Is their eagerness not to be defined by Brexit a strategic error?

Setting up a new party - and leaving behind the relative comfort of their more established political homes - was never going to be easy. But Change UK have had a bumpier start than even they might have imagined. This week, their European elections launch was overshadowed by revelations about their failure to vet candidates’ offensive past tweets, together with ridicule over their logo and branding.

Put together, this forms a picture of chaotic amateurism - even if two of those controversial candidates were swiftly removed from the list. Yet while these can be classed as setbacks or teething issues, Change UK has created for itself a more serious strategic problem: its failure to join forces with other avowedly anti-Brexit parties to form an official remain alliance.

At Change UK’s campaign launch earlier this week, interim leader Heidi Allen declared that the party was in effect the “Remain Alliance” - because it brought together anti-Brexit MPs from the old parties.

And yet, as Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said on Question Time on Thursday evening, Change UK have turned down his offer to work with them, and the Greens, to mobilise support among anti-Brexit voters on polling day on May 23.