Change UK haven’t fared as well as fellow remain party the Lib Dems (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Pro-remain party Change UK has failed to win a single seat in the European Parliament elections after its interim leader told some voters to chose the Lib Dems instead.

Heidi Allen, drew criticism for encouraging tactical voting in a bid to boost the fight against Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.

Change UK’s Brexit spokesperson Anna Soubry said it was ‘bizarre’ for a party leader to offer the advice right before an election.

But she said the party’s performance was ‘extremely good’ considering it was only started life in February as the Independent Group of breakaway Tory and Labour MPs.


Anna Soubry didn’t hold back when asked about Heidi Allen’s views on tactical voting (Picture: Barcroft)

The former Tory minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I think it is rather bizarre for an interim leader on the eve of a 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’.

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With 10 out of the UK’s 12 electoral regions declared so far, Change UK has gained just 3.5 per cent of the vote winning zero seats.

But she still thought the party did well all things considered, adding: ‘Over 600,000 people went and voted for us, a genuinely new party.’

Interim party leader Heidi Allen has been criticised for encouraging Lib Dem votes (Picture: Barcroft)

Among Change UK’s candidates was journalist Rachel Johnson, sister of hardline Brexiteer Boris Johnson who has his sights on becoming the next prime minister following Theresa May’s resignation.

Last week Ms Allen admitted she threatened to quit Change UK over an internal row over whether to support Liberal Democrat candidates outside London and the South East.

The former Conservative Party MP for South Cambridgeshire said: ‘Had it been left to me, I would have absolutely advised tactical voting’.

Brexit Party candidate Anne Widdecombe greets Change UK candidate Rachel Johnson (Picture: PA)

A week before the elections Change UK’s David Macdonald ended his candidacy and urged people to vote for the Lib Dems on May 26 because he thought it was the best way to stop Brexit.

She has acknowledged the party needs to learn what went wrong in the European Parliament elections before the next general election.

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But she thinks Change UK should collaborate with ‘other right-minded parties’ who are pushing for the remain cause.

She added: ‘The country has to come first, it is not about the brand, we must come together.’

Change UK MP Chuka Umunna says his party should cooperate with the Lib Dems (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Meanwhile fellow pro-remain party the Lib Dems had a good night, securing second place in the European elections behind the Brexit Party.

Change UK MP Chuka Umuna has said the two parties shouldn’t stand against each other in the next general election.

Ms Allen has even gone as far as to suggest they should join forces and form a ‘collective’ or a single party.

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