I see the times is taking Mr Quentin Davies defection to New Labour well. There will be more to follow; you may get used to it.

Kevin, Belfast, Ireland

Quentin Davies should not remain in Parliament after abandoning the platform on which he was elected. There should be an immediate by-election and he could stand on whatever platform he chooses, but he cannot remain an MP without such a new mandate.

Keith SLATER, Preston, UK

Mr Brown has not been voted for as Prime Minister by the electorate, only by his party. The whole affair smacks of Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan, and how long did he last??

Paul Court, London,

Was defection in history of Great Britain,. I thought BRITISH were clean no stealing votes no defection. Is this the new Iraq fever and the Trident hiccups

Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

Dr Findlater says: "I'm sure that the bulk of the ordinary population want governments of a conservative hue".

Firstly, the bulk of the 'ordinary' population don't vote, so it's difficult to know what they want.

Secondly, your proposition may be true for England, but for Scotland it could not be further from the truth. How things stand in a UK context, I'm not sure.

Steven, Edinburgh, UK

How do his constituents feel about this? They elected a Conservative member. If Mr Davies really feels he can no longer commit to the Conservatives he should resign not just from the party but also the parliament. He would then be free to contest the same seat as a labour candidate in a by-election. At least he would then be on sound ground - ehtically, at least, if not morally

James , Canberra, Australia.

Brilliant!!

Michael Gibson, Wellington, New Zealand

Forgive me, but - I don't remember putting my trust in Mr Brown. I was sadly saddled with Mr Blair, but I think the ones responsible for that did not give Mr Brwon his current job. Who did? The ones who play with our country as though it were a giant monopoly game, sadly they fill the pensions and their pockets with our hard earned real money rather than the pretend money the board game supplies.

S, Hampshire, GB, thats for England not Gordon Brown!!

"Good question, of course, what new Labour is — and today of all days, as Mr Brown takes hold of the reins from Mr Blair."

Erm, what?

Adam Neilson, Birmingham,

Admittedly, i had never heard of Mr Davies untill today and the saddest thing about this whole issue, is the total profligation of the basics Primeminister Brown has been buntering on about. Surely if a politicion switches sides having been in office under one party's mandate, a re-election should ensue. His constituants voted him into Parliament on a Tory ticket and not Labour. Where then is the listening Primeminister???

Paul Zvomuya, Durham, UK

Brilliantly put! what a pathetic little man Quentin Whatsit is - and he only reflects this back to Labour. It will be very interesting to see how the polls turn out once the novelty of Brown has worn off.

Victoria, London, UK

That smarmy glance from Quentin at his new master says it all. He's been vile to Cameron and departed ever so neatly so as to be hyper-nasty, nasty, nasty and get that crustacean style grin out of the Gourd of Plenty. Just... I'm stretched badly, reading why he now loathes the Tories so utterly, as to quite why he positively likes Labour either? It really does make me retch to see elected officials in effect remain in santified place like this-those who voted them in voted surely for the party involved not some double dealing inadequate who cannot bed down any allegiances or opinions. I hope Quentin enjoys his neo-Left sojorn as it'll be a lifetime of being bullied in the lobbies, taunted in the toilets and hissed back into his seat. If he gets one...

FGeordie Kidston, Hammersmith, West London, United Kingdom (Thank God)

Davies was right in all his diagnosis of the current Tory.

Do you believe that Camerron would do a right, but unpopular move? The man is no leader, he gets to know about his beliefs from the latest pools.

Michal, London, UK

Surely, the electorate of Grantham and Stamford voted for a Conservative member of Parliament. Therefore, how dare Mr Davies say that he was voted in for a full term and will not resign? He was voted for by Conservative supporters who are no doubt reeling at yesterday's announcement.

If Mr Davies had a single shred of decency in him, he would resign immediately and stand for election under the Labour banner and then see how popular he is - but of course, if he lost the seat, he would also lose the salary and pension rights which accompany it.

Is it any wonder that so many of the electorate despise politicians when so many are self-serving hypocrites only out to feather their own nests?

Shame on you Mr Davies!

David, York,

Good old, Quentin !!

