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Rachel Johnson and Gavin Esler to stand for Change UK Rachel Johnson and Gavin Esler to stand for Change UK
(32 minutes later)
The anti-Brexit party Change UK – The Independent Group has announced its candidates for next month’s European elections after receiving more than 3,700 applications. The anti-Brexit party Change UK has launched its European election campaign and revealed a slate of 70 candidates which includes Boris Johnson’s sister, seasoned politicians disillusioned with their parties, and people completely new to politics.
Rachel Johnson, the sister of former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, and the broadcast journalist Gavin Esler – who said Brexit was based on “cheating and lies” and was sick of the likes of Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg selling “snake oil” – will both stand. Rachel Johnson said she was standing to make sure that Brexit did not wreck the chances of a bright future for her children and other young people, and insisted that her decision to stand was not an attack on her Brexiter brother.
Other candidates include former Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat politicians and activists, as well as people with no previous political affiliation or involvement. Johnson, a writer and journalist who will stand in south-west England, did not speak from the stage at the launch event in Bristol but said afterwards: “I’m sure that Boris understands why this is not a vote against Boris. This is a vote for change. We need to move the dial. People need to have a say.”
Alongside “disillusioned” seasoned politicians, the candidates included teachers nurses, carers, former armed forces personnel and public and private sector workers. The new political party has developed out of the band of MPs that broke away from their respective parties and formed the Independent Group at Westminster. Last week they created the new party called, to give it its full name, Change UK: The Independent Group.
Esler added: “I have never been a member of a political party but I am now.“I have never been a candidate in an election but I am now. I have never been seriously worried about the future of our country but I am now. Our political system is a joke. It is a worldwide joke. They are laughing at us - not with us, at us.” The group’s interim leader, Heidi Allen, told the launch event that 3,700 people from every corner of the UK and from every background offered to stand to campaign for a people’s vote.
Speaking in Bristol at the end of the launch, Johnson said: “I’m sure that Boris understands why this is not a vote against Boris. This is a vote for change. We need to move the dial. People need to have a say.” She called herself a proud “Tigger [the nickname for the group’s members and supporters] mum” and, with a nod to Star Wars, claimed: “This is no rebel alliance; this is the home of the remain alliance.”
Andrea Cooper, a candidate in the north-west said she had no political background but was an “everyday woman from Liverpool” who worked with young people. “The main political parties are letting us down,” she said. The first candidate she introduced was the former BBC correspondent Gavin Esler, who claimed Brexit was based on “cheating and lies” and said he was sick of the likes of Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg peddling “snake oil”.
During a question and answer session, a member of the invited audience, Penny, from Bristol, said she was “totally obsessed” with the UK staying in the EU. But she said she wanted to hear more about the party’s other policies. She was told other policies would be announced. He added: “I have never been a member of a political party but I am now. I have never been a candidate in an election but I am now. I have never been seriously worried about the future of our country but I am now. Our political system is a joke.”
The leaders batted away suggestions that people may be confused at the array of parties who had similar views. Victoria Groulef, a former Labour councillor in Buckinghamshire, said: “Last year it became clear to me that Labour was no longer my political home. In fact it’s a place I felt deeply uncomfortable and no longer valued.” She said she felt re-energised by the new party.
Anna Soubry, the former Tory MP, said she was sure the British people would understand what the “Tiggers” (a nickname that comes from The Independent Group) would get what the party stood for. “I think it’s very simple,” she said. Andrea Cooper said she had no political background but was an “everyday woman from Liverpool” who worked with young people. “The main political parties are letting us down,” she said.
Other candidates include former politicians and activists, as well as teachers, nurses, carers, ex-members of the armed forces and EU citizens.
Change UK is calling on voters disillusioned by the chaos of Brexit and the politics of Farage and Ukip to vote for the party to send a strong message that a change in direction is wanted.
It says the individual stance of Labour or Tory MEPs who claim to support a people’s vote is irrelevant because it is the party and not the individual on the ballot paper. Change UK claims every Labour or Tory MEP candidate is a sponsor of Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May’s position on Brexit.
During a question and answer session, a member of the invited audience, Penny from Bristol, said she was “totally obsessed” with the UK staying in the EU. But she said she wanted to hear more about the party’s other policies – she was told other policies would be announced soon.
The leading lights in the new movement batted away suggestions that people may be confused at the array of parties with similar views which would be standing at next month’s elections. The group’s Brexit spokesperson, Anna Soubry said: “It’s very clear, this is the remain alliance. The Tiggers.”
The party chose the We The Curious science centre in Bristol for its launch, during which 50 of its candidates perched on a stage against a backdrop of posters featuring brightly coloured stripes. One observer described the scene as resembling a “trendy sweet shop”.The party chose the We The Curious science centre in Bristol for its launch, during which 50 of its candidates perched on a stage against a backdrop of posters featuring brightly coloured stripes. One observer described the scene as resembling a “trendy sweet shop”.
The politicians and workers have had to pull the launch together speedily after Farage’s new Brexit party surged past Labour and the Conservative party in an opinion poll. Asked what a good result would be, Chris Leslie, the party’s European election coordinator, said: “Our aim is to make sure the public have the choice to vote clearly and unequivocally to support a people’s vote.”
Heidi Allen, the former Tory MP, described the candidates as “Tiggers”, adding: “This is no rebel alliance, this is the home of the remain alliance. If you’re fed up with our broken politics join us.”
She said the MPs who defected had no choice but to say, “enough is enough”. She said the Tories had moved further to the right and Labour had let the country down.
Change UK is calling on voters disillusioned by the chaos of Brexit and the politics of Farage and Ukip to vote for the party to send a strong message to the established parties that they want a change in direction.
It says the individual stance of Labour or Tory MEPs who claim to support a people’s vote is irrelevant because it is the party and not the individual on the ballot paper.
The party claims every Labour or Tory MEP candidate is a sponsor of Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May’s stance on Brexit.
Change UK has morphed out of the The Independent Group, which was formed after eight Labour MPs and three Tory MPs left their parties in February.
In March, the group applied to become a party and was given approval in April, meaning they could field candidates in the European elections.
European electionsEuropean elections
Change UK – The Independent GroupChange UK – The Independent Group
BristolBristol
BrexitBrexit
Article 50Article 50
Foreign policyForeign policy
Rachel JohnsonRachel Johnson
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