Our survey of the electoral battlefield kicks off with the East Midlands, where Labour and the Tories go head-to-head with minimal interference from smaller parties.
Ian Austin and Ivan Lewis, former Labour MPs, both of whom tore into Jeremy Corbyn during the debate, voted with the Government
It’s the classic small party dilemma – do you accept recruits and defectors, even when they come with baggage?
The SDP analogies are all wrung dry. But nobody has looked at what a more recent insurgency can teach the new outfit.
The failure of the SDP by no means proves that a new movement of this kind is doomed to failure.
At least four Tory MPs have apparently been placed on defection watch including Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Richard Harrington.
Ten initial thoughts on today’s announcement by Umunna and his colleagues.
“We absolutely oppose this Conservative Government… [but] in all conscience, we can no longer knock on doors and support a Government led by Jeremy Corbyn”.
“Labour… is passive in circumstances of international humanitarian distress; is hostile to businesses large and small; and threatens to destabilise the British economy”.
If Tory MPs think that No Deal would collapse Brexit altogether, or that it would be unmanageable next March, they need a Plan B. But we stress: if.
The Government is in crisis. MPs need to ponder deeply should be done for the best. That means not quitting Westminster this week.
In 2013, Conservative rebels joined with Labour to sink Cameron’s plan. Might the reverse happen five years later?
Apparently the Apprentice boss sees no chance of the Opposition ditching its anti-business stance.