From The TimesMay 29, 2009
Julie Kirkbride stands down to joy of Bromsgrove constituents
Kaya Burgess
Julie Kirkbride was not in her constituency to hear the three cheers that rang out down Bromsgrove High Street when residents heard that she was stepping down.
The man leading the cry was credited with orchestrating Ms Kirkbride’s downfall with the “Julie Must Go” campaign. Mark Anthony France, 46, was still a member of George Galloway’s Respect party when he helped to start a petition calling on Ms Kirkbride to resign and trigger a by-election.
“It felt like there was an attempt to smear our campaign as a revolutionary movement led by Respect,” he told The Times. “We were tipped off by people close to the Tories that it would be their tactic to create a ‘red scare’, so my wife and I resigned from the Respect party to protect the campaign’s credibility. I’m happy that she’s standing down. We want an MP who is not involved in these sorts of dealings.”
Constituents outside the empty offices of the Bromsgrove Conservative Association jostled and punched the air as they heard the news. The window that was smashed when the scandal over expenses broke had still not been fixed.
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Residents continued to flock to a makeshift desk in the main shopping district to add their names to the petition sheets calling for Ms Kirkbride to step down immediately rather than wait until the next election. The petition was signed by a further 750 people yesterday, bringing the total figure to 5,000.
Louise Marnell, 43, the chairwoman of the campaign, dismissed claims that the petition was motivated by party politics. “This is not a witch-hunt or a mob,” she said. “People were asking if we were in with the political opposition and I told them — I was just a normal housewife who wants to see a bit of decency and honesty. It’s been astonishing the amount of support we’ve received. And respect to Julie for listening to the people.”
Ms Kirkbride was once a popular MP but she will have to face angry constituents when she next sets foot in Bromsgrove. “I think it’s excellent she’s going to resign — what she did was scandalous,” Sheila Warner, 54, a psychologist, said. “It might have been within the rules, but there is no moral justification.”
Last week the local party chairman, Alan Dent, said that he was “totally supportive” of Ms Kirkbride. Yesterday there was no response from the constituency office and Mr Dent, who arrived home in the evening, did not answer his front door.
Have your say
Well , I'm from Canada and George Galloway was recently refused entry here-however good for him and the Respect Party in forcing this parasite out-although I see she is still hanging on for more taxpayer dough. How about picketing her house and taking a look at the extension you taxpayers bought!
bobbath, Toronto,
It's good to note that the local party chairman Mr Bent was so supportive of this non-talent of a politician.
Now that she's gone, perhaps it's time for him to consider his position too or is that too much to ask of someone whose judgement of suitability has been seriously challenged?
Begone.
Derek Dean, London,
Now its time for Cash to stabd down.This gets worse with every day. No wonder these people wanted to prevent the public finding out what was going on.The Fees office have hardly covered themselves in glory either. Sack the head now.
Ray George, Bristol , UK
So George Galloway's Respect Party had the initiative to get the ball rolling and clear out the garbage that has been festering in our political system My Congratulations to all that worked to get things moving perhaps Galloway should be the speaker now the job is vacant, His expenses claim was ZERO
iron, London, UK
Well, the RESPECT party (an oxymoron there, surely) has zero credibility in this regard. George Galloway has been "helping police with their enquiries" on a number of issues! Let's have an expose of "Gorgeous George", now that his people are so keen at exposing less than honourable dealings.
JohNW, Manchester, UK
This MP deserves to lose her seat. However, enough of the sanctimonious claptrap. The very well orchestrated campaign stank of political intrigue. The confirmation that the organiser is a member of George Galloway's party is no surprise at all.
Pete, Lincoln, United Kingdom
Use your democratic rights and you and your freinds phone, write, email, visit your MP at his weekly surgery. tell him you demand an election. Frighten the horses and start demanding things. Stop aquiesing to cortruption both in Britain and in the EU which ias the elephant in the room.
Jas, Camberley, UK
I hope the good people of Bromsgrove now get the MP they deserve after the way they have behaived..
Martin Briggs, Old Basing, England
British apathy over this? What stereotyping, and how out of touch with or just misunderstanding of what is happening. As my old dad says of his fellow parishioners — robbed, conned, cheated at every turn by bankers and politicians. Where isn't all this not being discussed? Public anger is tangible.
Pete, London, United Kingdom
More makeshift desks are needed a lot more.
Jack Doyle, Belfast, N: Ireland
listen up people,
start talking of mass protests and plod will have the ringleaders locked up under anti-terrorism laws before they get their shoe laces tied.
There is nothing you can do until the next election, Brown will hang on as we all know until May 2010, then bye, bye Gormless!
Sam Simmonite, Bath, U .K.
Is there anyone left in this country who has the stature and who commands enough public respect to call for and coordinate a full-scale protest - a march on parliament or maybe even a general strike. Surely the time for British stoicism and apathy is over.
Jonathan, Oswestry,
A [all of a sudden] ex member of George Galloway’s Respect party ?SO NOT POLITICAL IN ANY WAY THEN ? just a concerned resident? this story is being to be being turned only on to the torys with less and less scrutiny of labour and non of the liberals
hmmm ?.
mat, holyhead, wales
This is not finished until ALL the money has been repaid to the taxpayer - Cameron please note !
OZ, Perth, Australia
The only way to get her sacked, (without a 'golden handshake'),before the next Election is for a public MASS PROTEST MARCH to the House of Commons.It would be even better if eveyone came dressed as Guy Fawkes and carried a burning torch.
Frank, Bristol, UK
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Poverty of the MPs is in the grotesque shamelessness... and petty greed
EAST LONDON PRESS says at 0510 Hrs on Tuesday 31 March 2009: It is not just Harry Cohen, the east London MP who used to flaunt a faker beard and spout strings of calculated socialistic confections... Having lost BOTH in order to stay on the bandwagon, Cohen seems to have also lost any sense of rationality. And dignity. How else could he be saying those things, comparing himself to Churchill in that way? There were indeed many flaws in Churchill’s life and character. But Harry Cohen is not remotely convincing as a comparable Member of Parliament...Or as a member of society... What Cohen’s banal boast tells us about him is that he belongs to a parliament of political, mental, moral pigmies with no evident shame...
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