I am seriously worried about the negative impact this will have on the party membership numbers..... that's the Labour Party membership ! Have a look at Quentin's voting record ! Reckon that's another 2,000 party activists ripping up their membership cards....

I thought Supercasinos would wreck Labour in 4 years - Quentin could do the same in 2 weeks !!

DaveL, Swindon , Wiltshire

I must agree with John Problem... what a bunch of idiots!!!
The only problem to finding a "genius" who fully represent the nation, is that twice we thought we had done that - Maggie & Tony - and look at the can of worms we opened... one that elevated herself and all her croonies to god-like status and the other that threw the country into the dungeon of the White House. What is unfortunate is that we do not have the International Court of The Hague in The Strand 'cause I know who would be there for crimes against the British people!

Louis Neto, Lisbon, Portugal

Oh Quentin, you terrible drama queen.

Your resignation letter was the equivalent of petulantly throwing plates and storming out of the house, forgetting to pick up your handbag and keys. Now you are stuck out in the cold.

Ridiculous man.

Julia D, London, UK

I haven't placed any trust in him - nor did anyone else that I know of. Was there an fair election that gave us a choice and a chance to vote for him? If so, I missed it. I have not, and will not, place any trust in Gordon Brown or his government. He is full of double speak and spin. Do you think for a moment he wrote his speeches of yesterday without advise form a hoard of advisors?Advisors who will have spent months sounded out pupbic opinion in order to devise a 'feel good factor' set of words? Brown is tarred with the Blair brush and his lackeys are tarred with him.

CDV, FArigndon, Oxon

I live in Mr Davies constituency.

I did not vote at the last election, in fact the last time I voted it was for Margaret Hilda.

I will now register to vote.

Not because I wish to vote in the true sense......but to help insure Mr Davies is tossed out on his ear.

Politicians wonder why the electorate is falling.......Look in the mirror.

Is best advice.

N Wilson, Bourne, Lincs

"the trust you've placed in me"

he said it at the Labour conference on Sunday... I don't think it was directed so much to the people at home watching, but moreso to the live audience

i imagine he'd like to think the majority trust him though. Sky News polls this morning indicate they do.

jacob, shropshire,

Well an interesting contrast with all other comments, that this is bad for Brown. A little bit of imaginative illusion that this is a disaster for Brown and it has only happened because of Brown's insecurity. But still no support for Cameron.

Nobody has bothered to deny the charges made against Cameron. That is the real lesson of this exercise. Nobody respects Cameron, not even his own party.

James, Watford, UK

I thought NuLabor's 'big tent' had fallen down. Evidently not.

Tony & Gordon both need to fill their big tent with compliant, fawning, vacuous, publicity-seeking peeple in order to obscure the difficult left-wing politicos in the corner.

MarkS, Leeds,

i am sure tories would have made similar noises if a Labour MP defected ! why should Labour miss the opportunity. Grow up it is politics for you.!

Aéjaz, Salford,

We need to remember that President Blair (sic) remained as PM only because of the support of Mr Brown who sanctioned the funds to go to war, collect new taxes and sit idly as immigration and housing funds were neglected. He is merely Blairs apprentice and I feel the optimism he can do better is misplaced.

Jules, Chester, UK

The Cameroons must be glad to see the back of Davies and probably wish more of his ilk would follow to Brown - I agree he should resign as MP and there should be an election.

Sorry to see PM Blair go - he was a good PM - the vocal left wing of his party was the problem - they'll be all gone when Labour is in Opposition.

Anna, Camberley,

Perhaps some here in the U.S. will be sad to see Mr. Blair go. My hope is that the new P.M. will reverse your countries loss of sovereignty to the E.U. , reverse the sorry and ultimately disastorous trend towards Socialism, and control and expel illegal immigrants who preach hatered towards the west or promote terrorism. Do this and perhaps your children and grandchildren will live to see England as it once was....GREAT.

Crockett, Knoxville, Tennessee

Not necessarily humiliating.

That must be a clever strategy by Brown.

He needed that liability to balance out the balance sheet.

He will now know some nice secrets of the Tory party and that is priceless. Birds of the same feather flock together. Both are clever men.

Brown and Blair : the ying and yang of politics. Britain now needs discipline after 10 years of "left-liberalization". As
we say : gold in the banks but blood on the streets.
Kids killing kids on the streets of Britain is nowadays a
"non event".

"Braveheart" ruling UK : history has its revenge today.

The taste in the pudding and the pudding looks good !

Denis Li Tim Cheong, Port Louis, Mauritius

Surely if an MP defects from one Party to another there should be an election in that consituency.

The people of Davis's consituency obviously didn't vote for a Labour MP so why should they be stuck with one now.

Karen, ex pat (USA),

I am originally from Pakistan where newpaper articles are very subjective and biased. I expected better standard from an old British newspaper but this article really disappointed me. It is very foolishly subjective and the writer's dishonesty is clearly visible.

Basharat Iqbal, Smyrna, Tennessee, USA

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the defection, only someone with a very peculiar view of politics can see a defection of a Conservative MP to Labour as a 'humiliation' for Gordon Brown. How on earth would Alice Miles have reported the event had the defection been in the other direction?

Chris Kendrick, Bristol, UK

You may be right, Ms Miles, and certainly Mr Davies´decision to cross the floor to join Labour is surprising, but his reasons for lambasting Mr Cameron are not.

As a life-long Conservative voter - and it´s quite a long life at that - I left England in 1998 because of Blair and I shall stay away because of cameron. He is, without doubt, the worst possible choice the Conservatives could have opted for a leader, since he is indeed without substance or principles. With him allegedly at the helm the Conservatives aren´t even a credible Opposition, and their chances of ever governing are nil.

T.W. (expat), Malaga, Spain

"Desire by someone for political office or position is proof of the inability of that person to carry out that office" .. Discuss

Plato, Athens, 5th C. BC, via Surrey, UK

So let me understand this in the light of the Brown takeover. We don't have an election to decide the new PM because the electorate voted for the party not the man. Understood.

Now Quentin Davies switches parties (has there ever been a Labour MP, or even Labour suporter, called "Quentin", I wonder?), there is no re-election as his constituents voted for the man not the party. Genius!

David Nendick, Leeds, UK

Politicians who defect parties should immediately lose their seats and a by election called. I vote principally for a party, not an individual and I would be deeply offended to discover that I voted for to represent me had defected to a party that I deeply despised.

Stuart, Twynholm,

If, as is being put about in this article & elsewhere, his defection is because by his charm Brown was able to seduce someone who is really a died in the wool Tory then does this not suggest that the image of Brown that the Tories have pushed - of a dour charmless leftist psycho unable to get on with people - lacks foundation?

Neil Craig, Glasgow, Scotland

An MP clearly shouldn't be allowed to switch party and retain his/her seat...it's another example of how Parliament is not nearly as democratic as MPs continually claim. It's like Scottish MPs voting on things that only affect England: plainly wrong, but nothing is done to remedy the situation because it doesn't suit the government.

Neil, Hamble, England

I'd never heard of this man until today, and I don't suppose I'll ever hear of him again once the fuss has died down. No doubt his constituents will kick him out at the next election.

Redcliffe, london,

What a nicely intelligent article. I felt quite refreshed after reading it.

You're absolutely right that the long resignation letter resonates with pique (and dare I say alcohol). Quentin Davies seems to have the emotional intelligence of a pubescent schoolboy.

That the Labour party should welcome this shambles of a politician into its arms seems like an act of desperation rather than inclusiveness. Who next, Steve Norris?

Davies is 62 years old. With an election in say two years time he is clearly ready to retire then.

Marek, London,

I find this all move all too cynical .However it amuses me as not having lived back in UK for that long ( was living in Africa) I had never even heard of Quentin until his soap opera drama move yesterday so guess he is not that important.

Curious as to the betrayal of the good folk in his constituency who actually voted him. Can anyone bother to trust him again, if they vote for him as Labour ,and he jumps ship back to Conservatives.!!!

M McGregor, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

That's the second political clanger committed by Brown posing prematurely as PM. God help the country when he's given the full reins!

His lack of judgement on matters that he cannot blame others will haunt the Labour Government in the time left.

Go and get yourself some reliable non-sycophantic counsellors, Mr Brown, before you do any more damage. And don't forget that the buck stops with the PM!

Maxadolf, Epsom, UK

Yes....but the Conservative Europhobes are awful.If Cameron does not keep them quiet damage will be done to this Country eventually.

Robert, London, UK

What a poor lot!
I understand there is a state in US entering voters in a lottery to encourage more people to vote and that Brighton are to use a lottery technique for good school admission?
Well why don't we use "Pollotto" (c) to choose our MPs think of the advantages:
More people "vote"
More representative government
Party funding no longer an issue
MPs could be employed as advisors, their advisors sacked
Cheaper government, lighter salaries, MP's pension savings
Real grassroots knowledge
The advantages are endless - please add your own here-

Jim Golightly, Prudhoe, England

That's a very pro-Tory column. The fact is that no party would turn down the chance to welcome a defector from their biggest rivals - not unless the defector was notorious. There may not be much substance to Quentin Davies's defection - I'm sure it is personal - but it created some embarassing headlines for Cameron on the day before Brown becomes PM.

The Tories are down in the polls and one of their key charges against Brown - that he's a tyrant - lies in shreds following his recruitment of a Conservative, approach to Paddy Ashdown, and forthcoming appointment of business people to the Cabinet.

Brown 1, Cameron 0

Richard, Newport, UK

The truth is with Mr, Cameron new Tories there seems very little difference between the parties.
Let get back to true Tory values.
Perhaps a new leader is the order of the day.

Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD,

well now that you've explained it, of course its very damaging and humiliating for brown that as he steps into number 10 downing street, a tory ex-shadow minister defects from the conservatives to labour, while ripping into david cameron.

brown must be gutted that this has happened. no doubt cameron will be crowing about it at prime ministers questions and will really make brown squirm.

of course it will... in the pro-tories-regardless-of any-facts-that-might-get-in-the-way fantasy land you obviously seem to inhabit.

Hugh, London,

I'm no supporter of New Labour and certainly no admirer of Quinton Davies but he should be praised for highlighting the cynicism and vacuity of Cameron and his cronies who will say anything to anyone in order to gain office.

Michael Cole, London, UK

Mr Davies like so many turncoats, (including Winston Churchill, with apologies for mentioning a great politician in the same sentence as Mr Davies)
Sorry, I digress, Mr Davies was elected as a Conservative MP, on the then policies of the Conservative Party, surely even through the fog and haze of Westminster polemic, he might recognise he no longer represents his constituency and should re-present himself for election on his new policies, if he is fully aware of his new policies.

Tom Edwards, Berrow,

Great piece. Davies is a smug, career politician looking after his own backside, I believe. I wonder how his supporters in this part of the world will view this at the next General Election? Hopefully, ditch him in droves.

Neil Wills, Cottesmore, Rutland

I wonder what the Alce MIles of the day would have said of Winston Churchill switching from Tory to LIberal as a young man in the early 1900s, and switching from Liberal to Tory in the 1920s, after having been a senior Liberal Minister from 1906 onwards? "It shows the worst of Westminister party politics, the bit that turns....ooh look he switched sides"? I doubt it.

Luckijay, Nyon,

Jane, In the UK political system Mr Davies contitients voted for him and not the party he is a member of. We vote for a candidate and not a party.
To be fair however we do vote for parties and not candidates so morally I do agree he should stand down and allow a bi-election. Reallistically this will not happen as polititians that cross the chamder always argure my first point. These type of cases usually bring out the calls for PR however that will generally end up with a hung parliament and nothing getting done

John, london, UK

Why should he remain an MP following his defection. His consituency voted for a Conservative MP not Labour one. If he wants to defect let him do so on the basis that he has to be re-elected as a Labour MP.

Rakesh, Leeds,

This article erads like a hand-out from Conservative Central Office.

Henry, LONDON,

Everybody can see Quentin is not a natural Labour man - what is he thinking or is it a mid-life crisis he is going through ? I couldn't help laughing with Alan Duncan on NEWSNIGHT last night !!!!

Ian Payne, LICHFIELD , STAFFS

Mr. Tony Blaire has visited the Pope and is leaving the Church of The Lord( I did not know the Lord had the Church or the Holy spirit is differed from The Christian religion, Thank you Mr. Tony Blaire , May be this is for the Elites. back to the army. Sir they are not religious. They are blood thirsty and now very tired. When they come back to Great Britain now the Small Britain after the Tory candidate defects from Tories to Gordon brow the Britain becomes smaller and sir this comment comes in pieces as Hamid Karzai does not want the British army in Afghanistan. The Bush veto and Tony Blaire has got them stuck there. Poor wives and children. When they come I will tell you more
But this I must state. You are kind talking of them; they need little pep up talk.
I thank you.

Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

Well of course it is a delightfully nasty piece, but you know the world cannot swing indefinitely to the right. The truth is that Blair was too right wing for most Britons, and a genuine left might well invigorate the post-Thatcherite ruins, if it can only get past its habit of creating wasteful eurocracies.

stuart munro, Seoul, Korea

His constituents voted Tory. There should be a re-election. The constituents aren't his play things.

Jane, London, England

Will Quentin Davies have time to find hishis seat next to Shaun Woodward or he will he be too busy getting his eyebrow dye to match his wisps of hair?

Zuleika Stables, London, England

Oh dear! Another binge rant from this woman whoever she is. It is however, a very fitting contribution to the incomprehensible muddle that British parliamentary democracy is in now, I;m sure that the bulk of the ordinary population want governments of a conservative hue, supporting honest endeavour and decency, freed as far as possible from the trammels of constant state interference in their lives. None of the three main parties offers much hope, Certainly the Cameroons seem in a muddle. The only thing M/S Miles and I can agree on is bewilderment at Quentin Davies joining the Labour party.He should be forced to face re-election to his seat now.

Dr J Findlater, Carnforth,

They are all dreadful, aren't they? It's time a genius came up with a method of government that truly represented the nation; our politicians don't.

Brown talks about 'the trust you have placed in me'. Who has, other than his colleagues?

john problem, London, uk

It’s a kind of posh debating society thing — the sneering putdown

"outed" Alice.

M A Patel, Yorkshire, England

Poor Alice "in Wonderland" she must be one of the few who still gets taken in by Camerons PR and Spin or is she on Tory Central Office payroll.

Bill Rees, TRURO, Cornwall

as in all these turncoat situations,he should put his change of heart and beliefs, to his electors, immediately, but as usual, as a political animal,democracy will be ignored and he will continue to take his salary.
what a system.

john haydon rowe, el ejido,

How about "no parties, only independents" ?

Thursby Jack, Sheffield,

Given the astonishing incompetence which the older generation of Tory MPs has demonstrated over the last decade and a half, perhaps its perfectly justifiable to be sneeringly arrogant towards them. Cameron and Osborne are right, Davies and his ilk are wrong. End of conversation.

James, London,

BravoAlice. I agree with every word. Moreover, Brown has shown at the outset that spin will preside over substance during his dictatorship.

paul turfery, Cork, Ireland

So Brown has got his minister from outside the intellectual wasteland that is the Labour party after all. I note that as Mr Davies has not yet offered his constituents the chance to review his position his level of personal principle will suite the self serving "say anything, betray anyone" attitude of his new boss.

Edward Andrew Green, Upminster, England

Tories in Panic? Well, it seems so.

Max, Vienna, Austria

After romancing the liberals & failing to get any of them on board, now he gets a Tory MP, it makes me wonder just how many others have been approached & refused the Brown love tokens.
What a way to insult your own party members !
I bet there has been a fair amount of muttering behind Gordons back , on his sneaky chat ups.
We can see once again , this man cannot be trusted, he rarely does things in an open & honest way.

Maggie Millington, Brittany, France

"Here is the man who ... moves to the left, not the right!"

This is your surprising confusion.

He has moved to the right.

Richard Roe, Canterbury,

Mr Quinton Davies is no great loss to the Tories or gain to Labour, and though some temporary headlines will be welcome to Gorden Brown the affair will be forgotten in a couple of weeks.

Simon Marshland, Bath, UK