TORIES’ TRIO CHUKA IT IN
MPs join Umunna’s rebel gang
THREE MPs quit the feuding Conservative Party yesterday.
They joined Chuka Umunna’s new Independent Group and urged more to follow.
Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston launched a series of scathing attacks on Prime Minister Theresa May.
They claimed her handling of Brexit was “disastrous”, and demanded to know why the PM had not tried to keep them.
The trio confirmed they were joining the eight Labour MPs who quit their own party earlier this week.
Ms Soubry said: “The right wing, the hardline anti-EU awkward squad that have destroyed every leader for the last 40 years are now running the Conservative Party from top to toe. They are the Conservative Party.”
Ms Allen said: “I can no longer represent a government and a party who can’t open their eyes to the suffering endured by the most vulnerable in society, suffering which we have deepened whilst having the power to fix.”
Dr Wollaston said: “I am afraid the Prime Minister simply hasn’t delivered on the pledge she made on the steps of Downing Street to tackle the burning injustices in our society.
“What we now see is the party that was once the most trusted on the economy and business, is now marching us to the cliff edge of a no-deal Brexit.”
The defections bring the Independent Group’s number to 11 MPs – the same amount as the Liberal Democrats and one more than Mrs May’s allies the DUP.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable hinted at a possible electoral pact between his party and the Independent Group, saying if would be “foolish” for them to stand against each other.
He said: “The first-past-the-post system means we would damage each other very badly. ”
Mrs May said she was “saddened” by the trio’s decision to leave, but insisted “we are doing the right thing for our country” by delivering Brexit.