Lib Dems to force Mid Bedfordshire by-election as soon as Parliament returns

4 Sep 2023

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

The Liberal Democrats have announced the party will step in and move the writ for the Mid Bedfordshire by-election as soon as Parliament returns on Monday (4 September), if the Conservatives refuse to do so.

This would allow the by-election to take place on Thursday 5 October, minimising the amount of time that Nadine Dorries’ constituents in Mid Bedfordshire are left without a representative in Parliament. It comes amid speculation that Rishi Sunak could delay calling the by-election to avoid it clashing with the Conservative Party conference.

The Liberal Democrats have prepared a motion ready to table as soon as Parliament returns, they warn that the people of Mid Bedfordshire “should not be made to wait a day longer to elect an MP who will finally stand up for them.”

Under parliamentary convention, the Chief Whip of the party whose MP has resigned will normally move the writ for the by-election. However, there is nothing to prevent an MP from another party from putting forward a motion for a new writ. The Liberal Democrats previously successfully moved the writ for the 2010 Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election.

Nadine Dorries first said that she would resign with ‘immediate effect’ 10 weeks ago, and has not spoken in Parliament since July 2022. It means her constituents in Mid Bedfordshire have been without proper representation in Parliament for 420 days.

The Liberal Democrats are the bookmakers’ favourite to win the upcoming Mid Bedfordshire by-election, following the party’s string of four stunning by-election victories in formerly safe Conservative seats.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

“People in Mid Bedfordshire have been denied a voice in Parliament for far too long, all because Nadine Dorries abandoned them and Rishi Sunak refused to do anything about it. They should not be made to wait a day longer to elect an MP who will finally stand up for them.

“It would add insult to injury if Rishi Sunak now decides to delay this by-election for his own political reasons.

“If the Conservatives refuse to call this by-election as soon as Parliament returns, the Liberal Democrats will step in and force them to. We will fight to give the people of Mid Bedfordshire the strong voice they deserve on access to GPs, the cost of living and tackling crime.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

First reported by BBC News.

Draft text of the Liberal Democrat motion:

“That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the County constituency of Mid Bedfordshire in the room of Nadine Dorries who since her election been appointed to the Office of Steward and Bailiff of His Majesty’s Three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham in the County of Buckingham.”

Erskine May states that motions for new writs “are moved normally, but not necessarily, by the Chief Whip of the party to which the Member vacating the seat belonged." (Erskine May). The Conservative government could choose to oppose the Liberal Democratmotion, this would lead to a debate and a vote in which Conservative MPs would have to vote to delay the Mid Bedfordshire by-election.

For additional background:

On 16 December 2010 the Lib Dems successfully moved the writ for the seat of Oldham East and Saddleworth after Philip James Woolas’ (Labour) 2010 election was declared void, which meant his seat was vacated. Link to the writ here.
On 21 July 2009 the Scottish National Party MP Stewart Hosie sought to move the writ for the seat of Glasgow North East after Michael Martin resigned as an MP. The Labour Government and the Leader of the House at the time (Harriet Harman) successfully blocked this attempt, through voting on an amendment to the writ. A number of Conservative MPs spoke in support of the SNP motion including Ben Wallace and Nigel Evans. Link to the debate here.