Westminster at war
● Defecting Conservative MP says she wants to destroy party ● Accusations data was stolen from Labour party database ● New group urges other ‘one nation’ Tories to jump ship
A new independent group of MPS should aim to eliminate the Conservatives altogether, one former Tory has said, as both main parties descended into bitter recrimination over a growing rebellion at Westminster.
Three Conservative MPS resigned to join the new Independent Group, claiming hardline Brexiteer “zealots” are now “running the Conservative Party from top to toe”.
Heidi Allen, one of the Tory defectors, burnt any bridge back to her former colleagues, saying that if members of the rebel group “do our jobs properly, there won’t be a Tory Party to go back to”.
Meanwhile, eight ex-labour MPS were accused by their former party of endorsing “failed and rejected” Conservative austerity policies, while access to Labour’s campaigns database was restricted amid allegations that data had been stolen.
Ms Allen and fellow defectors Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston said the battle for the soul of the Conservatives was over, and urged other “onenation” Tories to join them in a new moderate force to shake up British politics.
Along with the Labour MP Joan
Ryan, who joined the original seven defectors late on Tuesday, the resignations brought the number of MPS in the group to 11, equalling the Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons.
A Yougov poll added to the sense of momentum just two days into the breakaway, suggesting 14 per cent of voters would back the group in a general election.
However, the group said it was not likely to be ready to stand candidates in an upcoming Westminster by-election in Wales, or in English local elections in May. Ms Allen admitted it would be “crushed” if it attempted to “run before we can walk”.
At a press conference to unveil the all-female Tory trio, they condemned Prime Minister Theresa May for her “disastrous” handling of Brexit and allowing the party to be taken over by right-wing Brexit hardliners.
Ms Soubry said she would not stay in the Conservatives to “skirmish on the margins when the truth is the battle is over and the other side has won”. She 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.”
The Broxtowe MP urged “fellow one-nation conservatives” to “please, come and join us”, and accused what she called a “purple Momentum” of hardright “zealots” of trying to force out MPS on the Remain wing of the party through de-selections.
She urged ministers to quit in order to vote against a nodeal Brexit.
Dr Wollaston said 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”.
Ms Allen, a member of the work and pensions select committee, also delivered a broadside against a decade of Conservative social policy, saying it had increased poverty.
“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,” she said.
Ms Allen added that she believed “a significant number” of Conservative MPS were considering joining the breakaway.
At a Q&A later, Ms Allen revealed the depth of the divisions within the Tories, saying colleagues had texted her: “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me with them.”
Asked if she could one day return to the Conservatives, she said: “I can’t imagine it. I just can’t. Not least because if we do our jobs right, there won’t be a Tory party to go back to.”
Scottish Tory MP Andrew Bowie said: “Ill thought-out and deliberately inflammatory comments like this are beneath the dignity of Ms Allen who, having served alongside her on the work and pensions committee, I have a huge amount of respect for.
“It also does a huge disservice to the thousands of hard working volunteers and members of our party, up and down our country, who do so much to support and get candidates like her elected to parliament.”
Former prime minister David Cameron weighed in, calling for party unity in a tweet.
“I am sad that three talented Tory MPS have left the party. I backed the open primaries that saw two of them elected and supported them all,” he said.
“I respect their decision, but disagree with them: we need strong voices at every level of the party calling for the modern, compassionate Conservatism that saw the Conservative Party return to office.”
The tremors caused by the decision of seven MPS to quit the Labour Party and establish a new group in the House of Commons continue to spread. The resignation of an eighth Labour MP on Tuesday was followed, yesterday, by the announcement that three Conservatives had opted to join them.
Prime Minister Theresa May possibly expected to enjoy some sport at Jeremy Corbyn’s expense yesterday. Instead, she faced three former colleagues on the other side of the chamber.
The joint decision of Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen, and Sarah Wollaston to depart the Tory benches brings the membership of The Independent Group to 11 – they now equal the Liberal Democrats in number in the Commons. The question now is whether these MPS can build something bigger, perhaps even create a new political party.
Recent years have seen both Labour and Conservative parties pulled further to the extremes of politics. The hard left ushered into Labour by the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader and hard right Tories emboldened by Brexit victory have turned politics into less of a debate and more of a battle.
It would be no bad thing if the 11 members of The Independent Group – and any who join them – could begin a process of making political debate healthier.
Some truly appalling, abusive responses to those who have left their parties to sit as independents show the extent of the problem with our polarised politics.
Those who doubt the leadership of Mr Corbyn when it comes to tackling antisemitism or the wisdom of hardline Tory Brexiteers are to be silenced. When the first members of The Independent Group made their plans public on Monday, the focus immediately turned to how Labour might respond, how Mr Corbyn might address a situation where MPS elected under the Labour banner felt unable to support his ambition to become Prime Minister.
Yesterday, it was Mrs May’s turn to answer hard questions. The Prime Minister has expended a great deal of energy in pandering to the zealots of the pro-brexit European Research Group but precious little in trying to reassure moderates in her party’s ranks.
If she is to avoid the departures of more Tory MPS, Theresa May might start by ruling out the damaging no-deal Brexit for which those on the right of her party yearn.