Change UK
The Independent Group for Change, also known as Change UK, was a British centrist, pro–European Union political party, founded in February 2019 and dissolved ten months later, after all its MPs lost their seats at the 2019 general election. Its principal aim was a second withdrawal referendum on European Union membership, in which it would campaign to remain in the EU. On economic issues it expressed a commitment to the social market economy.
Independent Group for Change | |
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Leader |
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Founded | 18 February 2019 |
Registered | 15 April 2019 |
Dissolved | 19 December 2019 |
Split from | Labour Party Conservative Party |
Headquarters | 521 Terminal House 52 Grosvenor Gardens London SW1W 0AU |
Ideology | |
Political position | Centre |
European Parliament group | European People's Party |
Colours | Black White |
Slogan | "Politics is broken. Let's change it." |
In February 2019, seven MPs resigned from the Labour Party to sit as The Independent Group. They were dissatisfied by Labour's leftward political direction under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, its approach to Brexit and its handling of allegations of antisemitism within the party. They were soon joined by four more MPs, including three from the governing Conservative Party who disliked their party's approach to Brexit and its move rightward. The group registered as a political party under the name Change UK – The Independent Group and appointed former Conservative MP Heidi Allen as their leader before the 2019 European Parliament election.
Following the party's failure to secure any seats in that election, six of its eleven MPs, including Allen, left the party and Anna Soubry took over as leader. Four of the six formed The Independents grouping and two defected to the Liberal Democrats. Later, three of The Independents also joined the Liberal Democrats. In June the party adopted the name The Independent Group for Change following a legal dispute with petition website Change.org. Three of the party's MPs stood for re-election in the 2019 general election. None was re-elected, each losing to a candidate from their former parties. On 19 December 2019, Soubry announced the party's dissolution.