Chuka Umunna is a Labour supporter, no he's for Change UK, no he's now a LibDem

[longwayoff]

Apparently. Nothing like having a firm set of beliefs and principles.

Lol!

What’s your point? You sound tribal and dated. Plenty of politicians crossed the floor more than once back in the days when politicians were principled rather than being obsessed with their own ministerial careers.

He's a weathervane.

I like him. Good on him for bloody trying to break the mould. That was never going to work but at least he's true to his belief re Brexit and not lying his fucking face off like so many in the other parties - saying whatever they think it will take to save their miserable arses.

Good old Chuka!
Any sign of him calling a by-election yet?

What he is, is a narcissist. He literally couldn't understand why his stupid little vanity project didn't work and now he's gone lolloping off to the Lib Dems despite categorically saying he wouldn't. He's a prize muppet that man.

I respect politicians who stick to their beliefs and try to prevent disaster, of which he is one - unlike our prime minister in waiting, for example.

I don’t have any particular fondness for Chuka but I think the idea you can’t change your mind - or your party - is ridiculous.

I agree with Figment - much more likely that the ones who are "flexible" with their principles are those who stay with a party because it means they can keep their safe seat even when the party moves in a direction they privately disagree with.

It must be a big risk to leave a party. In these turbulent times, it's obvious that Change UK was a gamble that may or may not still go somewhere. So, Umunna's weighed up where to go next. And I'm sure there's some personal ambition involved, but politics is (like it or not) driven by people with ambition to exercise power.

Agree with Figmentofmyimagination he has joined the only party that is in line with his beliefs on Brexit

Also, being able to change your beliefs and principles seems to be a winning strategy for Boris at the moment.

So do you prefer the tories who are now scrambling behind Boris, just incase he's the next PM?

I like him too. I think it is great news and as a Lib Dem supporter, I'm really pleased he is on board. He has actually admitted that he misjudged the whole Change UK situation. I do think he was bold to have set it up in the first place.

I think the libdems’ moment may have come, finally. Too late to stop the brexit car crash but at least in time to bury the conservatives under their own rubbish. JC can’t win the next election, but hopefully enough moderate conservatives and labour supporters will join the libdems to give them the whip hand in a left-leaning pro-European coalition to try and rescue us from this mess.

Had hoped this would happen. Very pleased to hear this.

Chuka was a former shadow cabinet member with a lot of support in Labour. He is in a very safe Labour seat.

His choice not to support Corbyn and then to leave the party cost him a shadow cabinet position and almost certainly his seat at the next election.

You may disagree with his actions but they are hardly characteristic of a careerist politician with no firm beliefs.

Joining a party who has principles and policies that match his views ... good for him.

Chuka Umunna will need to get re-elected as a Lib Dem to be an official Lib Dem politician.

He’s taking a massive risk by just joining the Lib Dems when, as previous posters have pointed out, he’s established himself in a very safe Labour seat.

I’m not sure how he can re-elected if he chooses to stay in his current seat.

I admire him for his principles but I think it’s a daft to just join another party like this - he still has to earn a living, at the end of the day.

he basically ended his political career?

Maybe I’m wrong, but surely the only way he can continue being a politician is by getting elected as a Lib Dem MP?

So either his constituency has a by-election - and he wins it - or the Lib Dems find him a safe seat (of which I don’t think there are any).

They could put him up in Sheffield Hallam, you’d assume that a former Labour, now LibDem remainer not tainted by the coalition would be a shoe-in. And from what I’ve heard the current LD candidate there is absolutely vile and despised by many of her local party.

I think you've missunderstood why he's changed parties.

He actually does have a firm set of princables. Its the labour party partically that have abandoned their princables. Just as johnson et al are taking the consertives further to the right, Corbyn and his pals are taking the labour party to the left. Extremism on both sides is not good.

Parties shift according whos leader. Its not him thats changed his princables

Yeah he's unlikely to be voted in as LibDem in Streatham. That area is very Labour.

Yabu

I love Chuka. He's very good looking.

I had no time for him as a Labour leader candidate, but I do now. He believes Brexit is a catastrophe for the country, and he's prioritising that above all else, including his present career prospects. You can disagree with him, but it's hard to argue that he lacks principle or belief. His belief is that people's best interests rely on EU membership, and he's sticking to that principle.

Well done to him.

It's a shame ChangeUK didn't gather more momentum but it was a bold attempt. Upon seeing that it hasn't worked out, he's now moved to the more successful Remain party.