Former MPs standing for re-election are a rare sight in central London during a general election campaign. They are even rarer this time around, as the campaign happened to fall both during half term and when there was a parliamentary recess already planned, so many MPs had to change their email account signature to “ Candidate” and cancel any family holidays abroad to hit the campaign trail in their constituencies.
Not that all MPs did cancel their holidays abroad. I know of at least one Tory sitting MP with a huge majority who decided that the fact that Ukip weren’t standing a candidate against him was reason enough not to cancel a holiday in Greece. I only hope a member of his family didn’t inadvertently post an Instagram image of him poolside with a glass of rosé while colleagues were knocking on doors from dawn to dusk in Labour-held marginal seats.
