ANOTHER day, another split.
The Brexit volcano is unleashing further changes to the landscape of British politics.
The “three amigos” of Allen, Soubry and Wollaston cited various reasons for their disaffection from Theresa May’s Tory Party but the key one was Brexit.
Over the past few months, the Remainer trio have not been backward in expressing their alarm at the prospect of a no-deal Brexit and dismay at the Prime Minister’s “disastrous” handling of the talks with Brussels.
As with their newfound former Labour colleagues in TIG, who claimed the hard Left had now taken over their party, so they complained yesterday the hard Right – “Blukip” or “purple Momentum” - had taken over theirs.
And like the Labour split on Monday, the Tory TIGers claimed that they expected more Conservatives to join the new Westminster grouping whose members yesterday for the first time gathered in a small huddle on the opposition green benches behind the SNP.
None of them stood up to ask a question during PMQs, once again dominated by exchanges on Brexit, but no doubt they are biding their time.
If, as is suspected, TIG attracts more MPs, then the magic number is 36.
Should Chukka Umunna, the putative group leader, and his new chums reach that figure, then they will oust the SNP’s Ian Blackford from the prized position of being able to ask two questions at PMQs every week.
Plus, it might also mean the Highland MP will have to vacate his suite of offices off the Commons committee corridor reserved for the leader of the third party.
Were TIG to reach 36 MPs, then its transmogrification into a party would seem inevitable.
Already, after just 72 hours of drama, there is talk at Westminster of a potential future merger of TIG and the Liberal Democrats with Sir Vince Cable already heading for the exit door.
Senior Lib Dem sources have pointed to the prospect of a merger albeit with heavy qualifications given the uncertainties of Brexit and just how an alliance of former Labour and Tory MPs could hold together a centrist alliance with the already established Lib Dems.
Starting a new party from scratch is very difficult; merging with an already established one with its structures and donors in place would be a great help.
Mr Umunna has already pointed to how politics is broken and that a new centrist force could help to rebuild it in a more positive light.
What could give TIG an even bigger boost would be if the Brexit volcano spewed forth a no-deal outcome with even Cabinet ministers resigning their positions.
In such a scenario could the likes of Amber Rudd and David Mundell even contemplate becoming a TIGer? With Brexit anything seems possible.
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