A BY-ELECTION in Reading West could be triggered as MP Sir Alok Sharma looks set to accept a peerage.
Mr Sharma was named in the former PM’s New Year’s Honours list as well as former culture secretary Nadine Dorries MP, Paul Dacre, Conservative party co-chair Ben Elliot, and Allegra Stratton, who are all thought to be on the list of around 50 people.
Now Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly set to accept the honours list as he seeks to “clear the decks” of Boris Johnson’s influence.
On Wednesday, June 7, The Times cited a source in Whitehall when it reported that Sunak was tipped to wave the list through, with the full publication expected “before July.”
If the list is accepted and Mr Sharma agrees to take a peerage, he will no longer be able to serve as MP for Reading West, triggering a by-election.
He was re-elected to the seat during the 2019 election with a majority of just over 4,000 votes, meaning a swing of just 4% would result in the seat changing hands.
The Times also reported, however, that a source close to Mr Sharma said that the issue was a “hypothetical question.”
Johnson had originally planned for the MPs named in his list to remain in their posts until the next election, however the House of Lords’ Appointment Commission, which oversees and vets peerages, advised that this was unconstitutional.
It follows a delay of the list’s publication amid fears that Sunak would block the list, which has come under scrutiny for reportedly including Johnson’s father, Stanley Johnson, and as a result of the continued investigation into Johnson’s conduct in Downing Street during lockdowns.
He was referred to the police by the Cabinet Office over visits to family and friends to both 10 Downing Street and in Chequers while under Covid restrictions he put in place.
Johnson’s own constituency Uxbridge and Ruislip, is also set to undergo a by-election following claims that he misled parliament when refuting accusations of breaking Covid restrictions.
With Mr Sharma, Ms Dorries, Mr Johnson, and MP Nigel Adams’ seats all set for votes, Sunak is likely to face as many as four separate by-elections in the coming months.
