — in the past 30 years? I don’t recall anyone since Phil Gramm.
Most countries have at least three parties.
America is an anomaly in having only two. Our two parties act like a cartel.
They’re basically centrist coalitions as opposed to being sharply defined ideological/political choices.
No, not since Gramm. Problem is that doing so is a rather expensive proposition as special elections aren’t cheap and vacancies can last many months (and a special has to be called by a Governor). In the UK, in these districts, they can call snap elections on the heels of a resignation.
Strom Thurmond switched parties and was elected both ways, but I don’t recall if he did the resignation dance.
Can, but not necessarily do—this one has been open for quite a while.
Thurmond did resign once, but for a different reason. He was first elected to the Senate as a write-in and agreed to resign after serving for a year and a half to run in a regular primary election, which he won (this is why he had a break in his tenure, first elected in 1954, resigned in April 1956 and resumed office in November 1956 serving until January 2003). He switched in September 1964, 2 years before the regular general election.
Another member from SC serving with Thurmond, Albert Watson, was elected as a Democrat, but after he endorsed Goldwater, he was stripped of his seniority, formally resigned in February 1965 and was reelected 4 months later as a Republican.
Win big, Nigel.
Carswell’s resignation was at the end of August, just 6 weeks ago. That’s a fast special (or by-election). We don’t have elections that fast in the U.S. We’re lucky if a special gets called in under 6 months (allowing for a special primary, special runoff (if applicable) before getting to the special general).
Ah, back when SC had honorable senators. Linda never resigned and never admits the need.
As the former SC Dem Chairman, Dick Harpootlian said about Linseed, “He’s OUR Senator.”
Great news!
Ping
In Canada one of Harper’s cabinet minsters who narrowly won a heavily Liberal seat resigned and ran in by-election after a minor fund-raising scandal, he lost badly. Stupid stupid move.
In the UK David Davis, the guy who lost the CON leadership race to Cameron, resigned and ran again as a protest to some law he didn’t like. He won easily, but that was still stupid.
So close, what a shame! UKIP and CON combined got over 50%.
Ping to thread
Its regarded as “good form” to do so in the UK.
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