In the past 10 days, two Conservative MPs have lost the party whip over misconduct allegations. William Wragg and Mark Menzies bolster the ranks of what has become the fourth largest “party” in the Commons – the independents.
This hodgepodge of 18 MPs, all suspended by their parties over various forms of alleged wrongdoing and misdemeanour, now outnumber the 15 Liberal Democrats. Some of them are accused of breaching standards rules, others have clashed with their party leadership over political differences, and a few are accused of criminal wrongdoing.
