Tories fear at least six of their MPs will quit the party and join new Independent Group
Anti-Brexiteer MPs Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston are under ‘resignation watch’ from the party
SENIOR Tories fear that at least six Conservatives will quit the party to join Chuka Umunna and the ‘Independents’.
Anti-Brexiteer MPs Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston are under ‘resignation watch’.
And insiders are convinced Anna Soubry will also walk despite her long career in the Tory party.
Others thought to be considering their future are Antoinette Sandbach, Philip Lee and ex-Education Secretary Justine Greening.
Both Ms Allen and Dr Wollaston have faced a fury from local activists over their strong support for a People’s Vote.
Neither would comment yesterday.
Ms Soubry would only reply: “Nothing to say. Today is about Labour and Corbyn.”
One senior Tory told The Sun: “There’s a feeling that all six have already ‘left’.
"They speak about the Conservative Party in the third person, talking about ‘us’ and ‘them’.
“It’s feeling that it’s only a matter of time before they go.”
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Another joked: “You could argue Heidi and Wollaston have been independent for quite some time.”
Ms Soubry let rip at Theresa May’s handling of Brexit last week and following the PM’s defeat in the Commons she said the Tory Party was “broken”.
She said: “The future of the Conservative Party is going to be extremely bleak.”
The Sun Says
LABOUR is in disarray. But things could soon be worse for the Tories.
Six of Theresa May’s Remainer backbenchers could join the new gang.
That’s bad enough. But if the Tories do not deliver Brexit on or soon after March 29 they could split in half, only to be eaten alive by Nigel Farage’s new party.
That’s why they cannot afford to let Remainers steal Brexit negotiations from the Government and postpone it.
And why backbench Brexiters MUST be sensible when changes to the backstop come.
It’s compromise, or catastrophe.
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