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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Nicola Bartlett

Change UK split - six return to being Independents but five stick with new party

Change UK are set to split - just four months after the 11 former Labour and Tory MPs formed a new party. 

It came on the back of dismal European election results for the party when it failed to pick up a single MEP and has since trailed as low as 1%.

The Mirror understands six MPs will return to being Independents but five plan to stay as part of Change UK.

There was a suggestion the breakaway MPs could join the Liberal Democrats who soared into second place in the European poll as the leading Remain party while Change UK languished in eighth place on 3.4%.

The group is meeting this afternoon to discuss their future.

Heidi Allen was due to appear on the show (AFP/Getty Images)

It has been beset by disagreements over strategy including a spat over a pro-Remain pact for the European elections.

Former Tory MP Anna Soubry publicly slammed interim leader Heidi Allen for suggesting voters tactically back the Liberal Democrats.

She said: “I think it is rather bizarre for an interim leader on the eve of poll to tell people essentially not to vote for their party.

“You do not stand candidates and then say to people ‘we are going through a complete farce please don’t vote for them.

“Let’s engage now in big grown-up politics.”

After the disastrous results Ms Allen hinted at a possible merger with the Lib Dems after the poll, saying: “This partisan thing completely passes me by when I look across Europe, they seem to do pretty well with coalitions.

“I would hope as a collective, let’s call us a collective, somewhere in the middle with other like-minded colleagues.”

She said: “I think we are sensible enough to know we can’t do it on our own.

“Do we all agree that the long goal is something centrist together? Then, yes, we are all on that same path.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader and leadership candidate, Jo Swinson, has invited all pro-Remain politicians to join their party.

She said: “We are now the obvious place for remain supporters to coalesce. 

“I would encourage anyone who shares our liberal values in or outside parliament to join our party and join our liberal movement. 

“Our door is absolutely open.”

(Getty Images)

But sources suggest there are no plans to do so at this point.

The group was formed when seven MPs broke away from the Labour citing concerns about the party's Brexit policy, the leadership and the handling of anti-Semitism.

(Luciana Berger was the victim of anti-Semitic abuse)

The latter was a particular concern for Jewish MP Luciana Berger who had been subject by anti-Semitic abuse by people claiming to be Labour members and supporters.

Chuka Umunna, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker, Angela Smith and Ann Coffey had all been critical of Jeremy Corbyn and the direction of the party.

They were quickly followed by Joan Ryan and three Tory MPs Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston who had all clashed with their party over Brexit.

They caused controversy early on when former Labour MP Angela Smith made comments about skin colour on a TV interview, saying: “It’s not just about being black or a funny tinge.”

Initially known as the Independent Group, called TIG by some, they finally decided on the name Change UK.

But they came under fire from campaign group and petition website change.org who said they would seek legal advice.

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