Change UK splitters become ‘The Independents’

You may have struggled to keep up with all the twists and turns of the group of independent MPs who left Labour and the Conservatives to form their own political party. First, Heidi Allen, Chuka Umunna and co. became the ‘Independent Group’, which was hastily renamed ‘Change UK’. After several more name changes, Change UK then split after the European elections, with half its MPs becoming independent MPs, and the other half (led by Anna Soubry) becoming ‘The Independent Group for Change’.

If that wasn’t confusing enough, Mr S is sorry to say that another independent group has entered the fray today. Of the six MPs who split from Change UK in June, four have now launched ‘The Independents’ – a loose collective of MPs which describes itself as ‘not a party, but a co-operative of independents working together.