7 MPs quit the Labour Party

[-:Undertaker:-]

UK MPs Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey quit Labour https://t.co/HXhplLVwro

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) February 18, 2019

Liverpool Wavetree MP Luciana Berger says she is "embarrassed and ashamed" to be a member of the Labour party which she says is "institutionally antisemitic" and has "a culture of bullying, bigotry and intimidation"

— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) February 18, 2019

Blairites all jumping..... and these won't be the last ones to do so.

It's time these MPs - all of whom support a second referendum - give their constituents a People's Vote on their decision to change party. After all, if you remember when Carswell and Reckless left Cameron's Tories to join Ukip they both resigned and stood in by-elections. I wonder if those who are so keen on making people vote over and over will subject themselves to a second vote? Don't hold your breath with this lot.

It's also likely there will be some ultra-Remain Tories jumping soon, as they're currently facing deselection by their local parties. The likes of Nick Boles, Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve, Philip Lee, Heidi Allen - as a Tory member, I wish they would leave this very hour but all good things come to those who wait. It's a near certainty though.

I have for YEARS advocated all the Blairites join one party together and it looks like I am getting my wish.



Interesting historical anecdote: In the 1980s Labour split like this over Europe and the party drifting to the Left, and it led to Mrs Thatcher winning three successive General Election victories with Labour out of power and divided from 1979 to 1997.

Thoughts? Would you vote for this new Blairite party?

[Sharon]

Ann Coffey is my MP the annoying ****

[-:Undertaker:-]

Polling 8%... probably concentrated in north London.

Westminster voting intention:

CON: 39%
LAB: 34%
"A new centrist party opposed to Brexit": 8%
LDEM: 6%
UKIP: 5%
GRN: 2%

via @Survation, 18 Feb

— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 18, 2019

Looks like the Labour MPs who resigned today aren’t very keen on calling a by-election in their constituencies.

Strange, they are usually big advocates of a “People’s Vote” when it suits them!

— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) February 18, 2019

Meanwhile Leave.EU (continuity-Ukip) is campaigning for some Tory MPs to be deselected and it looks like it is working.

Tory Remoaners under pressure in their constituencies thanks to our deselection campaign are poised to jump before they're pushed and unite with Labour's People's Vote brigade. Good riddance! Will you be calling by-elections?@anna_soubry @sarahwollaston @nickboles @heidiallen75

— Leave.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) February 18, 2019

Two Tories tonight say they are thinking seriously about whether to quit - there could be another move before end of the week - jitters all over the place

— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) February 18, 2019

[-:Undertaker:-]

And another tonight!

Joan Ryan becomes eighth Labour MP to quit the party for Independent Group, citing "culture of anti-Jewish racism" https://t.co/OM02wCkQMQ

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) February 19, 2019

[-:Undertaker:-]

A 9th Labour MP quits the party just now, but won't be joining the others in TIG because of their Remain position.

Writing in local newspaper, he slams:


> ”A culture of extremism, antisemitism and intolerance” in Labour
> Corbyn has “spent his entire political career working and supporting extremists and in some cases terrorists and antisemites”
> Corbyn “supported IRA”

Labour MP for Dudley North, Ian Austin, says he is quitting the party - but has no plans to join Independent Group https://t.co/jJy7itD2Pk

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) February 22, 2019

[FlyingJesus]

From a very sceptical point of view, now is a great time to ditch the party if you're a minor MP and get some press coverage

[-:Undertaker:-]

They've polled higher in some other polls, but look at this. Given they've been handed a week's worth of free headlines with little scrutiny, you'd think they'd at least be polling something substantial. A General Election will wipe these Blairites out in one sweep.

Westminster voting intention (ft. TIG):

CON: 40%
LAB: 32%
UKIP: 7%
TIG: 6%
LDEM: 5%

via @OpiniumResearch, 20 - 22 Feb

— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 23, 2019