Chuka Umunna joins Liberal Democrats after leaving Change UK
FORMER Labour MP Chuka Umunna dramatically defected to the Lib Dems tonight after his attempt to set up a new political party flopped.
The move is a humiliating climbdown for the arch-Remainer who has previously said you “can’t trust the Lib Dems”.
But he has now thrown his lot in with Sir Vince Cable after his new anti-Brexit Party Change UK split amid bitter in-fighting.
Announcing his move last night, Mr Umunna said: “After leaving Labour, I had thought that Britain needed a new party and I believed that was what the millions of politically homeless people in Britain wanted.
“I was wrong.”
He admitted that he has been a ferocious critic of the Lib Dems.
But he said: “Four years on from their time in office, things have changed.”
It comes as the struggling splinter party he helped to set up changed its name yet again after being threatened with legal action.
In the latest humiliation for Change UK, they announced they will now be known as "The Independent Group for Change" after Change.org said it would sue their MPs individually unless they budged.
Mr Umunna, the MP for Streatham in South London, used to be a rising star in Labour and ran briefly for leader in 2015.
But he quit the party in a furious row over Brexit and the hard left direction Jeremy Corbyn was taking it in.
He set up Change UK with fellow anti-Brexit Tory and Labour splitters, but quit earlier this month after they flopped in the Euro elections.
, when asked if he was prepared for the backlash from his former colleagues, he said: "I've got a pretty thick skin.
"You don't leave all of the political security of what are the two main parties if you're out for self-advancement.
"And I'm not sure what more I could do to prove that I'm not, not a careerist."
Sir Vince, the Lib Dem’s outgoing leader, hailed him as a “formidable, serious political figure” who would be a positive addition to the party.
He said: "Chuka and I have worked together effectively for many months, campaigning for a People's Vote and to Stop Brexit.
"I know that he will be a great asset to our party not just on Brexit, but in fighting for the liberal and social democratic values that we share.
"He joins alongside 20,000 people across the country just this month, demonstrating clearly that the Liberal Democrats are the biggest, clearest and most formidable force in the liberal centre-ground of British politics today."
His decision to join the Lib Dems was also welcomed by current deputy leader Jo Swinson, who is running for leadership of the party.