End of the Small Party?: Change Uk and the Challenges of Parliamentary Politics

At a time when British Politics seems increasingly fractured, with intra-party tensions cutting across both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, small political groupings and independent MPs in the Commons have taken on a more significant position than ever before. Small Parties explores how the new breakaway Change UK/Independent Group operates in the House of Commons, within the wider context of the experiences of other small political groupings in Parliament. This timely and deeply researched book takes us inside the struggles facing those who cross the floor of the chamber and the strategies they use to draw attention to their cause.
For a brief moment in 2019 Britain’s politics looked like it might be transformed. Just when it seemed that the divisions within and across British political parties over Brexit could not get any more intense, 7 Labour and 3 Conservative MPs broke away to form The Independent Group (TIG) – later Change UK. This is the first book to explore the meteoric lifespan of that party, within the wider context of the experiences of other small political groupings in the House of Commons. Ultimately, it shows why the party failed and disbanded after just a few months. Timely and thoroughly researched, Louise Thompson’s book takes us deep inside the struggles facing MPs who leave behind the comforts of the large political parties. Drawing on interviews with current and former politicians, it explores the practicalities of being a small party MP in the Commons. What challenges face you? Who can you turn to? And just how can you make an impact? Crisply written for the non-specialist reader, this fascinating book opens a window onto the perilous world of parliamentary politics.
The first book to uncover how small groups like Change UK/The Independent Group exert influence in the British Parliament, based on first-hand interviews with the MPs themselves.