My chum, Chuka
Sir Vince Cable has suggested that Chuka Umunna could lead the Liberal Democrats one day, amid party claims that the former Labour MP has “set himself up for the next leadership race”.
Sir Vince yesterday praised Mr Umunna as a “big political figure” who had “leadership potential”. He insisted that Ed Davey and Jo Swinson were “excellent candidates” to replace him when he steps down next month, but acknowledged that Mr Umunna was one of several “good people coming through the ranks”.
It came less than 24 hours after Mr Umunna, who briefly ran for the Labour leadership four years ago, announced he was joining the Lib Dems, his third political party in 2019.
The Streatham MP was a founding member of Change UK, but quit earlier this month after the party tanked in the European elections. His latest switch has provoked criticism following his public attacks on the Lib Dems. In 2013, Mr Umunna said: “Nobody believes a word Nick Clegg and Vince Cable says.”
While defecting from Labour, he stated: “You can’t change the status quo if you’re going to rejoin it.”
Yesterday, Mr Umunna said he had underestimated both the revival of the Lib Dems and the scale of the challenge in setting up a new party. He insisted he had no immediate plans to run to become party leader.
Sir Vince said he was “having conversations” with other independent MPS, while a party source claimed that Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston were expected to join over the weekend.
Chuka Umunna has joined the Lib Dems – the latest step in his long march through the institutions. First, he was a contender for the Labour leadership. Then he became part of the Change UK group of MPS that, far from breaking the mould of politics, has won hardly any votes and has already lost half its MPS (splitters will eventually split from themselves). Now Mr Umunna has jumped aboard a party defined by the one issue upon which he can retain some relevance: the fight to overturn the referendum result.
It is a serious problem for the soft centre‑left that not only do they lack a fixed party with a shot at winning a majority but also a policy agenda beyond keeping the UK in the EU. Politicians such as Mr Umunna like to boast that they occupy the radical centre, but there is no middle ground on Brexit and any pretence of it is reheated Blairism. For instance, Change UK – aka TIG and, for the moment at least, The Independent Group for Change – actually has very little to do with “change” at all. It wants to go back to 2015 and freeze the clock.
It is also a vehicle for colourful personalities who can’t get on with their old party members – and that is proving its undoing. Mr Umunna was simply too big for a small party, and all he is really interested in doing is being the star of a fan club. The Lib Dems have won a significant name, there is no denying that, but be warned: they have also gained a future leadership contender. If he isn’t running the show within a year, they should prepare themselves for yet another resignation. Politicians like Mr Umunna are constitutionally best suited to a party of one.