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[/audioplayer]Tory backbenchers, who have been happy for months, are once more sunk in gloom, sitting in dejected huddles in the Commons tearoom. William Hague went to gauge the morale of the troops there this week and was told by one MP that the atmosphere was akin to the tail end of 1996; a party waiting for what feels like inevitable defeat. In public and on the news Tories put on a brave face, but in private, it’s grim.
But while the Tory leadership has lost the momentum it built up over the past few months, there is one group feeling distinctly perkier. Yes, Tory Eurosceptics are furious with Carswell and fearful of a Labour government, but they are also aware that the events of the past week have strengthened their hand.
As a result of Carswell’s defection, Eurosceptics now have an exit threat.
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