Today’s PMQs was a rather surreal occasion. Sitting high up on the opposition benches were the new Independent Group of MPs. But none of them tried to ask a question and both Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May chose to ignore the issue. Instead, we were treated to May repeatedly raising the defection of a Labour councillor in Brighton.
I still think that this new group does more damage to Labour than the Tories. I doubt that many Tory voters will be attracted to a party led by the most ardent advocates of a second referendum. But the defection of these three Tory MPs risks creating an impression that the two main parties are as bad as each other. I suspect there’ll also be some Labour MPs who were considering defecting but won’t want to join a group that includes a former Tory minister.
The loss of these three Tory MPs, and particularly Anna Soubry, is a blow to the Tories.
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