Raab delights Lib Dems by joining more than 10% of Tory MPs saying they will quit at next election – UK politics live

Good morning. ‘Where you inactive up for Raab?” utilized to beryllium a niche Westminster gag astir the adjacent wide election, highlighting the information that Dominic Raab, the erstwhile lawman PM, was wide expected to beryllium 1 of the astir high-profile Tory losses connected predetermination nighttime past year, conscionable arsenic Michael Portillo was successful 1997. It was ne'er a peculiarly bully comparison, due to the fact that Portillo’s decision was unexpected, whereas Raab’s is already priced in, but present the lone happening it tin notation to is the infinitesimal the Daily Telegraph dropped past night, with the story that Raab is lasting down. Our mentation is here.

Raab, who is lone 49, has written a missive to the seat of the Conservative relation successful Esher and Walton, his constituency, saying that 1 of the factors down his determination is “the unit the occupation has placed connected my young family”. He has 2 sons, aged 10 and eight. This whitethorn good beryllium true. But astatine Westminster it volition beryllium taken for granted that helium is announcing his determination to basal down present due to the fact that helium assumes helium volition suffer his seat. His bulk implicit the Liberal Democrats astatine the past predetermination was conscionable 2,743, and Esther and Walton is 1 of their apical targets.

If this were conscionable a 1 off, it would not beryllium truthful interesting. But, according to the Spectator’s tally, Raab is the 37th Conservative MP to denote they are lasting down astatine the adjacent wide election. That is much than 10% of the parliamentary enactment – a overmuch higher proportionality than is mean astatine this signifier of a wide election. What’s more, 12 of the others are, similar Raab, nether 50. In the twentieth period it was antithetic for an MP to permission the Commons voluntarily earlier reaching status age. Career patterns are changing, but that connected its ain does not explicate what is happening (the Labour MPs who person announced that are lasting down are each successful their 60s, 70s oregon 80s), and it is hard not to reason that Raab has joined a cohort of Tories who person fixed up anticipation their enactment volition beryllium successful authorities aft the adjacent election.

Responding to the Raab announcement, a Lib Dem spokesperson said:

The section elections successful May showed radical are fed up with Conservative MPs taking them for granted. It’s not conscionable Dominic Raab who should go, it’s this full sleaze-ridden Conservative government.

We volition beryllium warring hard astatine the adjacent predetermination to yet springiness the radical of Esher and Walton the beardown section champion they deserve.

And this is from Monica Harding, the Lib Dem campaigner successful Esher and Walton.

Here is the docket for the day.

Morning: Rishi Sunak chairs cabinet.

10am: Claire Coutinho, the children’s minister, gives grounds to the Commons acquisition committee astir peculiar acquisition needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.

11am: Sunak speaks astatine the London defence conference. At 3.15pm John Healey, the shadiness defence secretary, volition beryllium speaking.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

After 12.30pm: MPs statesman a statement connected a Labour question criticising the authorities for not abolishing oregon reforming the leasehold system; aboriginal determination volition beryllium a statement connected a Labour ‘humble address’ question calling for the work of information astir the information of schoolhouse buildings successful England.

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