Three Conservative MPs have quit the party to join the Independent Group. 

Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen and Anna Soubry have left with the intention of joining the Labour breakaway group. 

READ MORE: Who are The Independence Group? Former Labour MPs form breakaway party 

The trio, who were all pro-remain in the EU referendum, will join the new Independent Group - which is currently made up of eight Labour MPs who resigned from their party over its handling of Brexit and anti-Semitism.

READ MORE: Joan Ryan MP outlines reasons for ditching Labour for new Independence Group 

Taking to Twitter, Anna Soubry shared her resignation letter saying: "It is with a heavy heart I have today resigned from the Conservative Party."

READ MORE: In full: Resignation letter of Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen 

In the letter, signed by all three MPs, they said the party was "in the grip" of the DUP and the European Research Group over Brexit.

It read: “Brexit has re-defined the Conservative party – undoing all the efforts to modernise it. There has been a dismal failure to stand up to the hardline ERG, which operates openly as a party within a party, with its own leader, whip and policy.”

READ MORE: Funding blow for breakaway MP group 

Wollaston, Soubry and Allen said the government’s handling of Brexit had been “disastrous” and said no genuine effort had been made to build consensus.

“Instead of seeking to heal the divisions or to tackle the underlying causes of Brexit, the priority was to draw up ‘red lines'. 

“The 48% were not only sidelined, they were alienated.

“The country deserves better. We believe there is a failure of politics in general, not just in the Conservative party but in both main parties as they move to the fringes, leaving millions of people with no representation. Our politics needs urgent and radical reform and we are determined to play our part.”

READ MORE: Brexit: Theresa May to return to Brussels to seek legal assurances over backstop 

Writing on her website Sarah Wollaston wrote: "With regret, I have decided to resign the Conservative Party whip. I am passionate about this constituency and proud to have been the first Conservative parliamentary candidate to be selected via a full open postal primary.

"The final straw has been the Government's mishandling of Brexit. Despite the PM losing her majority, no meaningful attempt was made to reach out to heal the divisions left by the referendum or to seek a cross-Party, or national consensus, on the way forward.

"The 48% who voted to remain are marginalised and alienated and many Leave voters have also been left exasperated by the PM's Deal."

She added: "Brexit has consumed and squandered the energy of Government, Parliament and our political parties. That together with a shift to the right by the Conservatives has undermined efforts to tackle the 'burning injustices' that the PM pledged to address on entering Downing Street."

Prime Minister Theresa May said: "I am saddened by this decision - these are people who have given dedicated service to our party over many years, and I thank them for it.

"Of course, the UK's membership of the EU has been a source of disagreement both in our party and our country for a long time. Ending that membership after four decades was never going to be easy.

"But by delivering on our manifesto commitment and implementing the decision of the British people we are doing the right thing for our country. And in doing so, we can move forward together towards a brighter future.

"I am determined that under my leadership the Conservative Party will always offer the decent, moderate and patriotic politics that the people of this country deserve."

Former education secretary and Conservative MP Nicky Morgan said she was "very sorry" to see her "principled and fearless friend" Ms Soubry resign.

Pro-Brexit Tory MP Michael Fabricant has described The Independent Group of former Labour and Conservative MPs as "an anti-Brexit party" and called on the Government to "deliver the result of the EU Referendum".

He tweeted: "TIG are an anti-Brexit Party. #Labour MPs have joined citing #antisemitism and #Corbyn as the reason. The 3 #Conservative MPs are citing #Brexit.

"Sad to see them go but the Government must deliver the result of #EU #Referendum."