Where are the Tory splitters?
“Thanks but no thanks”? Anna Soubry was thought to be joining the new Independent Group of MPs. Where is she?
All the talk last weekend was of Labour MPs splitting away from their party to form a new group – along with Conservative MPs and possibly Liberal Democrats.
We know that seven Labour MPs went through with their split – with humiliating consequences for all those involved.
What about the Tories?
Anna Soubry was thought to have been in talks with Chuka Umunna – did she miss the memo saying when it was all going to happen?
Or was the Conservative side of this just another smokescreen; another gesture towards rebellion that just didn’t quite make it into reality?
That seems more likely.
Until some Conservatives join Umunna’s Seven, it seems clear that we should add to the list of their failings a willingness to be deceived by Conservatives.
Tories who offered to join the Independent Group (or Gemini A Ltd, to give it its official title) have managed to speed a schism in the Labour Party. In public relations terms, this is a boost for their own party that remains (for now) intact.
And the ex-Labour independents should have seen this coming.
The Tories have, after all, a record of failure to go through with rebellion. And they have a record of dishonesty.
They are a party of liars led by a liar. Only a fool would expect them to honour a promise.
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Indeed-the Tories will always unite around their vested interests.
By the way what happened to crocodile tear merchant Heidi Allen (who voted for Welfare Reform) who said she’d had enough of austerity?
There was no promise as you assert in your final sentence, perhaps, they are still weighing up the situation or realise they have no real cause to move and that they are better off where they are. As you say a humiliation for those involved, mainly Corbyn, McDonnell.
My last sentence was intended in general terms, referring back more to Theresa May’s promise to Tories who threatened to rebel last summer – on which she reneged the very same day. I did not say it was a humiliation for anybody still in the PLP.
That may have been your intention but without question it clearly refers to these seven and to the Labour Party lesdership on the other side. There is no reference to the Conservatives at all in that statement and your response, I suggest, echos clutching at straws.
Without question, your statement is wrong. The facts are as I stated them.
Tories have no principles. Whatever went on between Chukka Umunna, he must be somewhat naïve to think that any Tories would act on what they have been saying are their principles. Perhaps he could go public with any promises made by Soubry and co.
The Tory splitters DON’T exist. The majority of the splitters will come from Labour, therefore guaranteeing Theresa May’s re-election.
Don’t be so sure. The departure of these MPs from Labour creates opportunities for new candidates, in line with current policies, to take over. I don’t expect Labour to lose those seats.
Do you think so? In my opinion, all this does is that it will lead to the Conservatives’ undeserved extention of power. Labour are in trouble, and they know it. I still expect more defections from them within the next few days.
Labour isn’t in trouble because of the loss of some dead weight. Those people will be gone after the next general election and if they do anything to prolong the Conservatives’ stay in office, they’ll also be hated. It’s win-win for Labour.
Good points. Generally speaking, the Tories DON’T SPLIT. They have a simple task. To stay in power to preserve the status quo. To protect the rich and powerful. To do that , they are prepared to say anything to get elected. They will even spend decades stirring up hostility to immigrants and the EU in order to get elected to “protect” the poor, vulnerable English people from the horrible foreigners. This attitude, of course, has just backfired because enough of their voters (and others) actually believed it and voted for Brexit!
But, riven by huge contradictions and conflicts , earning the despair of the owners of manufacturing industry, they stick to their course. To retain power at all costs. Look at the way Theresa May clings to power in the face of upsets that any previous PM would have resigned over.
The Labour Party is different. For us, taking power is about changing things. Improving the lives of the majority of the population. THAT causes conflict in the ranks because progress and change take many forms and strategies. So, we are prone to disputes and splits.
Long term, the loss of the “Unsecret seven” will be seen as a bonus for Labour, but the Tories will be making the most of it while they can. And I won’t expect any serious split from their ranks any time soon. They know their job!