The Independent Group - Wikipedia
The group is not a registered political party, but rather a group of independent MPs without a leader. According to their website, the group is supported in its aims by Gemini A Ltd, a private company. The company was started by member Gavin Shuker. According to The Guardian media editor Jim Waterson, this means that the group is not subject to the same restrictions on donations under UK law as registered political parties are.
Target Marginal seats and they might have a better chance of winning a seat i.e. voters in marginals might well be fed up of both Labour and Tories, and the offer of an alternative might be seized upon. But we shall see.
The 27th might well be an auspicious day for the Independent Group.
It was reported that many labour MPs are very sympathetic to the breakaway group. I read that as many more would have liked to have jumped ship, but didn't because they were not optimistic of it surviving.
The old SDP had many front bench people, and that ultimately failed.
Yep that old Gang of Four were substantial politicians (Bill Rodgers data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Swearing.
When I hear Tom Watson talking it is quite obvious he understands why Mps are leaving. He says he hardly recognises his party now.
Will there be more leaving,
Does anyone actually believe that this lot will be any more successful than the SDP?.
If a few of the bigger names people know decide to jump ship, it could become something.
But I'm with those who think it may just fizzle out. I hope not, but my feeling is our politics is too entrenched in the tradition of the big two to ever change.
At best I think they could be a fringe party with future coalition hopes.
While i'm all for seeing the 2 party system broken up how these people can refer to themselves as the Independence Group is beyond me..
If they had just resigned from the Labour party individually instead of all collectively plucking up the courage to do it would have been better imho
Erm because they are a group of Independent MP's who've decided to group together. Logical to call one's group the Independent Group. It might have been a bit pompous to call themselves the Magnificent Seven.
Resigning the Whip at the same time increased the impact yesterday.
I expect if any Tories make the jump, they'll do a similar thing. If this does turn into a political party then impact is what they need to get attention.