Two Tory MPs about to defect, claim Lib Dems
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Your support makes all the difference.Two Tory MPs are in talks with the Liberal Democrats on defecting because of their concerns over Iain Duncan Smith's leadership.
They believe Mr Duncan Smith is taking the Conservative Party in the wrong direction and may lose them their seats at the next general election. Senior Liberal Democrat aides confirmed last night that high-level talks had taken place.
Their identity has not been revealed, for fear of jeopardising the talks, but the MPs are understood to be moderate backbench Tories who are frustrated by the party's lurch to the right and recriminations surrounding senior personnel changes inside Central Office.
The negotiations, which are understood to have begun after Mr Duncan Smith made his "unite or die" challenge to Tory MPs last year, have centred on the Tory leader's style.
Mark Oaten, chairman of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party, said: "There have been talks with two Tory MPs. Their minds are changed. The sticking point is because of friends, human relationships, what their wives think and the effect on their social life if they leave. They have profoundly honest objections about where the Tory party is going."
There has been speculation within the party in recent weeks that the two MPs might be on the brink of defection, although party sources denied yesterday that this was "imminent".
Michael Portillo, the former Tory leadership candidate, said last night that infighting had left the party facing a new crisis. He told the BBC: "I can't figure out what's going on in Central Office and I would be very pleased if anyone could tell me. All I've seen over the past few days is what appear to be some self-inflicted wounds and a party plunged into crisis.''
Tory modernisers claimed that Theresa May, the party's chairman, had threatened to resign over the dispute.
Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, is expected to increase pressure on Tories to defect at his party's spring conference next month.
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