The law of diminishing returns applies in politics as well as economics. Douglas Carswell's defection to Ukip stunned the Tories. Mark Reckless startled them, but only briefly. Richard Barnes (a former member of the London Assembly, as if you didn't know) merits a philosophical shrug. When his name started doing the rounds of parties and bars in Birmingham last night, the general feeling was of mild relief that "the next one" was not someone famous or significant.
Still, that's a telling reaction.
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