In which the Tiggers unbounce themselves

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"In fact," said Rabbit, coming to the end of it at last, "Tigger's getting so Bouncy nowadays that it's time we taught him a lesson. Don't you think so, Piglet?" 

Piglet said that Tigger was very Bouncy, and that if they could think of a way of unbouncing him, it would be a Very Good Idea. "Just what I feel," said Rabbit.

It was expected that the Independent Group would be very pleased with itself. You must get quite an adrenaline rush from launching a new party.

But it soon began to grate and I wondered would could be done to unbounce them..

Here's Rabbit's solution:

"Well, I've got an idea," said Rabbit, "and here it is. We take Tigger for a long explore, somewhere where he's never been, and we lose him there, and next morning we find him again, and-mark my words-he'll be a different Tigger altogether." 

"Why?" said Pooh. 

"Because he'll be a Humble Tigger. Because he'll be a Sad Tigger, a Melancholy Tigger, a Small and Sorry Tigger, an Oh-Rabbit-I-am-glad-to-see-you Tigger. That's why."

If you had a well-spent childhood you will know that Rabbit's plan did not work quite as he hoped.

So it is just as well that the Tiggers have spent the week unbouncing themselves.

When the Independent Group was launched I wrote:

I have no idea what will happen next, but I have a feeling it will be more fun than the last few years have been,

But it has been getting less fun ever since. 

There has been their refusal to contemplate any sort of alliance for the European parliament. If you read my blog post about their launch you will see that has not surprised me, but it has certainly put off a lot of people and diminished any sense that the Tigger MPs are not like other politicians.

There has been the problems with their candidate selection for those elections. Did they not foresee there might be problems over social media activity and do some vetting?

Then there has been the policy vacuum beyond a notable vapid initial statement and a notably silly pamphlet from Chuka Umunna. Does he really think bringing back national service is the way to win over the young voters the new party must attact?

And now there is the party's acting leader Heidi Allen announcing she has sympathy for the view that a the option of no deal should be offered in any referendum because to some people it represents a "clean Brexit".

The overwhelming impression the Tiggers give is one of amateurism. Everything had been done in a hurry and nothing has been done very well. 

But then I suppose if you are parachuted into a safe seat, as so many Tigger MPs were, you are likely to acquire an exaggerated sense of your own skill as a politician.

By contrast, Liberal Democrat MP have to work hard - ridiculously hard - and be good politicians to get elected to the Commons.

The feeling that the Indpendent Group may be a bubble with a short life is growing stronger by the day.