Which Tory and Labour MPs could join anti-Corbyn rebels in breakaway Independent Group?

Lizzy Buchan
Updated

Labour and Tory MPs have formed a breakaway group after resigning from their parties in protest.

In the biggest split in modern politics for a generation, eight prominent Labour MPs such as Chuka Umunna and Luciana Berger formed a new political movement known as the Independent Group (TIG).

They were swiftly joined by pro-European Conservatives Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen and Anna Soubry.

Westminster is abuzz with speculation over the prospect of new resignations from both Labour and Tory ranks, with some reports suggesting dozens of MPs could jump ship.

Here we consider some names in the frame:

Labour

Ian Austin

The Dudley North MP has repeatedly condemned the Labour leadership over its handling of the antisemitism row that has plagued the party.

Emerging from a heated Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) meeting on Monday, Austin said: “If that’s the response from the leadership, it will make the situation much worse. I think you could see more people considering taking the same course of action.”

Ruth Smeeth

Smeeth was apparently reduced to tears during the PLP meeting when she begged party bosses to get to grips with complaints of antisemitism.

The Stoke-on-Trent North MP, who has been a victim of antisemitic abuse, raised a case of a member who said she and fellow Jewish MP Louise Ellman “did not have human blood”.

Ian Murray

The Edinburgh South MP is at odds with the leadership over its Brexit stance and he has previously resigned from the front bench as he did not believe Jeremy Corbyn could be prime minister.

He has stopped short of resigning as he says Labour remains the “best vehicle for change”, but he warned that others could still walk out if Corbyn continued to “foster a culture of bullying and intolerance”.

Peter Kyle

The Hove MP has said he will not quit the party but admits he is unhappy with the leadership.

The pro-EU MP is fighting for “confirmation referendum” on Theresa May’s Brexit deal, where MPs would agree to back the prime minister’s plan if it is put back to the people.

He said the MPs who left were his friends, adding: “Listening to them was humbling. We owe it to ourselves and our party to listen, reflect, and act with humility.”

Phil Wilson

The Sedgefield MP has joined forces with Kyle with a bid to break the Brexit deadlock through a confirmatory vote on May’s deal.

He has not said he would quit the party, simply retweeteing deputy Labour leader Tom Watson, who said it was a “deeply sad day for the Labour Party”.

Conservatives

Nick Boles

Ex-minister Mr Boles is another pro-European Conservative rumoured to be considering his future after he did not explicitly rule out joining the breakaway group.

The Grantham and Stamford MP has joined forces with Labour’s Yvette Cooper to try to thwart a no-deal Brexit through a recent amendment to Theresa May’s Brexit motion.

He tweeted: “The MPs who set up @IndependentGrp_ today are all good people. I completely understand why they felt driven to leave the Labour Party.

“I have not spoken to any of them about their plans and am totally focused on working with MPs of all parties to stop no-deal Brexit on 29 March and to promote Common Market 2.0 as the best Brexit compromise.”

Philip Lee

Former justice minister Dr Lee resigned from the government last year over Brexit and has since campaigned for a second referendum.

The Bracknell MP told LBC he "clearly considered" leaving the party to join the Independent Group but that the "timing was not right".​

Sam Gyimah

Mr Gyimah, a former universities minister, also resigned over Ms May's Brexit deal last year. He previously said it was a Labour party matter when asked about the Independent Group.

But the East Surrey MP prompted fresh speculation when he retweeted the resignation letter of his former Tory colleagues.