Arrogant Change UK should learn from Lib Dem electoral strategy

When I observed the significant show of force at the last anti-Brexit rally in London, I thought that maybe, just maybe, the time really was ripe for a new movement and a new political party. The quibbling over the numbers was irrelevant, there are many politically homeless people out there and a strong case to be made for an open, liberal Britain within the EU.

Step forward, Change UK… But Change UK have scored so many own goals – not least their botched launch – and don’t look like a party that’s going to shake up British politics.

The other new Party, Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, have consistently topped the polls for the European elections. Change UK meanwhile have peaked at 9% and the level of support per region suggests that can expect to win one MEP, at best.

It’s no less than they deserve. There has been a whiff of arrogance about them, most evident in their refusal to countenance forming remain alliances and their presumptuous plan to destroy the Liberal Democrats. They wanted to be the party for remain, and didn’t want to be tarnished by association with the Lib Dems. On current performance, it’s difficult to see why anyone would want to associate themselves with the shambolic Tiggers.

Change UK have given a masterclass in why political branding, communication and marketing are so important and potentially effective… by being embarrassingly bad at it. As they launched their party, they had an apparently temporary leader, an awful and widely mocked logo, they used every colour in the rainbow in their branding and a bizarre array of names and nicknames. It really has been a lesson in what not to do.

So far, there is very little substance to anything they say, which is important for a party who say they want to change the country radically. Yes, they want a second referendum and to remain in the EU, but so do the Greens and the Liberal Democrats, and they both have policies beyond that. Change UK will tell you politics is broken and needs changing but won’t tell you how they intend to do it. So, what is there to get excited about?

There was further embarrassment this week when they changed their Twitter handle from @TheIndGroup to @ForChange_Now. Yes, they’ve managed to add to the list of names – Change UK, Independent Group, TIG, Tiggers, Remain Alliance – as if things weren’t confusing enough. The name isn’t even memorable, and it means their Twitter account lost its blue tick.

As if that wasn’t incompetent enough, they allowed their old handle to be taken over by supporters of a hard Brexit, which shows up on the first page on Google. It was spectacularly stupid and led to them having to send out an embarrassing tweet to clarify the mess.

The failed attempt to run a joint remain candidate in Peterborough is a further bad sign for Change UK. When talks finally broke down, they had to admit that they are not going to contest the election. Gavin Shuker blamed “senior Labour figures” who “made it clear that they would strenuously disrupt the campaign and obstruct an independent candidate”.

Surely though, it’s obvious that Labour would seek to “obstruct an independent candidate” or, in other words, campaign to win the seat in an election? Isn’t the whole point of Change UK that it is supposed to hurt Labour electorally, for not supporting remain and for being taken over by the Corbynites? If that isn’t the point, then what is?

In Peterborough voters will be able to choose between a range of small parties, from the English Democrats to the SDP, but not Change UK, the party that is supposed to be shaking up British politics and forcing a realignment.

The SDP, the great centrist insurgency of the 80’s, used by-elections as a springboard to create momentum. Change UK need to replicate the SDP’s early success before they can kick on with their attempt to avert their failure. But in Peterborough the SDP is on the ballot paper and Change UK is not. In-fact, Change UK MPs won’t even fight by-elections in their own seats and fear being wiped out in a general election.

In response to Change UK allegations that it was Labour figures that scuppered the potential joint remain candidate, a Labour source said it was a “transparent attempt by ChUK to justify their own incompetence”. People’s Vote campaigners have expressed concerns that the incompetence and poor performance in the polls of Change UK would not reflect well on the People’s Vote campaign.

Ouch.

Change UK, the great new hope of liberal Britain, the remain insurgency. No candidate. No logo on the ballot paper. Apparently, no idea how elections work. No strategy. They say they want to change the UK but have failed to contest elections.

Oh, how the experienced activists and politicians in the Liberal Democrats must be guffawing at the bunch of amateurs seeking to usurp them. The Liberal Democrats performed well in the local elections are running a much better Euro election campaign than Change UK. Far from looking ready to be usurped, they still have many councillors, a large activist base, established institutions in place, a bank of data on their potential voters and 11 MPs in parliament. A revival may be on the cards.

Perhaps Change UK can learn from the SDP after all – after peaking in 1983 they eventually merged with the Liberal Democrats in 1988. If they continue as they are, that might end up being the only good choice Change UK ever make.

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