Every Monday, a group of unlikely bedfellows meet in Jeremy Corbyn’s parliamentary office. Jo Swinson, Liberal Democrat leader; Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader; Caroline Lucas, the Green party’s sole MP; and Liz Saville Roberts from Plaid Cymru all gather to discuss their common aim — preventing a no-deal Brexit. This rebel alliance is more than just a group therapy session: last week, they succeeded in taking control of parliament and immediately started to give instructions to the Prime Minister. So their Monday club is now a kind of remote-control government, with plenty to discuss. While parliament is suspended, they’ve promised to keep in touch.
Corbyn usually kicks off proceedings with a broad-brush comment about the perils of leaving the EU without a deal. Seumas Milne, his strategist, then takes over to talk about the more technical side. They discuss matters of the week — legislation, whipping arrangements — and ways to be unhelpful to the Tory government generally.
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