Members of the Independent Group headed out for a cheeky Nandos this evening- but still can't decide who will be their leader.
Luton South's Gavin Shuker will take on the role of 'convener' for the Independent Group after a unanimous vote in a plush Westminster conference centre a stone's throw from Parliament today- but ruled out becoming its full time leader.
It came the day after after fellow TIG member Chuka Umunna, a media-friendly former shadow minister, said that he would like 'the biggest role in this group'.
The new political group tucked into a meal at popular restaurant chain Nandos which is celebrated for its Portuguese-style Peri Peri chicken, after the meeting.
Luciana Berger tweeted: 'Following our inaugural meeting @TheIndyGroup earlier today, a quick #cheekynandos before the vote tonight.'
The Independent Group headed out this evening for a Nandos, and the group were all smiles as they tucked into a variety of salads, burgers, chicken and chips
Luton South MP Gavin Shuker, who was a Labour shadow minister under Ed Miliband, was unveiled as 'convener' of the Independent group on Monday
Mr Shuker's appointment after a unanimous vote came after Chuka Umunna (second left) dropped heavy hints that he would like to lead any new political party that grew from TIG roots
Some of the menu choices the MPs made were mocked on social media, with users particularly nonplussed with Anna Soubry's salad order.
Mr Shuker, briefly a shadow minister under Ed Miliband from 2013 - 2015, earlier told reporters after the meeting that he did not want to lead any nascent political party that emerges from what is at the moment a rebel collective.
The group, comprising eight Labour deserters and three defectors from the Tories, also announced they planned to back a rebel amendment that would force the Government to delay Brexit to avoid a no-deal exit, in a Wednesday vote.
They quit two of the traditional political parties saying they wanted to give the nation something fresh and counter the stale status quo.
But there was a very traditional look to the surroundings as MPs who sensationally quit in fury at their former parties' respective political directions held their first meeting.
TIG chose the plush, wood-panelled surroundings of One Great George Street, a conference venue within a stone's throw of Parliament, for their debut get-together.
It came a week after seven Labour politicians decided they had finally had enough of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership and launched a centrist breakaway from what had been their political home for decades over Brexit and inaction over anti-Semitism.
The Independent Group, consisting of eight former Labour MPs and three ex-Tories, met for the first time on Monday in the very plush surroundings of a Westminster conference venue popular with politicians
Luton MP Gavin Shuker was flanked by Heidi Allen (left) and Luciana Berger at the first meeting at One Great George Street in Westminster
They were joined in the following days by an eighth Labour MP and a trio of dispirited Tories who walked out on Theresa May in horror at what Brexit was doing to her party.
The TIG members were all smiles as they posed for pictures in One Great George Street, with the three former Tories spread out on three of the four sides of the table, flanked by their more left-wing colleagues.
Luton South MP Gavin Shuker appeared to be in the central seat, flanked by Liverpool Wavertree's Luciana Berger and South Cambridgeshire's Heidi Allen as they posed for pictures before the meeting went ahead behind closed doors.
Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry sitting with Ilford MP Mike Gapes. Ms Soubry was loudly outspoken about the entryism of Ukip members into the Conservatives, saying it was becoming more right wing after resigning
Ms Soubry and a beaming Mr Gapes were sat together with Ann Coffey, the Stockport MP who was one of the more surprising choices among the defecting Labour rebels
Former Totnes Tory Srah Wollaston was flanked by Enfield North's Joan Ryan, who quit Labour over anti-Semitism, and Streatham's Chuka Umunna, who at the weekend said he wanted to play the 'biggest role' in the group
Chuka Umunna, who has been hotly tipped to TIG should it become more than a band of rebels, was sat to Ms Allen's right.
The former shadow minister insisted at the weekend that they were not yet a party or a movement, with a fully worked out programme for government, but simply a group of independent MPs.
Asked on Sunday whether he would be the group's leader Mr Umunna gave Sky's Sophie Ridge a smile before saying: 'I'm not', before adding, 'I'm clear I want to play the biggest role in this group.
'One of the things about the way we operate is a recognition we're all leaders.'
TIG members have said they are united by a shared 'non-tribal' belief in 'progressive' values combined with deep unhappiness at the directions their former parties had taken, particularly on Brexit.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson said today she was expecting to meet with the new group later this week, saying her party was ready to 'work with' its MPs.
But she played down suggestions of a formal pact between the parties, insisting she had no fixed blueprint for how they should co-operate.
'I think we need to be working together with the Independent Group MPs but we need to find a 2019 way of doing that and I'm open-minded about how that looks,' Ms Swinson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Asked if that could include Lib Dems agreeing not to stand candidates against the 11 TIG MPs, Ms Swinson said: 'I don't think we should be taking any of these things off the table.'
She added: 'I will welcome anyone to the Liberal Democrats who shares my liberal values, and obviously I want more people to join the Lib Dems.
'But I am not going to be petty about this and suggest that I am not going to work with somebody who shares many of my values just because for whatever reason they don't feel that they can join my party.'
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/26/new-independent-group-makes-little-known-luton-mp-its-convener-but-he-rules-out-leadership-bid/
Main photo article Members of the Independent Group headed out for a cheeky Nandos this evening- but still can’t decide who will be their leader.
Luton South’s Gavin Shuker will take on the role of ‘convener’ for the Independent Group after a unanimous vote in a plush Westminster conference...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/02/25/21/10278076-6743295-image-a-22_1551129618462.jpg
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