It is very rare for a politician to volunteer for an election. The risk calculus is pretty simple; even if the chances of you losing are minimal, the consequences for you are (at best) unemployment and the consequences for your party can be even worse.

So what to make of David Davis’ decision to resign his seat in order to stand again in opposition to the Government’s victory on 42 days?

I can only assume that his principles have led him to his decision. I can honestly see no other reason, save perhaps that he may wish to set himself up as a principled opponent to Mr Cameron, to face another election. I fear, though, that his actions are short-sighted. Assuming that the LibDems & Labour will not contest the seat, his actions will soon be forgotten except for those occasional students of the niceties of the British constitution. Mr Davis may unwittingly have set a precedent whereby the Opposition is responsible for what it perceives as gross failings of the Government of the day. It is not hard to see how, in future, senior Opposition members may be asked to go through the rigmarole of contesting their seat again - more of a problem if their majorities are not as strong as Mr Davis’ - or bear the accusations of cowardice from the media. Certainly, since 1884, many US politicians have been asked to make a Shermanesque pledge.

On a more immediate note, Dominic Grieve has been appointed Shadow Home Secretary. Given that it is his party’s position to oppose the human rights act, the Government front bench may have fun with his maiden speech:

“The incorporation of the European convention on human rights into our national law is something that, although challenging, is nevertheless desirable if it can be done without diminishing the sovereignty of Parliament. I believe that it can. I hope that I apply the same sorts of criteria to the proposals put forward today.”

Traditionally, an MP cannot resign their seat, but accepting an office of profit under the Crown debars you from being an MP, so the legal fictions of the Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds and Steward of the Manor of Northstead have come about. They are technically offices of profit under the Crown, and are the means used for an MP to resign. The last MP to resign, and current Crown Steward & Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, is one Mr T Blair, formerly of Number Ten, Downing Street SW1. Mr Davis may well be able to say that he unseated Tony Blair… albeit only as the crown’s heavy in some rather nice parts of the Chilterns.

UPDATE 1049 13 Jun: The Thunderdragon rightly points out that the last MP to resign before Mr Davis was Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson, however, was appointed Bailiff and Steward of the Manor of Northstead, meaning that Mr Davis will indeed be taking up Mr Blair’s responsibilities for enforcing Crown law in the Chilterns.

xD.

Posted on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Categories: Politicae Britannicae, Politics, Tories.
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