Indpendents’ Day

The news of the breakaway Independent Group has sent shockwaves through the British political system. The momentum – pun intended –  is with this ‘Remain’ group, and while they may not, in that overused but apt phrase, break the mould, they have shown that there’s a core centrist grouping in parliament that have had enough of the hard Labour left and Brextremist Tory right. Whether they succeed in changing Westminster politics or stopping Brexit remains to be seen, but they have shown the courage of their convictions in breaking with the parties that were their homes for decades.

Politics is a tribal business, and leaving the tribe can be both a gut wrenching and liberating experience. The calibre of the MPs – both Labour and Conservative – means that they are likely to be an articulate force for opposition and an attractive caucus for other parliamentarians to join. Crossing the floor is something that often happens in national emergencies; with Brexit, that point was reached with the referendum result. These MPs are already getting ‘the treatment’ on social media; they’ve clearly touched a nerve, and the vehemence and nature of some of the reaction to their departure shows they were right to make the move.

This is a good day for all who oppose the UK leaving the EU or those advocating a soft Brexit. Finally, there’s a cadre of MPs prepared to cut through all the bluster, obfuscation, confusion, and stubbornness on the issue. The Liberal Democrats will rightly argue that their party stands for this clear approach. However, the new grouping is a shot in the arm for the Remain cause, and shows that there are good men and women of all parties prepared to put country over ideology and do the right thing, even if it’s politically inexpedient to do so, in the short-term.

The last week has been good for the UK in general. There needs to be another serious look at voting system reform to allow for progressive, centre voices to get a real say in running the country. While this runs the risk of allowing for a UKIP-style party to get a foothold in the Commons, not doing so means our fear of extremism can stop us doing the right thing. Things are only going to get worse once Britain leaves the European Union as Scots and Londoners will grow to resent the voters of Middle England leading them down a path on which they have no wish to travel.

The formation of the Independent Group is also positive for democracy in general. Why should political parties be so tribal? Tribes can provide us with security and comfort but at some stage, to advance us both socially and in politics, we need to step outside of our tribes and enter the outside world. It may be less comfortable out there, but how else can we mature both as people and politically unless we, Spock-like, put reason over emotion, policy over loyalty, inclusion over enmity?

There is a majority in the Houses of Parliament for a soft Brexit and this grouping makes this more possible. Cabinet ministers have threatened to resign if May refuses to take No Deal off the table. Labour MPs have been fighting trench warfare to get a second referendum in play, and while both leaders are committed to leaving, influential Tory MPs and most Labour parliamentarians want either Brexit on a very soft basis with a customs union or Norway EFTA-type arrangement, or to recognise the monumental folly for what it is. The referendum was won on lies and the reckoning has been hard and harsh.

But there are still dangers of a Hard Brexit. Things happen. There are no Masters of the Universe pulling strings. Brexit passed, Trump got installed; really bad events transpire, and then we look back at the root causes and say that it was inevitable. No Deal would be terrible for the British electorate, while the wealthy advocates of this chaos for the masses can ride it out. There is no guarantee that the adults in the room will do the right thing, and we can end up with the catastrophe of the hardest of Brexits by accident.

The Independent Group are a small – so far – but influential voice for stability. The European parliamentary elections are coming up and due to a variety of reasons – among them, Russian interference, and the rise of the Ethno- Nationalism – it’s likely that parties on the extreme right will be in the ascendant. It is a welcome antidote to this noise to see public servants prepared to take a courageous stand and offer real leadership. They’ve taken back control in the real sense of the phrase. It’s time for other British politicians to put country first and party second. Or will the pull of the tribe be too strong?