Heidi Allen 'knew in her heart for some time' she might resign from Tory Party but only considered it 'in last six weeks'

Heidi Allen appeared on ITV's Peston after quitting the Conservative Party on Wednesday
ITV
Bonnie Christian21 February 2019
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One of three MPs who quit the Conservatives party today has said she knew "in her heart" she might have to leave the Tories for some time, but only seriously considered defecting in the last six weeks.

Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston announced on Wednesday that they had resigned from Prime Minister Theresa May’s party and encouraged others to follow them to the new Independent Group.

Ms Allen said on ITV’s Peston show this evening she had felt “uncomfortable” for “quite some time” with being in the Conservative party.

“In my heart I’ve been uncomfortable with being in the Conservative party for quite some now,” she said.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve and I don’t think that would come as surprise to anybody.

Former British Conservative Party MPs Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston arrive at a news conference in London.
REUTERS

“But in terms of believing that this might be possible as an alternative? Six weeks.

"So relatively speaking a very short amount of time.

“But as my mum always said to me listen to the loudest voices in your head and that’s what it was telling me to do, the country deserves something better.”

She added that both parties would have been “shaken to their core” by the trio’s decision.

Ms Allen, Ms Soubry and Ms Wollaston hit out at the PM’s “disastrous” handling of Brexit as they resigned from her party on Wednesday.

Ms Allen made clear that she wanted the new centre-ground group, which already contained eight ex-Labour MPs, to become a party that would eventually eclipse the Conservatives.

She claimed ministers "at all levels" in Government were sympathetic to their decision to cross the floor in the Commons.

They made clear that their concerns about Mrs May's performance went far wider than Brexit, accusing the PM of throwing away the modernisation agenda begun by David Cameron and allowing the party to be taken over by right-wing hardliners.

Former British Conservative Party MPs Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston defected from the Tories on Wednesday.
REUTERS

Ms Soubry said she would not stay in the Conservatives to "skirmish on the margins when the truth is the battle is over and the other side has won".

She said: "The right wing, the hardline anti-EU awkward squad that have destroyed every leader for the last 40 years are now running the Conservative Party from top to toe. They are the Conservative Party."

The Broxtowe MP urged "fellow one nation Conservatives" and "like-minded Lib Dems" to "please, come and join us" by breaking away from their parties and joining the new grouping.

The three blamed "Blukip" or a "purple Momentum" of hard-right "zealots" for trying to force out MPs on the Remain wing of the party through deselections.

PMQs 20.02.19

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They claimed Mrs May had shown a "dismal failure" to stand up to the European Research Group of Brexiteer Conservatives, who were operating as a "party within a party" at Westminster.

Former minister Ms Soubry, Totnes MP Dr Wollaston and South Cambridgeshire MP Ms Allen - who dubbed the group the "three amigos" - said they could "no longer act as bystanders" as Mrs May continued with her Brexit strategy.

Ms Allen said she believed "a significant number" of Conservative MPs were considering joining the new group.

Asked if she could ever envisage returning to the Tory fold, Ms Allen made clear her ambitions for her new movement: "If we do our jobs right, there won't be a Tory party to go back to."

Although the group has yet to formally become a new party and lacks the organisational infrastructure necessary to fight elections yet, Ms Allen predicted it would be a force to be reckoned with at the next general election, telling the BBC: "I think I would be disappointed if we weren't pushing for second place at least."

A YouGov poll suggested 14 per cent of voters would back the breakaway group if it stood candidates, with the Tories on 38 per cent and Labour on 26 per cent.

The move brings the tally of TIG MPs to 11 - equal to the Liberal Democrats and one more than the Democratic Unionist Party, who prop up Mrs May's minority administration in the House of Commons.

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable offered to work with the new group, hinting at a possible electoral pact by saying it would be "foolish" for them to stand candidates against each other.

Chris Leslie, one of the original seven who quit Labour to form the group, said although they would be willing to co-operate with MPs from all parties "we are not joining the Liberal Democrats".

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