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It's the HQ of Britain's newest political movement.

You might have expected the Independent Group's office to be a glittering palace of Remain - a testament to its fresh, "evidence-based" take on politics.

You might not expect to find this EU-loving powerhouse above a Wetherspoons - whose founder is a thumping Brexiteer.

And you definitely wouldn't expect the name of the pub below this rational, sensible, definitely-not-pie-in-the-sky group.

It's called... *cough*... 'The Unicorn'.

But sure enough, this out-of-place office in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, now has a link to the group of seven MPs who quit the Labour Party today.

It was registered last month as the HQ of 'Gemini A Ltd', a company run by Labour MP Gavin Shuker - one of the 'gang of seven' who declared independence this morning.

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(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

The MPs say the company, also registered last month, exists to "support the work" of their new breakaway group.

Unusually, there's little else supporting them - for now.

Their group is only registered through a private company - not as a formal political party through the Electoral Commission watchdog.

That raised speculation earlier today about whether the group would, in its current form, have to declare all its donations from private backers.

Under the law, individual MPs have to declare donations over a certain amount - and so do the political parties they belong to.

(Image: Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

But private companies do not. That raised the question of whether donors could remain anonymous by donating to Gemini A Ltd.

Gemini A Ltd could then, the theory went, have its own staff and donate to the individual MPs without the ultimate source of the cash being known.

After the Mirror's enquiries, the Electoral Commission tonight said it had contacted the MPs to "understand the structure of the Group".

A spokesman for the Independent Group insisted "this is only Day One" and appeared to indicate the group could be registered as a full political party in future.

That'd be needed, in any case, if the group wants to field candidates at the next election.

Without being registered as a political party, the Independent Group's MPs could stand for Parliament - but they would have to just stick 'independent' next to their name, with no logo or brand.

(Image: PA)

"The group is talking to the Electoral Commission as soon as possible, and we are committed to following the rules that the Commission... set out", a spokesman for the MPs said.

"We expect the publication of guidance though the Electoral Commission, but if not we will publish it on our website, in the same way that political parties do.

"The Independent Group is not a political party, as was set out this morning.

"But we will be talking to the Electoral Commission to clarify the rules as soon as possible."

Being linked to a private company does not usually raise questions over transparency in itself. Other political parties, such as UKIP, use a private firm as a vehicle.

Registering a new party means handing over a small fee of £150, drawing up a party constitution and a financial statement and nominating a leader and a treasurer.

(Image: PA)

An Electoral Commission spokesman said: “The Members of Parliament that are part of this group will continue to be required to report to the House of Commons any donations above £1,500 that they receive in their capacity as a ‘regulated donee’.

"We have contacted the Independent Group to understand the structure of the Group and any further obligations on them individually or collectively to report donations.”

It was not immediately clear why the firm was registered in Altrincham - which is 160 miles from Mr Shuker's constituency in Luton, Bedfordshire, and home to Tory grandee Sir Graham Brady.

Private companies sometimes have no physical presence at their registered office, which can simply be the HQ for that firm's accountants, for example.