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MPs who've quit their parties to form the Independent Group were unable to describe its main policy positions today in an awkward TV interview.

Ex-Labour MP Luciana Berger and ex-Tory Heidi Allen were quizzed by the BBC's Andrew Marr Show six days after the so-called 'TIG' was established.

But they were unable to confirm key policy positions because the group is not yet a political party and only has its first formal meeting tomorrow.

The group have already disagreed on fundamental issues, with new member Anna Soubry defending welfare cuts that other MPs bitterly fought.

BBC interviewer Mr Marr rattled through a string of policies including water nationalisation, free tuition fees and a 50p top tax rate.

But each time the newly-independent MPs could not give a concrete answer, with Ms Berger protesting: "You’re asking me through the prism of the old politics".

And although both MPs indicated TIG will become a fully-fledged political party, Ms Berger said the question was "looking at this through the paradigm of the 20th Century".

(Image: Handout)

He asked: "Lots of folk at home are going to be scratching their heads and thinking, okay, what does this new group actually stand for?

"So I’m going to do some quick fire questions if you don’t mind.

"Heidi Allen, renationalising water and the railways, yes or no?"

Ms Allen replied: "My gut instinct is no, but like all of these things it needs to be built on evidence and actually rather than just choosing ideological solutions what will work and what can be learned from other countries."

Ms Berger cut in, protesting: "We are six days in.

"We haven’t even had our inaugural meeting."

But Andrew Marr pressed on, saying: "I’m trying not to be silly.

(Image: Handout)

"But I also think an awful lot of people thinking about this new group, you’ve been in the news all week, are wondering what kind of things you’d stand for."

He added: "Is the abolition of tuition fees affordable? Abolition of tuition fees, affordable or not affordable?"

Ms Berger replied: "Well I think we have to look at the – it must be on an individual personal level.

"We have to look at the whole education range, and for me the greatest thing we need to focus on is the early years and we’re going to give every child in this country the best start in life.

"It starts with the first one thousand and one days and that’s not being addressed."

Mr Marr went on: "Top rate of tax, up to 50p for the richest people in the country, yes or no?"

Heidi Allen replied: "Doesn’t feel right to me but again let’s base it in evidence.

"Because this is the wild and crazy idea. Rather than just because Tories always low tax, Labour always high tax, we want to change that completely.

"We want a bit – like you do in business – coalesce around the evidence and battle a policy out until we actually know that we think this is going to work for our country right here and now and for the future.

"It isn’t about decrying policies that any of us had in the past. This is starting again with something completely new and a very different approach to politics."

Ms Allen also re-confirmed that the party would not support Labour in a no confidence vote to topple the Tory government.

The MP - who days ago said she hopes TIG will destroy the Tory party - said: "I would do nothing at all that would precipitate a General Election or give any more instability to the country."