Chuka took to breakfast TV screens early this morning (clearly having avoided last night’s singalong) to declare that “one thing I think you acknowledge, I’ve always wanted to stop Brexit, and that’s been the goal.”

… which would come as a surprise to the Chuka of August 2016 who declared “I don’t think [stopping Brexit] would be a good look for Parliament, the people have spoken. I think it would be rather patronizing to pretend that somehow we know better.”

Another whopping dishonest U-Turn from the Lib Dems…

Kevin Schofield is reporting that Labour-turned-Change UK-turned-Independent-turned-Lib Dem MP Chuka Umunna is abandoning his Labour safe seat of Streatham for the more marginal Westminster seat – currently held by Tory MP Mark Field with a 3,000 majority. The Lib Dems came 3rd there last time…

In a statement, Chuka has said:

“I’m delighted to have been appointed as the @LibDems candidate for the Cities of London & Westminster. I relish the prospect of ensuring the constituency – which is a global symbol for open, liberal values– is represented by a party and an MP who will be true to those values.”

It’s been almost seven weeks since Chuka abandoned a heartbroken Anna Soubry for the Lib Dems. So a co-conspirator was surprised to receive a Streatham Lib Dems leaflet this morning not only making no mention of Streatham’s new Lib Dem MP but even featuring a lengthy section with the previous Lib Dem PPC for Streatham – who’s been unceremoniously shunted out as a result. Local activists not universally enthused by their new golden boy?

Poor Anna Soubry. She’s lost influence, friends, and will probably lose her seat.

She has poured her heart out to ITV’s Paul Brand “we made some terrible mistakes over leadership and I can tell you now that the problem was was that Chuka wouldn’t step up to it. And if Chuka had stepped up to it he would have been our leader, it was certainly …well I always assumed it was absolutely going to happen. 

Paul Brand: Why do you think he didn’t?
Anna Soubry: You’d have to ask him that but he does have history of not stepping up. Very sad because he… to me he was absolutely the future for our country. I genuinely believe that, I wouldn’t have left my party if I hadn’t believed that.

PB: Were you trying to persuade him to stand as leader?
AS: Good God, yes. Goodness me yes. He should have been our leader and he wasn’t and then after the EU elections which were a terrific blow of course they were you don’t give up at the first hurdle, for God’s sakes.

PB: How did you feel when he joined the Lib Dems?
AS: I think he made a terrible mistake. I was genuinely really sad about that. For me it personally hurt, it really did hurt. I thought he was my big buddy. He was a major part of why I left the Tory party. To start something new with him as the leader, I don’t want to be the bloody leader I genuinely believe that Chuka Umunna should be prime minister of our country and had the – just what we were needing to be a great prime minister. I genuinely believe that. 

PB: Have you spoken to him since he joined the Lib Dems?
AS: Unfortunately, he has never called. He has never called me. Which I think is very sad. 

PB: The friendship’s sort of broken down then?
AS: Very sad. Very sad. We have exchanged emails but you now, you sort of, well I won’t go into it all but …

Watch her heartbreaking ITV interview in full and hold back your tears…

There’s evidently no love lost between former best buddies Anna Soubry and Chuka Umunna after their highly acrimonious Change UK breakup. Soubry’s kicked off the airing of the dirty laundry with a searing attack on her onetime comrade after he declared that he would be a Lib Dem “until the day I die”. Try not to shed a tear… of laughter.

Soubry’s hardly one for keeping promises herself but she’s got Chuka bang to rights here…

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