MPs ‘plot new party to replace Labour’
LEADING Remain-supporting MPs are discussing forming a new ‘centrist’ party to oppose Brexit, it was claimed last night.
Tory backbencher Anna Soubry, who was sacked from her government job by Theresa May last year, appeared to suggest she would consider defecting to a new ‘moderate, visionary, middle way’ party.
It follows rumours in Westminster that Blairite MPs disillusioned with Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership could leave Labour and attempt to form a new movement.
There have also been widespread suggestions ex-chancellor George Osborne, who was also sacked by Mrs May, has sounded out MPs about a new party.
Details of the plotting emerged yesterday in Left-wing magazine the New Statesman. Its front page called for a new opposition in the style of the Lord Kitchener Wants you WWI poster. It said: ‘Wanted: An Opposition. The Labour Party has collapsed, a hard Brexit is looming. Who will speak for Liberal Britain?’
Its editor, Jason Cowley, compared Labour’s struggle under Mr Corbyn to living with the smell of a rat that has died behind the wall of your house.
Miss Soubry, who has been among the most vocal opponents of Brexit, told the magazine: ‘If it could somehow be the voice of a moderate, sensible, forwardthinking, visionary middle way, with open minds – better get on with it.’
Last night Miss Soubry told the Daily Mail: ‘I’m a proud one nation Ken Clarke Tory. Always have been.’
The New Statesman also reported that, a week after the EU referendum, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron was approached by a close ally of Mr Osborne who suggested the creation of a new centrist party called ‘the Democrats’.
Mr Farron told the magazine: ‘I’m all ears and I’m very positive about working with people in other parties.’ But he said the ‘most effective thing’ he could do was to rebuild the Liberal Democrats.
Mr Clegg failed to rule out joining a new party. He told the magazine that ‘you’ve got to start with the ideas’.
yesterday, Mr Clegg further fuelled speculation when, during a debate, he defied Commons convention to move down from his party’s backbenches to chat to Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s Brexit spokesman, on the Labour frontbench.
Miss Soubry also criticised Brexiteer MPs, claiming they tried to undermine Chancellor Philip Hammond’s position on Brexit by attacking his National Insurance Budget rise.
She said: ‘The Right wing of the party flex their muscle against the only lead Remainer in the Cabinet, for no other reason than to see him off.
‘And that’s what they’ll do. These people are ruthless, this is their life’s work, and nobody and nothing is going to get in their way.’
There has been widespread speculation Tony Blair could return to politics after complaining last year the Tories had created a ‘one-party state’. He said at the time his future role was ‘an open question’.
Last year the Sunday Times reported Mr Blair’s close ally Lord Mandelson had joined attempts to create a third party to try to reverse Brexit.
Last night a spokesman for Mr Clegg said the suggestion he was quitting the Lib Dems to join a new party was ‘nonsense’.