Nick Boles, who has led cross-party efforts to secure the softest possible Brexit, stopped short of saying he would stay in the Tories and insisted he was fully focused on stopping a no deal on March 29 when asked if he would defect from the Conservatives.

Other Tory MPs such as Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston will also be the focus of attention with just 39 days until Brexit day. Both have vowed to do anything to stop a no deal and have warned they would quit the Tories if Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg became leader. 

At a sensational press conference Chuka Umunna, the ringleader of the new group, made a direct appeal to politicians in all parties warning voters were ‘sick of politics as usual’.  

He was one of seven Labour MPs to quit with an explosive attack on Jeremy Corbyn for letting anti-Semitism and a culture of bullying infect their party. 

After the move Mr Corbyn’s own deputy warned more MPs would abandon the party if Labour fails to deal with a culture of bullying and harassment. 

Tom Watson said he believed the decision of seven MPs to resign and set up a new Independent Group was ‘premature’ but he refused to condemn them as ‘traitors’ as he admitted he also no longer recognised parts of Labour.

Labour’s second in command said the hard-left takeover over of the party had left it with an army of activists ‘too easily tempted into the language of heresy and treachery’.  

The new ‘Independent Group’ of MPs is drawn from different generations of Labour and also includes pregnant  MP Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Gavin Shuker, Ann Coffey and Mike Gapes. 

Their resignation signals the biggest split in British politics since the SDP walked out of Labour in 1981 and realigned the left – paving the way for Tony Blair’s election in 1997. 

They appealed to the public for donations to get the new project – which is not yet a political party and is not yet able to stand candidates – off the ground. 

They accused Mr Corbyn of turning Labour into a racist party that weakens national security, accepts the ‘narrative’ of Britain’s enemies and lashed him for facilitating Brexit. 

Luciana Berger said she had become ‘ashamed and embarrassed’ to be in Corbyn’s Labour, branding the party ‘institutionally anti-Semitic’. The MPs involved are (seated from left) Chris Leslie, Mike Gapes, Ann Coffey, Ms Berger, Angela Smith, Chuka Umunna and Gavin Shuker 

Vowing to ‘change politics’, the new ‘Independent Group’ of MPs – drawn from different generations of Labour – includes (from left) Chris Leslie, Mike Gapes, Luciana Berger, Ann Coffey, Chuka Umunna, Angela Smith and Gavin Shuker 

Tory MP Nick Boles stopped short of denying he would consider joining – insisting today he had not spoken to any of the seven MPs and was working with all sides to stop a no deal Brexit

Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson (pictured responding to the crisis today) said he believed the decision of seven MPs to resign and set up a new Independent Group was ‘premature’ but he refused to condemn them and admitted he no longer recognised parts of Labour

Mr Watson warned Mr Corbyn he could lose more MPs if he did not respond effectively to today’s blow.

He said: ‘I think our colleagues have come to a premature conclusion. But this is a moment for regret and reflection, not for a mood of anger or a tone of triumph. There are those who are already celebrating the departure of colleagues with whom they disagree.

‘The hard left can be too easily tempted into the language of heresy and treachery. Betrayal narratives and shouting insults at the departed might make some feel better briefly but it does nothing to address the reasons that good colleagues might want to leave.’

He added: ‘The identity of this party must be tolerant, multi-cultural, generous and welcoming. To put it mildly, we need to be kinder and gentler.

‘I love this party. But sometimes I no longer recognise it. That is why I do not regard those who have resigned today as traitors.’ 

Asked if he would join the new group, Mr Boles – who faces an attempt to de-select him by Brexiteer activists in his Grantham constituency – told BuzzFeed: ‘They’re all good people and I understand completely why they felt driven to leave Labour.

‘I have not spoken with any of them about their plans and am totally focused on working with MPs of all parties to stop a no-deal Brexit on 29 March.’ 

Mrs May’s former policy board chief George Freeman warned today: ‘Unless the Conservatives reunite around a pro-business Brexit and recast it as a moment of inspiring One Nation renewal for a new generation, we’ll be next.’ 

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