Change UK’s plot to wipe out the Lib Dems (Picture: Daily Mail, Getty)

The Independent Group of defector MPs – now known as Change UK – has been accused of a plot to wipe out the Liberal Democrat party and take on all its members, donors and MPs.

An alleged leaked memo suggests the group wants to directly target Lib Dem voters to compete with the centrist party on its own issues.

In the letter, Change UK – made up of former Labour and Tory MPs – states that its objective is to defeat the Lib Dems so there is just a ‘single party for progressive politics at the next General Election’.

The Lib Dems previously suggested an electoral non-aggression pact but the Change UK letter allegedly rules out working together, saying: ‘No mergers, pacts or alliances.’




Under the heading ‘strategy’, the document, published by the Daily Mail, says the group need to: ‘1. Win over LD [Lib Dem] activists and members to the TIG cause – to win over as supporters.

‘2. Attract support and resources from LD backers.’

It also hopes to compete with the group online, growing its supporter list and Twitter followers to ‘beat’ the Lib Dems.

The alleged memo leaked to the Daily Mail (Picture: Daily Mail)

Change UK, or The Independent Group, formed when Labour and Tory MPs left their party’s over Brexit (Picture: Rex)

Liberal Democrats party leader Sir Vince Cable (Picture: Getty)

Under the heading ‘tactics’, Change UK writes that it plans to attract more MPs to join so that they ‘exceed LDs’.

There is also a mention of targeting Lib Dem backers, setting out plans to approach the top six donors by next month.

Key Lib Dem issues, like electoral reform, will be taken on by Change UK to create competition with the party, the letter alleges.

But the new group suggested it will still work with Sir Vince Cable’s party on Brexit and mental health, according to the document.

Former business secretary Mr Cable once offered to strike an electoral pact of non-aggression with The Independent Group in seats of interest to both parties.

He also offered to work with the group on issues they both agreed on – but the leaked memo suggests Change UK are not up for sharing.

Rachel Johnson announced this week she is running as a candidate for Change UK in the European elections (Picture: AFP/Getty)

The Independent group said it wants to attract new MPs ‘from across the political spectrum’ (Picture: Rex)

The group was formed after eight Labour MPs and three Tories quit their parties to form a new movement in anger over Brexit.

It has now adopted the name Change UK, but has encountered resistance from the Change.org petitions site.

Former Tory MP Heidi Allen has stepped into the role of interim leader despite ex-Labour MP Chuka Umunna widely tipped to take up the role.

A Lib Dem source told the Mail: ‘We’ve always found The Independent Group to be somewhat disorganised, and at times naïve about how to fight elections within the confines of the first past the post system.

‘England is about to elect 9,000 councillors, and as far as we are aware not a single TIG candidate is standing.’

A spokesman for the Lib Dems said: ‘We have extended the hand of friendship to TIG, and will continue to work with people across the political spectrum to secure a People’s Vote, stop Brexit and break the two party system.’



A spokesman for Change UK said the group hopes to attract the support of ‘people from across the mainstream, and from all of the establishment political parties’.

He added: ‘In doing so we were clear from the time of our launch that we hope to attract support from all of those people who feel politically homeless and let down by the existing parties.’

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