After ploughing three years and shedloads of cash into his ill-fated venture, United for Change The United Party founder Simon Franks resigned as a Director at the end of last month, alongside Co-Director Saima Rana. The former directors join the twelve employees who also quit the venture last summer, and the co-founder Adam Knight who left before its launch to found his own centrist party ‘Twelve Together’. Turns out that ‘gaping hole in the centre of British politics’ wasn’t so easy to fill after all…

Guido tried to contact Franks and The United Party to see what Franks is up to now he has resigned his directorship, unfortunately there was no answer. Guido hopes now he will have more time to draw pictures of willies in peace.

Hitherto “United for Change” has mainly achieved logo changes. The latest iteration of the Simon Franks funded centrist vehicle is now “The United Party”. The churn in staff is unabated, experienced fundraiser Michael Kitching quit. His given reason is blunt:

According to one co-conspirator, the latest rebrand cost £14,000 alone, bringing the total cost of the party since its inception up to almost £1 million in total.

The good news for Simon Franks is that he was cleared in his “Dick Pic” sexual harrassment case. The new party website has no policies and just a vague strapline about “Tackling inequality. Radical common sense. Compassionate and happy community.” Not a lot after 2 years of policy development. With the LibDems now resurgent Guido can’t help feeling that the remainer-centrist party space is fully occupied…

Simon Franks’ political party has finally launched, after months of delays. First touted as a movement with access to more than £50 million in funding, Guido hears that over £500,000 has been poured into the venture. Originally registered as ‘United for Change’, the party has now been re-branded as ‘The United Party’. Judging by how well Change UK went, Guido looks forward to more of UP’s no doubt brief antics…

An Employment Tribunal in Holborn is hearing a high profile claim for sexual harassment and sexual discrimination against multi-millionaire businessman and would-be politician, Simon Franks. Franks, the founder of LoveFilm, plans to launch his new centrist political party named United for Change in May. His new centrist party wants “to do things differently”.

Franks failed in his attempt to obtain a gagging order to prevent Guido reporting the details of the case. Ms Annabel Mullin, a former Liberal Democrat candidate for Kensington in the 2017 General Election, took up employment with United for Change last year. The new party has been plagued by high staff turnover. A row took place in February 2018 in which Franks told the new employee of only a few weeks to “f**k off”. Mullin reportedly then informed Mr Franks of her concerns about a photo that was on the Internet of Mr Franks holding with a male friend of his, a cartoon style picture of two penises. She accused him of being the artist and queried menacingly how this picture would play in the Daily Mail. Franks admits he responded – in an allegedly blasé and self satisfied manner – that he did not draw the picture, as if had he done so “he would have drawn a bigger penis.”

Mullin, a former police officer, claims she found Franks’ comments and behaviour offensive. Franks is then alleged to have dismissed her concerns and said to various staff present that “he could f******g sack the lot of them”. Franks told Ms Mullin, after arriving at work the next day, that he felt he had been made to feel “like a pervert” and driven to drink a bottle of wine that night by her comments. Lawyers at the hearing are arguing over whether her employment was terminated before or after she raised the issue of the ‘dick pic’.

Ms Mullin has brought claims for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, victimisation and whistleblowing against United for Change and Franks. The case papers also disclose that Franks apparently also faces an additional, separate Employment Tribunal claim for alleged age and sexual harassment/discrimination by a female job candidate in relation to questions he allegedly asked at a job interview in April 2018. There are also allegations of a series of other allegedly offensive and discriminatory remarks made by Franks according to two eyewitnesses who no longer work there.

Franks readily admits being difficult to work for and to swearing too much, he told the hearing that his “12 year-old daughter collects money off me every time I swear” in a swear box. Annabel Mullin is now leader of the centrist Renew Party. It is the second centrist party she has lead in 2 years…

Simon Franks alleges that her case is part financed by rival centrist millionaires to destroy United for Change and his reputation. Mullin denies it. The hearing continues…

The mysterious beleaguered new centrist political party bankrolled by the LoveFilm tycoon and former investment banker Simon Franks and has this week finally registered with the Electoral Commission as a political party. Guido thought he would remind readers of the greatest hits of ‘United for Change’ over the last few months…

• Ironically, United for Change split in August, with co-founder Adam Knight leaving to found another uniting centrist party…
• The fledgling group then tried to hire an ad agency to help them understand life outside of London…
• And all the while suffering massive staff walkouts. Guido hears that there has been a complete staff turnover since August…

The party originally hit news headlines with the suggestion it had £50 million behind it, however Guido understands that it is now struggling for cash. The £50 million figure amounted to the total net worth of those who had expressed an interest in backing it at the time, so doesn’t come close to the actual amount the party has available…

United For Change, the beleaguered mysterious centrist party created by former investment banker and LoveFilm founder Simon Franks has run into yet more problems, according to one former employee, all 12 original members of full-time staff the organisation employed in July deciding to leave.  Guido understands that staff felt that Franks was offering ‘no direction and no vision’ whilst ‘being obtuse.’ Over the summer 8 members of staff resigned, and as of this week the final original 4 have, according to the same source, left the party.

Now Franks’ outfit is scrambling to find more employees, with three new job listings appearing on W4MP yesterday:

Going well…