Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
You’re technically correct, however the letter and the spirit of the rules are not always quite the same thing. It has become commonplace in recent years for an MP to trigger a by election in the event they cross the floor or do anything else that calls their mandate into question.
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Technically MPs are not permitted to resign their seats. They have to "Take the Chiltern Hundreds".
Apart from a spate of UUP resignations over the 1985 Anglo Irish agreement, the majority of MPs resigned for alternative employment purposes, breaking parliamentary rules or ill health.
Of late only Zac Goldsmith and Mark Reckless resigned and stood on alternative platforms.