Celebrities as MPs

[Perdita]

David Van Day has said that he will probably stand as an MP in protest at the ongoing expenses scandal.

The former Dollar star and I'm A Celebrity... contestant revealed that he may battle the Mid Bedfordshire seat currently held by Nadine Dorries because of her "ridiculous comments" over the controversy, Sky News reports.

Van Day said: "Because Esther [Rantzen] had thrown her hat into the ring over Luton South, a lot of people were interested in my opinion about it and somebody even asked me if I would stand.

"Then there was this ridiculous statement that came out from Nadine Dorries that it was a witchhunt."

He added: "I thought: 'Well you know what, I think somebody need to go down to Mid Bedfordshire and ask constituents if it's time for change.' If Esther is 80% on then I'm 85%."

Van Day said that he would visit the constituency under the banner of the "No Expenses Party" to gauge the opinion of local residents.

Would you vote for a celebrity? I might consider Esther Rantzen but not David Van Day :nono:

[Trinity]

It would depend on the celebrity, and what platform they were standing on.

Anti - expenses abuse is all very well - but it is solely a protest vote. How does Van Day (or indeed Esther Ranzen) stand on all the other issues that they will be voting on in Parliement over the next 5 years if they get in?

EU
Foreign policy in general
Nuclear power
Overview of banking laws
Education
Health
etc, etc.

As a protest I would like to vote out MPs who abuse the expenses system - but I need to know how the replacement stands on general political issues before I vote.

[Perdita]

I don't know what their stance is on the other issues, I can imagine that Esther has more experience in life issues because of her involvement with This Life and I think she could express herself better than David. That is why I would probably entertain her more than David.

[Trinity]

I can see your point - Esther Ranzen is a seasoned campaigner on child protection issues, and she has a long history of championing consumer rights.
She is intelligent, reasonable and articulate and could add a lot to Parliament.

I still wouldn't vote on a single issue though.

I cannot imagine there being any circumstances that would encourage me to vote for David Van Day - there seem to be more than enough vain men in Parliament already. Being a contestant on I'm A Celebrity isn't a qualification to be an MP, and he must be daft if he doesn't recognise Esther's journalist credentials.

That said, Martin Bell was a single issue MP - and once in Parliament he didn't exactly set the world on fire. The prehistoric party political system basically neuters any independent MP unless there is a hung parliament.

[Katy]

They cant be any worse than the jokers in parliament at the moment! But honestly celebrities were not really destined to be mps as otherwisevthey wouldgobinto politics. Like you say what do they know about currentnissues.

[Abbie]

It would depend on the celeb really

[di marco]

i think it would depend on who it was and why they were actually doing it

[Chloe O'brien]

It would depend if a celebrity was committed to becoming a MP and they went through the proper procedures and standing for more than one cause. Esther would be good as an MP as she has strong moral issues, but what does David Van Day know about politics he is clueless. It was the same with Adam Rickett who used to be in Corrie he tried to become a Tory MP and failed.