Louise Mensch was something of a Marmite character in Westminster but she was never boring; the Commons will be slightly less interesting without her sharp opinions and colourful interventions. She was no doubt controversial, however: at least one senior Tory called her “Gizza Mensch” in reference to her love of media appearances. Here is our news story about the exit – a by-election is expected in November.
One senior Tory MP even said icily that Ms Mensch’s resignation showed the “folly” of the A-list system:
“There’s no point in bringing people in who haven’t really thought about what the job will be like – people who think it’s much more glamorous and more fun than it actually is.”
The highlights of her brief Westminster career included a glamorous magazine spread; testily standing up to Tom Watson over the Murdochs; and a painful appearance on Have I Got News For You. (The Guardian has a good catch-up on some of these).
But commentators are divided about whether her departure has wider Read more
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey