I may not agree with his politics but the man has style. He bet £50 at 5/1 on a Tory overall majority in the election. With the £250 he won, he took his whole election team for a meal.

I guess you can't accuse him of not being a realist. He's one of the honest guys.

I've always thought that.

Is there such an animal as an honest politician ?

There are as many honest politicians as there are virgin prostitutes.

in the city could not be this be seen as insider trading? However i do have do have a modicum of respect for the chap|

Can it be honest to campaign for oneself as a labour politician and the gamble on the party winning? gross deceit.

Nothing deceitful about it. He campaigned for his own re-election as a Labour politician but was astute enough to see which way the wind was blowing and made some money from a bookmaker.

How can an honest man have a foot in both camps ? he was a tory to begin with and is a closet tory now.

If you can't see the difference between honesty and placing a bet, I have nothing more to say to you.
Oh, I didn't know he'd ever been a Tory.

Frank Field has also worked with the Tories on several matters.

I don't see any conflict of interests, just a man with morals and decency to put other people before party.

But I guess some people aren't intelligent enough to see that. Or they belong to the "my dad voted labour, my granddad voted labour so I will" consensus.

Frank Field has done Birkenhead proud, never seen it looking so good.We should twin it with somewhere really nice.Like ---.
He reminds me of a TV programme, the guy went to work immaculately dressed and done an excellent job in the office while his house was a tip.

Frank Field was a tory until he saw a safe labour seat in Birkenhead so he crossed the floor but didn't really change his politics so it's obvious where his loyalty( if any) lies.

#TeamBennie

Do you really think it is that easy to be appointed as a candidate in a political safe seat? You don't just appoint yourself and safe seats were often reserved for party officials that are most needed.

He was a member of the Labour party for about 15 years before he became a candidate in Birkenhead!

I've really no idea if he was a labour party member for 15 years but I'll check it out and if you're right, you're right. That wouldn't make him anything but duplititous though . I do know quite a lot about the way the party does it's business. By the way do you know if Frank had a small side bet on U.K.I.P. (just in case)

Hi, spelling mistake in last post, should be duplicitous. Y.O.L.O.

You missed another; see if you can spot it.

Oh, I hope you're deriving some benefit from banging your head against the wall.

He was a Labour Councillor for Hounslow in 1964 and became Birkenhead MP in 1979, so he would probably have been a member of Labour for more than 15 years before coming an MP.

Having checked his Wikipedia entry, it appears that he has been a member of the Conservative party (he resigned over the party's attitude to apartheid in S.A.). Since he became a Labour councillor at the age of 22, we may perhaps put it down to youthful folly.

Poacher turned gamekeeper? None of what you say alters the fact that the man is a hypocrite, a cad and a bounder and I won't sully my keyboard with his name again. Y.O.L.O.

I'd be interested to hear which politician has done more for Birkenhead than FF?

I think that you and Bennie would be happier in North Korea. Perhaps you'd like me to find you flights to Pyongyang.

Not interested in your views.

At least I have my own views: all you seem to be able to do is copy & paste and use

I've been a member of five different political parties. "Labour" is only the name of a party whose ethics and politics vary with time and people, at times the Labour party have been more right wing than the Conservatives.

Members being pedantic supporter of the Labour party is how the party managed to completely lose its way. You can't give politicians a free pass, many are not trustworthy enough.

I praise any politician who can change their mind politically - and abhor those that change sides merely for employment. There is nothing turncoat about changing your political allegiance for political reasons.

I disagree with the party political system, it enables complete misrepresentation of the electorate and ethics, Frank's career has shown how he puts the country before political parties as indeed every politician should be allowed to do.

Well written DD.