MEADOWXI Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 the seven have been joined by an 8th..... and now three Tories https://news.sky.com/story/live-speculation-more-mps-will-quit-to-join-independent-group-11642586 Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston have left the Conservative Party for the Independent Group They ain't quitting Labour because it anti-semitic. Genuine change ahead or they new SDP being formed 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colkitto Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Pushes the chances of a Westminster GE closer. May's majority in parliament getting smaller. More Tories jump ship and they could hold a VoNC 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Good idea to start a new thread. Peter Hitchens has written that British politics needs re-aligned to a three party system, with a right-wing, 'national conservative' party, a centrist Cameron/Blair party and a left-wing, socialist party and that this would be a better reflection of voters and give people more choice. Is this a step to this happening? I don't think it is - the British electoral system is brutal for third parties and for new parties. Nobody particularly popular or high profile has joined this new group. As I said in the other thread, the real gap in British poltics is for a "Fund Our NHS, Hang the Paedos" Party. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sooky Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Pushes the chances of a Westminster GE closer. May's majority in parliament getting smaller. More Tories jump ship and they could hold a VoNC I’m not so sure. The eight former Labour MPs are surely less likely to support a VoNC now as they have no support base yet? On another note, first ever parliamentary group to have majority of female MPs? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renton Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 11 minutes ago, Colkitto said: Pushes the chances of a Westminster GE closer. May's majority in parliament getting smaller. More Tories jump ship and they could hold a VoNC I guess, maybe. On the other hand this mob have no whip, no common party structure, yet. Can we be sure that the ex-Labour MPs who left because of Corbyn would be willing to sanction a vote that might make him Prime Minister? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 I guess, maybe. On the other hand this mob have no whip, no common party structure, yet. Can we be sure that the ex-Labour MPs who left because of Corbyn would be willing to sanction a vote that might make him Prime Minister?They havent registered as a political party as of yet either 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 People keep banging on about the issues facing third parties under the system, but if you are a well-respected MP within your constituency then your position is unassailable. There is no donkey on a party ticket that can unseat an incumbent with genuine support, which is the main test that an independent-minded group of MPs are likely to face in the near future. The Busted Flushes are already just a rump of local interest MPs running under the facade of a national organisation. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the jambo-rocker Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 (edited) I can't see a third party surviving as a serious candidate for long as we have a FPTP system. Proportional maybe, but either the Independents will fritter away into nothing ( 99% likely) or this party will eat one of the other two (probably Labour). Calling a GE would surely be too late unless they can find a majority (which I'm assuming is looking more likely to be all but fucked now) to call for a Brexit delay? Either way, it's still not Borgen season 3 exciting. Edited February 20, 2019 by the jambo-rocker 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colkitto Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Seems strange that all these well established MP's have put their political careers on the line. They surely must have some kind of plan other than publicly resigning from their parties? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 9 minutes ago, ICTChris said: Good idea to start a new thread. Peter Hitchens has written that British politics needs re-aligned to a three party system, with a right-wing, 'national conservative' party, a centrist Cameron/Blair party and a left-wing, socialist party and that this would be a better reflection of voters and give people more choice. Is this a step to this happening? I don't think it is - the British electoral system is brutal for third parties and for new parties. Nobody particularly popular or high profile has joined this new group. As I said in the other thread, the real gap in British poltics is for a "Fund Our NHS, Hang the Paedos" Party. I'm not sure that's true. Umunna was favourite to win the party leadership until he withdrew last time, Leslie has held senior positions in labour, Gapes has one of the biggest constituency majorities and the 3 new Tories are well pretty well known. I agree the whole thing will register for a few weeks before this all dies down again though. I think a few might survive because of their popularity in their constituencies but a fair chance most will just disappear after the next election. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renton Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 1 minute ago, Kyle said: I'm not sure that's true. Umunna was favourite to win the party leadership until he withdrew last time, Leslie has held senior positions in labour, Gapes has one of the biggest constituency majorities and the 3 new Tories are well pretty well known. I agree the whole thing will register for a few weeks before this all dies down again though. I think a few might survive because of their popularity in their constituencies but a fair chance most will just disappear after the next election. The likes of Allen have 5 figure majorities in their constituencies as well. Umunna has a decent profile (still think he pulled out of the leadership contest becuase someone had something on him) Wollaston maybe only amongst political nerds, but her profession and therefore pet subject (the NHS) will command a certain amount of air time as well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 5 minutes ago, Colkitto said: Seems strange that all these well established MP's have put their political careers on the line. They surely must have some kind of plan other than publicly resigning from their parties? If an MP carries water for corporate interests they are well looked after. See David Milliband's £600,000 a year charity job, Gideon's seven jobs, Cameron's speaking fees, Jack Straw's money from Erdogan. The list is endless. These MPs are on the gravy train. They have nothing to worry about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sureiknow Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 I trust Anna Sourface is going to go for a bye Election seeing she's so fond of looking another vote. Probably not. I Hypocrite. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 46 minutes ago, ICTChris said: Good idea to start a new thread. Peter Hitchens has written that British politics needs re-aligned to a three party system, with a right-wing, 'national conservative' party, a centrist Cameron/Blair party and a left-wing, socialist party and that this would be a better reflection of voters and give people more choice. Is this a step to this happening? I don't think it is - the British electoral system is brutal for third parties and for new parties. Nobody particularly popular or high profile has joined this new group. As I said in the other thread, the real gap in British poltics is for a "Fund Our NHS, Hang the Paedos" Party. Isn't this what Dominic Cummings believes is how you win over the British public? 38 minutes ago, virginton said: People keep banging on about the issues facing third parties under the system, but if you are a well-respected MP within your constituency then your position is unassailable. There is no donkey on a party ticket that can unseat an incumbent with genuine support, which is the main test that an independent-minded group of MPs are likely to face in the near future. The Busted Flushes are already just a rump of local interest MPs running under the facade of a national organisation. Isn't the Independent Group's plan to resign their seats at the next election and stand in key marginals instead? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 1 minute ago, NotThePars said: Isn't the Independent Group's plan to resign their seats at the next election and stand in key marginals instead? I've only seen that as a rumour on Momentum type twitter feeds. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael W Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 How much of these majorities are down to the party they represent rather than the individual? Short of mocking Hillsborough victims on a regular basis and throwing their own shit at the families' windows during an election campaign, I can't think of anything that would lead the voters of Liverpool Wavertree to pick someone other than the Labour candidate. Some of the candidates may have their personal following but even with those big numbers will it be enough to overturn decades of tribal loyalty to a certain party? I doubt it. Their political careers are mostly finished, although I'm sure they will be OK in their future careers. Maybe backing will come to try and make a go of it, but at the moment it seems very loose. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny Danger Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 So these Labour MPs feel that they have the right to continue to ‘represent’ the folk who voted Labour whilst at the same time being happy to align themselves with Tories? I hope their constituency offices get picketed by the people who put them there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 7 minutes ago, welshbairn said: I've only seen that as a rumour on Momentum type twitter feeds. It started on Rachel Wearmouth's account I think. https://twitter.com/REWearmouth/status/1097272428395417600 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 If nothing else at least we have a new buzzword for this quarter. "Broad church" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnHearts Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Soubry has jumped before she is pushed. Vile woman. -2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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