4 Tory MPs had already deserted the party over Brexit, becoming Independents or LibDems. Then a 5th, Philip Lee,left the party joined the LibDems just before the vote on blocking No Deal. This cost Boris J. his majority of 1! Then 21 Tory MPs, along with most of the Labour, LibDem, SNP and Plaid Cymru MPs, and the one Green, voted to block No Deal, and were tossed out of the party. (This is the sort of thing that Labour does in its more overexcited moments, but is traditionally NOT a Tory phenomenon.) People like Philip Hammond, the former Chancellor, and Churchill's grandson Nicholas Soames, and 'Father of the House' Ken Clarke have all been denied the party whip, for refusing to vote for drastic economic sanctions on their own country! Then Boris' brother, Jo Johnson, also a Tory MP but comparatively sane, who had very reluctantly voted against the block, decided that enough was enough, and that his conscience couldn't let him continue that way, and announced his resignation as Minister and MP, saying that he could not longer accept the conflict of loyalties between family and country. As some people put it, he's the first MP to give up his political career to spend LESS time with his family! Needless to say, this was very embarrassing to Boris! The whole thing is getting more and more bizarre; and any competent Labour leader would be headed for Downing Street. Unfortunately, that does not really describe Corbyn. Maybe it's time for the coalition government of more able Downing Street residents, Larry the Cat and Dilyn the Dog.
Oh, and wish us luck, that we don't go over that No Deal cliff on the highly appropriate date of Halloween!
= new reply since forum marked as read