Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Change UK holds post mortem after EU election humiliation

Change UK has been holding post-mortem meetings about its failure to win any seats in last week’s European elections, I understand. Members of the newly-formed party met up this week to discuss what to do next after it only secured 3 per cent of the vote overall. 

Critics have suggested that it’s already all over for Change UK, and even its optimistic members accept that the party is going through a very difficult phase. There is talk in some quarters of a merger with the Liberal Democrats- and it was notable that both Mike Gapes and Anna Soubry praised Jo Swinson, who is standing to lead that party. Even those most tribally-opposed to the Lib Dems are now talking about the value of joint working between the two parties, though it isn’t clear whether the Lib Dems will be as welcoming.

The party will be holding more meetings next week to work out what to do, but already a key lesson for its members is that voters need to know more about what it stands for.

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