The Independent Group

[Henkeman]

That's what I thought. Ingratiation in the hope of getting the media rule relaxed.

You don't even have to assume that it's nefarious. They want to back a winner and have good relations with them.

 

[aguero93:20]

You don't even have to assume that it's nefarious. They want to back a winner and have good relations with them.

I'd say it's nefarious that they prioritise good relations with a governing party but hey ho.

 

[Henkeman]

I'd say it's nefarious that they prioritise good relations with a governing party but hey ho.

That goes both ways. A governing party wants good relations with the biggest newspapers too. Fortunately, as sure as eggs is eggs, they always fall out in the end.

 

[aguero93:20]

That goes both ways. A governing party wants good relations with the biggest newspapers too. Fortunately, as sure as eggs is eggs, they always fall out in the end.

I'd say from the newspapers side, they're fairly well sorted for what they'd need to conduct legitimate business with them.

 

[johnnytapia]

The first election victory for Blair was numerous things. I'd disagree that it was simply a protest vote, unless you count people just wanting a change as a 'protest'. Labour nearly won under Kinnock, had high expectations under Smith and in some ways Blair was deemed a step too far to the centre. Either way it was a movement that had grown over a long period, which isn't what I would class as defining a protest vote.

Labour was nowhere near winning in '92. The Conservatives in 1992 received the most total votes ever for any political party in any UK general election. There was something like a 2% swing to Labour but most of that was at the expense of the Lib-Dems.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

This is my thoughts too.

Watching that TV program - though i can't remember the name of it - that discussed the new universal credit, watching folks well below the breadline suffering, and then these elite *ankers in Parliament are talking about austerity - makes you wonder how much more austere these people will make this country.

But, those things aside - who is funding this new 'party' - how are these mp's getting paid now they have walked out on their respective parties?

Why do you think that parties ‘pay’ MPs? To be fair, you’re not the first to say it but MPs get paid from central government funds not from parties, which is a very good thing as the parties only get money from donors. MPs do enough of their party’s backers bidding without being reliant on them for their salaries as well.
Also, anyone can stand as an independent MP and, by that logic, they’d be turning up for free...

 

[Chris in London]

i said in the other (Brexit) thread, the main issues that people voted leave were loss of sovereignty - or the right for a country to be self determining / make it's own laws and immigration.

In what way has the UK lost its sovereignty since joining the European Communites in 1973?

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

Labour was nowhere near winning in '92. The Conservatives in 1992 received the most total votes ever for any political party in any UK general election. There was something like a 2% swing to Labour but most of that was at the expense of the Lib-Dems.

There was an 80 seat swing towards Labour from the Tories regardless which lead to a cut in the overall majority from over 100 to about 20. Although the polls got their figures wrong, the Labour party lead most of them or were neck and neck. Despite the result, it was the first positive campaign for a long time and proved they were going in the right direction.

 

[urban genie]

 

[1.618034]

All MPs should be independent.