[News] MPs defecting to The Independent Group in parliament

[Hugo Rune]

If Labour are losing MP’s how many potential voters are they losing? Corbyn and the hard left need to leave and perhaps set up their own party, maybe call it Momentum?

Corbyn is losing scores and scores of young people everyday due to his stance on Brexit. However, most of these voters were the new ones he bought to the party that enabled him to cripple May’s anticipated majority.

His support will only fall now unless he somehow follows the membership view on a second referendum (which he won’t). As the ERG take the Tories - I could see the scores of pro-EU centralist politicians from all parties flock to the Independent Group.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

If Labour are losing MP’s how many potential voters are they losing? Corbyn and the hard left need to leave and perhaps set up their own party, maybe call it Momentum?

Hard to say considering the massive gains those MPs got on the back of a socialist manifesto. It really is a sad state of affairs when wanting properly funded schools and hospitals is considered ‘hard left’

 

[Giraffe]

Announcement at 11am apparently. Ms Soubry and Dr Wollaston have already removed references to the Tory Party from their Twitter.

Both running scared as highly likely to be de-selected from their constituency anyway. Just trying to look after their own jobs. We will never hear from them again after the next election.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

Corbyn is losing scores and scores of young people everyday due to his stance on Brexit. However, most of these voters were the new ones he bought to the party that enabled him to cripple May’s anticipated majority.

His support will only fall now unless he somehow follows the membership view on a second referendum (which he won’t). As the ERG take the Tories - I could see the scores of pro-EU centralist politicians from all parties flock to the Independent Group.

Firstly, source? And secondly, he’s damned if he does and he’s damned if he doesn’t. If he calls for 2nd referendum leave voters will turn their back on him and if he doesn’t, remain voters will do the same. Impossible situation really. Personally, I would welcome him endorsing a people’s vote but, even if he doesn’t, I still think he’s better, and his deal is better for the country, than the Tories.

 

[Surf's Up]

Interesting to speculate what would happen to British politics if this small and statistically insignificant (at the moment) group of MPs gradually became a tidal wave of middle left/right MPs exiting their parties and leaving a small rump of hard left and hard right extremists representing the two main parties in parliament.

 

[Titanic]

Both running scared as highly likely to be de-selected from their constituency anyway. Just trying to look after their own jobs. We will never hear from them again after the next election.

... which might come sooner rather than later if the Govt majority is squeezed any further.

Is Boris ordering in the phone lines yet or is it all done on Twitter nowadays?

 

[ManOfSussex]

Both running scared as highly likely to be de-selected from their constituency anyway. Just trying to look after their own jobs. We will never hear from them again after the next election.

I don't blame them though - I wouldn't want anything to do with all those UKIP entrists/ERG oddballs either.

 

[neilbard]

Interesting to speculate what would happen to British politics if this small and statistically insignificant (at the moment) group of MPs gradually became a tidal wave of middle left/right MPs exiting their parties and leaving a small rump of hard left and hard right extremists representing the two main parties in parliament.

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"

 

[Titanic]

Interesting to speculate what would happen to British politics if this small and statistically insignificant (at the moment) group of MPs gradually became a tidal wave of middle left/right MPs exiting their parties and leaving a small rump of hard left and hard right extremists representing the two main parties in parliament.

"Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government" springs to mind.

 

[Titanic]

It's not just in the House of Commons apparently:

[tweet]1098172731001061376[/tweet]

Helen Catt
@BBCHelenCatt
BREAKING: Labour is on the brink of losing charge of [MENTION=3357]brighton[/MENTION]HoveCC as Councillor Anne Meadows defects to Conservatives saying she’s had 18 months of abuse and anti-semitism. Exclusive interview on @bbcsoutheast at 1330

 

[Bold Seagull]

Interesting to speculate what would happen to British politics if this small and statistically insignificant (at the moment) group of MPs gradually became a tidal wave of middle left/right MPs exiting their parties and leaving a small rump of hard left and hard right extremists representing the two main parties in parliament.

There was a tidal wave in '83, the SDP/Lib Alliance got 25% of the vote within 2 years of being formed. Trouble is, those 8m votes delivered only 23 seats. Labour won only 700k more votes but got 209 seats.

You could have added the SDP / Labour result together, it would have accounted for 53% of the vote, 16m people, and they still would have lost 160 seats to the Tories with a 42% vote share and 3m less votes.

'83 is a study in what can be wrong with our FPTP. The country overwhelming voted for left of centre policies by got a right of centre government.

 

[Titanic]

Derek Hatton yesterday... today George Galloway wades in with a 'helpful' contribution...

 

[Bry Nylon]

Paul Weller once said" the public gets what the public wants" and he was right.

There was a tidal wave in '83, the SDP/Lib Alliance got 25% of the vote within 2 years of being formed. Trouble is, those 8m votes delivered only 23 seats. Labour won only 700k more votes but got 209 seats.

You could have added the SDP / Labour result together, it would have accounted for 53% of the vote, 16m people, and they still would have lost 160 seats to the Tories with a 42% vote share and 3m less votes.

'83 is a study in what can be wrong with our FPTP. The country overwhelming voted for left of centre policies by got a right of centre government.

In light of this new evidence, I have re-written "Going Underground." Still needs a bit of work...

And the public gets what the public wants
Except in 1983 when the SDP / Labour result combined accounted for 53% of the vote, 16m people, and they still would have lost 160 seats to the Tories with a 42% vote share and 3m less votes.
But I want nothing this society's got
I'm going underground (going underground)
Well the brass bands play and feet start to pound
Going underground (going underground)
Well let the boys all sing and the boys all shout for tomorrow

 

[El Presidente]

If Labour are losing MP’s how many potential voters are they losing? Corbyn and the hard left need to leave and perhaps set up their own party, maybe call it Momentum?

Nomentum might be better.

 

[Biscuit]

Always voted Labour but can't vote for Corbyn.

Everything's so toxic nowadays. The abuse I've seen from the Hard Left towards ANYONE who doesn't tow the party line is, quite frankly, disgusting.

To see it from a Party I used to identify with so strongly has been really tough to take. It's like history repeating seeing the nasty hard left take control. They spent 18 years in the wilderness as a result, and deservedly so.

 

[Titanic]

Confirmed - Heidi Allen MP, Anna Soubry MP and Sarah Wollaston MP have resigned from the Conservative Party and joined The Independent Group.

 

[Bold Seagull]

confirmed - heidi allen mp, anna soubry mp and sarah wollaston mp have resigned from the conservative party and joined the independent group.

y y n

 

[Ernest]

Tory Party break up ?

3 MP's quit today with a scathing criticism of May and obviously more to follow, what a shame

 

[mikeyjh]

It's not just in the House of Commons apparently:

[tweet]1098172731001061376[/tweet]

Helen Catt
@BBCHelenCatt
BREAKING: Labour is on the brink of losing charge of [MENTION=3357]brighton[/MENTION]HoveCC as Councillor Anne Meadows defects to Conservatives saying she’s had 18 months of abuse and anti-semitism. Exclusive interview on @bbcsoutheast at 1330

This is quite cathartic - If your next port of call after leaving Labour is joining the Tories thank it helps understand why Momentum have been so successful. It'll be a long process but we're heading in the right direction.

 

[Hamilton]

More like a Parliament break up.