Chuka Umunna

Here is Owen Jones' take on it
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/14/chuka-umunna-labour-liberal-democrat-hypocrisy

Some extracts for those who don't like links:

“You can’t trust a word the Lib Dems say”: here is an entirely accurate summation tweeted to the world in 2013 by the new Liberal Democrat MP for Streatham, Chuka Umunna. Announcing his second defection in four months, Umunna last night posed alongside Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, whom he once astutely declared “can’t run away from his record as part of the Tory-led government or try to pretend Tory policies have nothing to do with the Lib Dems”. Just two years ago, he bitterly declared he “can’t forgive” what the Lib Dems have “done to my area.............................

................."what facts have changed about the Lib Dems since 2017? Both Cable and Jo Swinson, the frontrunner to replace him as leader, are unrepentant about the austerity they imposed on the country, and which Umunna all too recently passionately condemned them for.

"It gets better. At the end of April, a leaked document from Umunna’s Change UK revealed his then-party’s plans to wipe out the Lib Dems as an electoral force.

................."When the Change UK European parliamentary candidate David Macdonald defected to the Lib Dems a month ago, Umunna said it was “disappointing that this candidate has chosen to pledge allegiance to another party.... "

anniebach. Correction - the SDP, founded by Shirley Williams and the other members of 'the gang of four', did NOT 'join the Liberals'. The two parties merged, to become the Liberal Democrats, though the full name of the party was (not sure if still is) Social and Liberal Democrats. I never thought of myself as anything but a Social Democrat and resisted all attempts to refer to me as 'a Liberal' and I'm very sad when I so often hear the party referred to - often derisively - as 'the Liberals'.

Owen Jones , ?

Quite!

annodomini - maybe the group of disaffected MP's who set up the Change party would have been better to spend even longer considering their future then joined the Liberal Democrats en masse.
I'm not sure of this but the UK does have a FPTP system and the LDems is the only party with a consistent position on Brexit, with any chance of having a fair number of MP's elected.
Wanders off, disconsolately, having just hear Matthew Paris on Question Time responding to a question on Doris as PM..... We're all doomed I fear.

anniebach I see you do not respond to the statements made by Chuka Umunna which rather indicate his lack of sincerity and commitment to any party. I get that you don't like Owen Jones but, unless you are saying he has made up these quotes, your dislike of him is irrelevant.

Once again, you choose to attack the person, rather than respond to the issues raised.

What Chuka said six years is understandable, I said very much the same . If we have a by election soon I will be canvassing for the Libs. A lot has happened in six years .

Change U.K. was not his party he was a member of the party.

Quite natural when fighting an election to be disappointed
a candidate changes his party.

I have not attacked anyone, I don’t listen to Owen Jones, I have no interest in a far left journalist .

I can understand why Chuka left the Labour Party, he joined a centre left party which turned into a far left party,
he spoke out about anti semetism in the party and his constituents voted to remain, The Labour Party leader didn’t speak out for remain, he went on holiday .

"what facts have changed about the Lib Dems since 2017? Both Cable and Jo Swinson, the frontrunner to replace him as leader, are unrepentant about the austerity they imposed on the country, and which Umunna all too recently passionately condemned them for. "

""It gets better. At the end of April, a leaked document from Umunna’s Change UK revealed his then-party’s plans to wipe out the Lib Dems as an electoral force." Having made that comment very recently, he has now joined them.

So you only read and listen to people you agree with anniebach and even when they quote a person's actual words your hatred of Corbyn, and anyone not prepared to villify him, overrides everything else.

I will not reply to a post which accuses me of hatred

There's a surprise - you once again won't respond to a post that quotes Umunna's actual words and actions - and quite recent ones too.

I think many people on here can attest to your loathing of Corbyn, demonstrated by your constant slurs on him, presented as facts but in fact just opinions. But I can see it's a good get out for you to avoid responding to information that doesn't support the opinions on Umunna that you have put forward.

I think many can attest to your blind devotion to Corbyn
Eleothan

I do not know Corbyn, I think him a liar, a hypocrite, a supporter of terrorists, a fence sitter, this does not equal hate .

I dread Johnson becoming PM, I think him a liar, a man without morals, a hypocrite, this does not equal hate .

I am happy to say I have seen no "blind devotion" to Cornyn on this forum only obsession verging on hatred that actually limits reasonable discussion about the Labour Party policies. I am beginning to feel this sort of discussion leads us nowhere while entrenched views overrule any others and end up obscuring the topic. If anyone knows of a forum with facilitators who will stop single members drowning out reasoned discussion I would be very grateful to hear about it.

Such a forum wouldn’t be suitable for you in my opinion.

Someone accused the economist John Maynard Keynes with changing his opinion on some matter.His reply was as follows: When my information changes, I alter my conclusions. What do you do, sir?

I find this constantly dragging out things various things any individual has said some time ago, in quite different circumstances, tedious and boring. I think all of us have changed our opinions on all sorts of subjects from trivial to serious over time and would be less than comfortable about things we have said in the past in circumstances entirely different to today.

I cringe thinking how I praised Corbyn, but I learned much about him and no way do I think the same of him now.

Monica I'm sorry you find it tedious and boring to reflect on the truth.

What information has changed within the last few weeks which has prompted Umunna to completely contradict everything he has said about the Lib Dems? As far as I can see, the only thing which has changed is the collapse of the party he left Labour for and the need for him to find himself another political vehicle. He could hardly go back to Labour, cap in hand, could he.

He did not leave Labour for another party - there was no other party.

Why would he want to go back to a party he left because it is
racist and the leader wants out of the EU whilst he does not.

He certainly doesn’t sit on the fence.

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Monica, very well put. Not only can opinion, views, conclusions, change with time and new facts- but people can also acknowledge they got it wrong, apologise, and move on witthin the new context.

Crossing the floor was quite acceptable to Churchill - but I don't think he ever acknowledged that he was wrong, nor did he aplologise.

This is where we differ and why dislike each other . I have never thought of myself as of any importance on any thread, you seem to think the very opposite of yourself.

He has changed his mind very quickly Eloethan and that does smack of an inability to work with any team he isn't allowed to lead. Did he have as many weeks in Change for Changes Sake weeks as SW had years in the SDP before those parties merged? It does seem a strange comparison. Umuna is certainly no Shirley Williams and therein lies some of our problems. We do not seem to have the people of the stature we need in politics. I have a feeling we actually need people of a greater stature than ever but such people would not touch politics with a barge pole, sadly.

Eloethan 'What information has changed within the last few weeks which has prompted Umunna to completely contradict everything he has said about the Lib Dems?'

the real dangers of us being thrown into a disastrous No Deal by ERG and Boris at the helm- and the reality of splitting the Remain vote. Chuka is passionate about stopping No Deal, and remaining in the EU. These two issues are massively important, time is running out - and therefore justify what he is doing. Mainly, in the last two weeks, we have been made fully aware that Boris and other PM candidates, are prepared to get No Deal at any cost, even by-passing Parliament Surely that is enough of an emergency. Soon will be recess, than a few weeks left until end October ....What other choice has he got?

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Chuka left the shadow front bench after Corbyn became leader.

He campaigned for remain in the referendum campaign, Corbyn went on holiday.

He spoke out against anti semetism in the Labour Party ,
“Call off the dogs Corbyn”

He could have stayed on Corbyn’s front bench, sucking up to Jeremy the Great , he didn’t .

He didn’t join an anti semetic party, he didn’t leave his party, the party he joined is no more.

This is not putting his political career first.