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Chuka Umunna admits Change UK has ‘made mistakes’ ahead of its expected European elections setback
Chuka Umunna admitted his Change UK party has “made mistakes”, ahead of its expected European elections setback – as he abandoned its “no pacts” pledge.The former Labour MP called for a deal with the Liberal Democrats – similar to the SDP-Liberal party alliance at the 1983 and 1987 general elections – where their candidates do not compete against each other.“I think it would be sensible,” Mr Umunna said. “I personally don’t think we should be competing at a general election.”The proposal is a U-turn on Change UK’s stance at its confident launch as The Independent Group in February, when it insisted there would be no pact with the other centre-ground party.In recent weeks, the party has plunged in the polls – threatening to leave it with no MEPs when the EU election results are declared late on Sunday – amid a widening split over strategy.In a newspaper article, Mr Umunna wrote: “We made some mistakes along the way, despite the incredible efforts of our small staff team, our candidates and our 100,000 supporters, who cannot be faulted.”Earlier this week, Heidi Allen, Change UK’s leader, admitted she threatened to quit in an internal row over tactical voting to maximise the pro-Remain challenge to Nigel Farage‘s Brexit Party.Ms Allen, who left the Conservative Party to join other breakaway Tory and Labour MPs, said the majority view was that “they didn’t want to go that way”.But Mr Umunna told the BBC: “The Remain forces in this country need to work even more closely together than we have managed to achieve up to this point between now and the general election.”He added: “It’s going to be first past the post in a general election, so we have got to get our ducks in a row and work out what configuration is appropriate for 2019 and beyond, instead of just perhaps using the same model from the 1980s.”In the article, for the i newspaper, Mr Umunna, defended its influence, despite the “huge challenge” of not having “the resources nor finances of other parties”.“One cannot dismiss the impact we had on the Brexit debate during our first days as a new group in parliament three months ago, nor our experiences campaigning across the country,” he said.“At over 140 events and rallies there has been a huge appetite for a strong non-tribal, radical, centre-ground offer. This is the real change politics that is emerging, even if it is still dismissed by the pro-Brexit and pro-two party elite.”Ms Allen revealed she wanted Change UK to publicly back the Liberal Democrats outside London and the southeast – the only two regions where it had a realistic prospect of success.She told Channel 4 News: “I am very, very troubled by this. This is a massive decision for a party to take. Had it been left to me, I would have absolutely advised tactical voting.”
Chuka Umunna has called for Article 50 to be revoked, as he claimed there was insufficient time for a second referendum before the Brexit deadline in October.
The change in strategy from Change UK's spokesperson comes after multiple polls showed the newly-formed party struggling to gain ground in the polls ahead of this week's European elections.
In what appeared to be an attempt to distinguish the party from other pro-European groups, the ex-Labour MP said: "I have come to the view that we are now at the point where we are going to need to revoke Article 50."
Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Umunna continued: "The way to resolve this impasse is to refer it back to the people. The simple fact right now is we do not have time do a People's Vote before 31 October."
"What would be undemocratic is to impose a no-deal Brexit on this country which there is not a mandate for. All the polls show the majority of people want to remain in the European Union.
"We are faced with a national emergency. No deal is facing us in the face and we have got to deal with it," he said.
According to two separate polls published on Saturday ahead of the Euro elections on Thursday, Change UK received just four and three per cent of the vote share, while Vince Cable's Liberal Democrats surged ahead on 15 per cent and the Greens had the backing of 11 per cent of those polled.
Asked whether he believed his party had been competent since its creation, Mr Umunna continued: "I do, but look we're a four week old party. We only left the Labour Party three months' ago. It's a complete start-up - we're the youngest kid on the block in this election."
The remarks came after Rachel Johnson - a candidate for Change UK in the European elections - criticised her party in an interview with The Times.
Ms Johnson, the sister of the ex-foreign secretary Boris, said the party's name was "terrible", adding: "They want to focus-group everything and they have a leadership team of about 11 people.
"If I were running it we would have one leader and a different name and we would have done a deal with all the other Remain parties. Then we would be able to give the Brexit Party a fight."
But Mr Umunna insisted it was a "joke", adding: "It was taken out of context".
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