UUP: We're with May
Theresa May has gained the first of potential allies for her incoming government today, as UUP Leader and MP for Northern Ireland Tom Elliott confirmed the Ulster Unionist Party would form part of a supply and confidence arrangement with the Conservative Party, supporting Mrs. May on key votes and in return being consulted on key pieces of legislation. Insider sources note that reaching an arrangement proved relatively easy between the UUP and the Conservatives, a positive sign for the talks currently being held by the Prime Minister. While not decisive by themselves, the 2 UUP MP's (Tom Elliott and Mike Nesbitt) will raise the number of votes currently supporting the government to 261, 62 short of an overall majority.
Two Labour MP's defect to the Greens:
As the political shockwaves from the resignation of former Chancellor Jeremy Corbyn as a Labour MP continue to develop, the rift inside Labour has turned uglier as a couple of allies of Mr. Corbyn have decided to follow him and join the Green Party. While others were considering resignation themselves, in the end it was newcomer Rebecca Long-Bailey (just elected as MP) and the more veteran Jon Trickett who announced today their departure from Labour. These developments expose the degree of uncertainty inside the party, which has dropped to 120 MP's as the Greens hit 12 MP's to become the fifth largest party in the House of Commons. The task of Acting Labour Leader Owen Smith has thus become harder, particularly as a leadership election (in which Smith and Lisa Nandy are seen as the main contenders) approaches.