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.

Quite a lot of labour members feel the same as him - let alone the wider voting public -

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/05/30/if-everyone-revealed-how-they-voted-last-week-labo

There isn't anything that Chuka won't try maybe he'll stop before he joins the Conservatives. Absolutely awful man. The most laughable thing is that he not only joined the Lib Dem's but want to be their leader. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I quite agree, JasperRising. I much prefer "conviction politicians" because although I might not agree with them in everything, at least they do what it says on the tin - and if that puts them at odds with their own party, I think that's just fine. It's only healthy disagreement and debate that keeps a party honest.

My point about Chuka, though, is that he is remarkably consistent in one thing only. Chuka's career. He's not the only one, by a long chalk, of course. Chuka-types sit on both sides of the floor - and occasionally cross it too!

he's been consistently remain, has he not?

why shouldnt he do his best to stop something he believes to be catastrophic to the country?

Two Minutes Hate.

who are the 'conviction' politicians in your mind, if chuka isnt?

Do you vote for the same party every single election during the entirety of your life? I know I don’t. I’ve voted Labour, Lib Dem and Green. People are allowed to change their minds you know.

he's been consistently remain, has he not?

Yes, and also called many times for a second referendum to enable that. However, in the run-up to the 2017 snap election and so therefore seeking re-election, here is what Chuka said.

“I really have no time for calls for a second referendum because I think it comes across as disrespectful to those who voted to leave,” he said.
“Those calls reinforce what I feel is a false stereotype — of a bunch of people in London who think they know best.”
He went on: “We are going to leave — it hurts me to say that — but we have got to move forward and work out how to get the best possible deal.”

Sorry, the crossings-out should not have appeared. All of the words are his.

But he’s changed his mind in the last 2 years. Are people not allowed to do that anymore? The more we understand what Brexit actually means the more some of us want to stop it. Some people went from anger to acceptance back to anger again.

so consistently remain but has changed his mind on 2nd ref?

big deal.

half of the cons brexiteers were actual remainers once.

I respect him and what he's done. It's very similar to my thinking, tbh - Labour party member, can't support them on Brexit and the general Corbyn mess, hoped a new party would be the answer, have seen people aren't keen, Lib Dems are the only possible alternative. I think our best hope now is a Con/LD coalition again, to temper the worst of the Tories. Or of course a new Labour leader, as someone sensible would win a General Election by a landslide. No chance of that though.

To answer your previous post, Helmet, and off the top of my head:

Past and present - Gordon Brown, Margaret Thatcher, Frank Field, Tony Benn, Norman Tebbit, John Redwood, Kate Hoey, John Mann, Jacob Rees Mogg, Steve Baker, Nicola Sturgeon, Charles Kennedy.

Didn't agree with all of them on everything. Can't abide some of them. However, I know what they stand for or stood for and could use my vote accordingly.

Churchill changed party twice and his political career survived it. I seem to recall he did quite well in the 40s.

^^ This.

And both times through sheer conviction, not because he was chasing his leadership ambitions.

He's probably feeling a bit cross that he can't have a go for the Conservative leadership.

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 feel the same. I hope he's leader, because, and i feel awful saying this because i like to support women in politics, i really dislike Jo Swinson

There isn't anything that Chuka won't try maybe he'll stop before he joins the Conservatives. Absolutely awful man. The most laughable thing is that he not only joined the Lib Dem's but want to be their leader.

Exactly. He realised he had no path to leadership in Labour, so started his own party. When that didn't work, why not the LibDems. He wants to be leader and genuinely believes he should be PM one day.

What are you supposed to do if you are a centrist? Both Labour and Torys are becoming extreme.

To be fair I wouldn’t mind him as PM, he’s a far better bet than Boris.

No view on the man himself but I find it quite worrying that there is this rigid view of politics - that it is a dreadful thing to change your mind ever.

Completely agree. I saw one sketch writer say “The trouble with Theresa May is that she changes her mind on policies made yesterday. The trouble with Jeremy Corbyn is that he hasn’t changed his mind on anything since 1973.” An intelligent person changes his/her opinion as and when the circumstances or information changes.

What are you supposed to do if you are a centrist? Both Labour and Torys are becoming extreme.

Exactly this. I know there are problems with multi party political systems too but at least countries which have multiple parties have a spectrum to choose from. With the two party system (yes, I know there are the Lib Dems, Greens, SNP, Plaid, DUP but they can't currently win a majority), it seems either both parties end up in the centre as in the Blair years and people complain there is no difference between the two. Or, they drift to the extremes as now and the centrist MPs are left stuck in a party that they don't agree with.

It is the same problem for voters. In the early 2000s, I knew who I would vote for and who represented most of my views. Now, I find it a lot harder to find a party I am happy to support - the LibDems probably come closest.

The parties are too tribal. In reality their own MPs span such a wide range of views that there is so much overlap (ie many liberal tories have a lot in common with new labour and Lib Dem’s).

I would like to see labour split into corbynites/socialists and tories split into UKIP-wing and cameronites/liberal tories with a new centre coalition including Lib Dem’s. At the moment I feel that the centrists in labour and tories are more interested in power/party than their principles.

Yes, can see this one. There are real Lib Dems in both parties aren't there? Watched one on GMTV this very morning and that was Rory Stewart. I couldn't believe my eyes when he stood as a candidate for the tory leadership but was surprised by him this morning. It is true though, he is in the wrong party and should be in the Lib Dems and I believe they want him as well. He is like a younger Tim Farron who keeps asking me for a fiver (contribution -I am in his constituency).

Chuka, well I enjoy watching him on TV particularly with Ian Duncan-Smith; they disagree on absolutely everything but you can tell they like each other. I never thought he stood a chance as labour leader because I think the press have something on him and that is why he suddenly dropped out.

His withdrawal from the Labour leadership was a bit mysterious, he obviously missed out on Change UK's leadership and now he's joined another party that has a leadership vacancy - hmm, what could possibly be the connection here