The Clacton by-election was an egotistical abuse of democracy - Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Bryn Glover, Kirkby Malzeard, Ripon.

It is difficult to think of any original comment concerning the Clacton by-election that has not already been aired in the media. It is difficult to see how anyone could find merit or kudos in defeating 30+ joke opponents.

We are now back exactly to where we were a month or so ago, except that the borough of Clacton is poorer by the cost of a wholly unnecessary election.

This was not an exercise in democracy, it was an egotistical abuse of that democracy.

If sitting MPs decide to change political party (as many have done) it would be honourable for them to offer themselves to their electorates with the effective question, ‘Do you still want me now that I have changed?’

To prevent further misuse of our electoral processes, the law needs to change, so that any sitting MP who triggers a by-election by resignation would be excluded from standing in that election for the same political party.