{"id":396422,"date":"2019-02-19T18:56:47","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T17:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/chuka-umunna-calls-on-tory-mps-angered-at-ukip-isation-of-party-to-join-his-labour-rebels-rt-uk-news\/"},"modified":"2019-02-19T18:56:47","modified_gmt":"2019-02-19T17:56:47","slug":"chuka-umunna-calls-on-tory-mps-angered-at-ukip-isation-of-party-to-join-his-labour-rebels-rt-uk-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/chuka-umunna-calls-on-tory-mps-angered-at-ukip-isation-of-party-to-join-his-labour-rebels-rt-uk-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Chuka Umunna calls on Tory MPs angered at \u2018Ukip-isation\u2019 of party to join his Labour rebels \u2014 RT UK News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The newly-formed Independent Group\u2019s ringleader, Chuka Umunna, has issued a \u2018come and join us\u2019 plea to pro-EU Conservative MPs, angered at what they see as the infiltration of hardline Brexiteers into their party.<\/p>\n

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Umunna, discussing ambitions for his new splinter group, a day after its official launch, insisted he wanted not just Labour politicians, but also Tories who had \u201cmisgivings\u201d<\/em> about their party to take the plunge and join his \u201cGang of Seven\u201d<\/em> MPs.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere\u2019s clearly not only a lot of Labour MPs wrestling with their consciences but also Conservatives who are demoralised by the \u2018Ukip-isation\u2019 of their party.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The former Labour MP revealed on Tuesday that he hoped to transfer his fledgling group into a fully-formed party by the end of the year in a bid to shake up British politics.<\/p>\n


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One of those Tories who could be considering leaving her party is Dr Sarah Wollaston, MP for Totnes. The pro-Remainer who has worked closely with Umunna on the \u2018People\u2019s Vote\u2019 campaign, took to social media on Monday to suggest that the Conservative grassroots membership had been hijacked by UKIPers.<\/p>\n

Dr Wollaston warned that this phenomenon, coupled with the influence of the Tory hardline European Research Group, headed by Jacob Rees-Mogg, could soon mean that \u201cthere will be nothing left at all to appeal to moderate centre ground voters.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Telegraph article doesn\u2019t even manage to quote my tweet correctly so here it is again: #BLUKIP<\/a> has been busy taking over the Tory Party alongside the ERG. Soon there will be nothing left at all to appeal to moderate centre ground voters. https:\/\/t.co\/RzeWFbiTyT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sarah Wollaston MP (@sarahwollaston) February 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Fellow Conservative rebel Anna Soubry, who has consistently called for a second EU referendum has retweeted the message. The MP for Broxtowe has prompted rumours that she could be about to defect after deleting her slogan \u201cLifelong One Nation Tory,\u201d<\/em> from her Twitter profile.<\/p>\n

The Daily Mail report that ex-Tory minister Nick Boles, who is currently facing the threat of deselection from his local Conservative Party, has refused to deny he could jump ship. Another pro-Remain MP, Heidi Allen, is said to be on \u2018resignation watch\u2019, according to The Sun.<\/p>\n

It comes as one of the Independent Group\u2019s MPs, Angela Smith, has been caught on live TV appearing to refer to people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds as having a \u201cfunny tinge,\u201d<\/em> prompting widespread ridicule.<\/p>\n