Independent Group will register as political party

The Independent Group of MPs announced on Friday that they will register formally as a political party, named Change UK, with former Conservative MP Heidi Allen taking the role of interim leader.

The group, which is made up of eight former Labour MPs and three former Conservative MPs who broke away from their respective parties in February, said it had been advised to register with the Electoral Commission so that it can take part in European Elections that could take place in May if no Brexit deal is agreed in the near future.

Allen will remain as interim leader until the party is officially launched at its first conference in the Autumn, where an official party leader will be elected.

Prominent Independent Group member Chuka Umunna, a former Labour MP, said: "A new party will shake up the two-party system and provide people with an alternative that can change our country for the better. This is what Change UK will be aiming to do at any European elections if our application for registration is accepted in time."

Umunna added that they hoped to field a substantial number of candidates in any EU election and said that thousands of members of the public had signed up to support the fledgling political entity.

The group emerged to forge a center ground, having in particular cited issues with the Brexit policies of their respective former parties and now backing a second referendum.

"Coming into the House of Commons from running my manufacturing business in 2015, I have seen with my own eyes how improved our political system would be if it harnessed the diverse skills and experience of our country. We in Change UK, as we hope to be known, don’t just dream about a fairer and better future for our country, we are determined to unleash it through hard work, passion and shared endeavour," said new interim leader Heidi Allen.