Independent Group to register as Change UK party under Heidi Allen

[brooklynite]

Source: The Guardian

The Independent Group of MPs is to formally register as a political party called Change UK in time for potential European elections, and has said the former Conservative MP Heidi Allen will be interim leader.

The MPs in the breakaway party, who also include Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger and Chris Leslie, formerly of Labour, and the former Tories Sarah Wollaston and Anna Soubry, said they had been advised to urgently register with the Electoral Commission in order to put up candidates.

Allen will be interim leader until the group holds its first conference in the autumn, where it will launch as a political party and officially elect a leader, it said in a statement.

The UK may have to hold European parliament elections on 23 May, with the close of nominations for MEP candidates on 24 April, if the government is forced to accept a long extension to article 50. The group will register as Change UK – The Independent Group.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/29/independent-group-to-register-as-change-uk-party-under-heidi-allen

[nycbos]

1. If I was a citizen of the UK I would't have a political home.

I wouldn't support Labour under the current leadership and the Conservatives are batshit at the moment. Maybe I would support these guys.

[mwooldri]

3. Change UK and the Lib Dems should join up.

Maybe a Liberal SDP Alliance Version 2?

There are 2 main reasons why support for the Liberal Democrats died off: 1) joining the Tories in government, and 2) breaking key manifesto promises once having joined said coalition government.

There needs to be an effective 3rd choice in English politics (4th in Scotland and Wales). The Liberals were always centre-left thus should have helped form a rainbow coalition in 2010 rather than the Tory mess.

[Firestorm49]

2. Good Lord, what a mess. Protect your investments on the day of the Brexit vote.