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| Ex-Tory MP Antoinette Sandbach joins Liberal Democrats | Ex-Tory MP Antoinette Sandbach joins Liberal Democrats |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| MP Antoinette Sandbach, who was expelled from the parliamentary Conservative party last month, has joined the Liberal Democrats. | MP Antoinette Sandbach, who was expelled from the parliamentary Conservative party last month, has joined the Liberal Democrats. |
| The Remain-voting MP was among 21 rebels who lost the Tory whip after rebelling against Boris Johnson in a bid to prevent a no-deal Brexit. | The Remain-voting MP was among 21 rebels who lost the Tory whip after rebelling against Boris Johnson in a bid to prevent a no-deal Brexit. |
| She will stand as a Liberal Democrat candidate in her Eddisbury constituency in December's general election. | She will stand as a Liberal Democrat candidate in her Eddisbury constituency in December's general election. |
| The move makes her the eighth MP to have joined the party this year. | The move makes her the eighth MP to have joined the party this year. |
| Announcing her decision as campaigning got under way ahead of the 12 December poll, Ms Sandbach said: "People have a very clear choice. | |
| "The Conservative party offers years of uncertainty, whilst the Liberal Democrats will stop Brexit. | |
| "I will stand on my strong local record, helping to secure local investment, fighting for fair funding for our schools and to secure additional funding in local health services. | "I will stand on my strong local record, helping to secure local investment, fighting for fair funding for our schools and to secure additional funding in local health services. |
| "Our country deserves so much better than Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn". | "Our country deserves so much better than Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn". |
| Ms Sandbach was not among the 10 rebels readmitted to the party last month, shortly before the Commons backed the legislation to approve the 12 December election. | Ms Sandbach was not among the 10 rebels readmitted to the party last month, shortly before the Commons backed the legislation to approve the 12 December election. |
| Earlier this month, she lost a confidence vote among her local party members. | Earlier this month, she lost a confidence vote among her local party members. |
| She was among 19 former Conservatives who backed the prime minister's Brexit deal legislation last week, but voted against his proposed three-day timetable for it to be considered in the Commons ahead of the original Brexit deadline of 31 October. | |
| She follows MPs Sarah Wollaston, Philip Lee and Sam Gyimah to become the fifth ex-Tory to join the Lib Dems in recent months. | |
| Former Conservative Heidi Allen also joined the party earlier this month, after quitting the fledgling Change UK party she joined after leaving the Tories. |