Change UK’s short and remarkably troubled existence has hit yet another snag after it was forced to change its name.
Just days after half of its MPs resigned, the party, whose official name was ‘Change UK - The Independent Group’, said it was rebranding following a legal challenge from petitions website Change.org.
It will now be known as ‘The Independent Group for Change’, pending a decision from the Electoral Commission.
In a statement on Thursday, the party – which is now led by former Tory MP Anna Soubry – said legal action from Change.org would have seen each MP being sued personally.
“We remain determined as a party to tackle the big issues facing the country,” they added. “Preventing a disastrous no deal Brexit and fixing Britain’s broken politics remain our absolute focus as we begin to build our new policy platform.”
The new brand follows a series of name changes for the party, which began as The Independent Group in parliament.
While this was often referred to as ‘TIG’, the group then went on to register ‘Change UK – The Independent Group’ as a political party in March.
Meanwhile, former leader Heidi Allen referred to her party as the “home of the Remain Alliance” during a speech in April.
However, Allen – along with five other party MPs – broke from Change UK earlier this month to return to parliament as Independents, arguing they would be “best placed to work cross party and respond flexibly”.