Will the Labour resignations become a catalyst for change?

[Workingman]

They are a group of only seven as things stand, but will there be more? And where could they come from?

The message from the news conference is that the group is open to all-comers who wish to join them. That obviously opens the door to Lib Dem MPs and former MPs and supporters who, let's face it, were damaged by the coalition with the Tories. Then there are the likes of other Labour MPs; Cooper, Benn, Reeves and so on.

It also opens the door to some members of the riven Conservative party, which is split into the ERG of 48 'known' members and the rest. I am thinking of people such as Grieve, Wollaston, Soubry, Greening, Letwin, Morgan, Clarke. Rudd etc. They are incandescent with rage at both May's leadership and the ERG.

Is a (much needed) realignment of UK politics under way? Time will tell, but what a time for it to happen!

[TheOstrich]

It is a start, and I wish them well. Something has to give, something has to be done, so more power to their respective elbows.

I believe they were at pains to point out that they are not starting a new party at this time, but, like Frank Field, sitting as Independents.

Interestingly, here in Dorset, there appears to be a movement at local level to form a party of Independents to break the Tory mold. I wish them well too, and they might be getting my vote.

[Workingman]

Hmm... I have tried a few times to get to the website of the group, https://www.theindependent.group/statement and it looks to be overloaded with requests from interested people, or is it suffering a malicious distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack?

The latter would not surprise me in the slightest.

Ossie, I agree with your sentiments. There are huge swathes of the electorate who feel disenfranchised by all the established parties.

[Suff]

Is a (much needed) realignment of UK politics under way? Time will tell, but what a time for it to happen!

It depends. If it is only disaffected Labour, then we can call it SDLP#2. If, however, disaffected Tories join them and they suck in some fringe Lib Dems, then there is a parallel for this. That is how the SNP started. But, to be honest, I can't see this new offshoot doing the same. What is their rallying cry? Why would someone vote for them other than the fact that they didn't like the party as it was? At least the SNP had Scottish Nationalism as a theme.

Also I can't see Clarke joining in with a bunch of Labour guys who want to tax and spend. The only thing I can see here is fizzle. But, I'm open to surprises.

[Workingman]

I would not be so quick to write off what this group has done. Nigel Farage said that it could be the start of a realignment in British politics. He, obviously, wants that realignment to take place and for him and his party to be in the thick of it.

The thing is that for millions of us neither Labour nor the Conservatives represent us, and a vote for the Lib Dems in many seats is a wasted vote. If this new group can appeal to lots of us the idea might fly.

We should not forget that the majority of voters do so tribally; it is either / or. However, it is also true that huge numbers vote for one to keep the other out simply because they do not have an alternative choice. Given alternatives who knows what could happen?

We could be entering an era of multi party politics, and I am all for it. Bring it on!

Next step proper PR, but it can wait.

[cromwell]

We do need some sort of realignment in British politics but whether this lot is it I have my doubts. Chuka Umuna comes over as a pound shop Tony Blair, all vacuous slogans. Plus his constituency party want him out. As the people in Wavertree, Liverpool want Luciana Berger out. She's a mamber of the North London political set who have been parachuted into a safe provincial seat, of which there have been rather too many.
Basically imo Momentum have taken / are taking over the Labour party and unless Jezbollah goes under a bus it looks like the Blairites are on borrowed time, so some of them have bailed out. They must know that unless some Tories do the same and join them though, come the next election they are history. And as Soubry, Boles and Woolaston are allegedly facing deselection by their local parties, it could happen.
We could end up with a right wing Conservative party and a left wing Labour party - and a Liberal Democrat party and... another Liberal Democrat type party?
Still, interesting times.

[Workingman]

I tend to agree with that, Cromwell, especially the bit about parachutists. For me a prospective candidate should have had to live in the constituency they hope to be elected to serve or within, say, three miles of it for Xteen months.

However, I do disagree with the views of some 'professional' commenters. The omnishambles that is Brexit is a big factor in all of this and how it plays out will drive what some in both Labour and Conservatives decide to do.

And let us not forget that UKIP is still here and that the Brexit party also exists. They could become 'home' for other MPs disaffected with the way Brexit proceeds.

The next GE will be a turning point.

[Suff]

The next GE will be a turning point.

It certainly will. But unless voters change their habits, the new party will become lost in very short time.

I agree a lot with Crommers position. These bailers are on the exit list anyway. The local party is going to deselect them. As for the Tories? Anyone who has damaged the government the way they have is going to find a hard time keeping the nomination for the Tory party. I said that a few months ago that most Tories would stay in line or face deselection. That is how the Tory party works.

For the Labour party? Here is my take. If Corbyn style neo communist government is the price of Labour, then I want to see the party decimated, destroyed, replaced with several other viable parties who might coalition against the Tories. Because the founders of the Labour party would have booted Corbyn in a second and what he is going to do with their party would leave them turning in their graves.

[Workingman]

Well we now learn that three former Tories have joined the group... and there could still be more to follow, from any side, in the coming days.

It is true that the whole thing could fall flat, but it is equally true that the sands are shifting. The comments from some Tories when interviewed make the Labour response look tame and almost apologetic. There could be civil wars breaking out in both main parties.... I might need to sharpen my pencil.

[Suff]

I might need to sharpen my pencil.

No, NO, a nicely rounded pencil with enough graphite showing makes a MUCH bolder X