Change UK to hold make-or-break meeting over party's future as splits erupt

Change UK MPs are to hold a make-or-break meeting about the party's future amid reports that they are on the verge of a split.



The Westminster summit comes barely three months after the new grouping was set up by a dozen former Labour and Tory MPs.

According to the Guido Fawkes website, five of those MPs want the party to disband in the wake of last week's European elections, when they failed to get a single MEP elected.

Some are said to be keen on joining the Lib Dems, but others others insist there is still a future for Change UK as an independent political force.

One of the MPs told PoliticsHome: "We’re hoping to discuss plans for developing party structures and our policy platform over the summer with new interventions on the Brexit crisis.

"I’m committed for the long haul. If that’s not a view shared by others I’ll wait to hear more in the meeting."

The party was initially set up as The Independent Group in February after nine Labour MPs, including Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie and Mike Gapes, quit their party in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's 'eadership.

They were swiftly joined by anti-Brexit Conservative MPs Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston, and in March changed their name to Change UK.

But despite initial hopes that other MPs would defect to them, the party's progress has stalled and there have been public spats between key figures.

In the wake of the European elections, Ms Soubry criticised interim party leader Ms Allen's "bizarre" idea that people should vote tactically for the Lib Dems in some parts of the UK.

That came after Ms Allen admitted she had considered quitting when her plan to maximise the pro-Remain vote in the European elections was condemned internally.

On Ms Allen's suggestion that Change UK could form an alliance with the Lib Dems in the future, former Tory minister Ms Soubry said: "These things may well emerge but for goodness sake, this is a long way down the line.

"You have got to have your own policies first of all before you can even go into any form of negotiations with any other party to do pacts."