YESTERDAY, Change UK, the new political party that has evolved from the Independent Group of 11 breakaway MPs, launched its campaign for the European Parliamentary elections. A pro-Remain party advocating a second Brexit referendum, Change UK will field 70 candidates if the United Kingdom goes to the polls to elect a new batch of MEPs next month.

Last month, ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage launched his new Brexit Party, and called for a “democratic revolution” in UK politics. As its name suggests, the Brexit Party supports the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, and it too will field a full complement of 70 candidates if the European elections take place.

Two parties at polar extremes of the Brexit debate, but with a shared determination to shake-up the UK’s political status quo. It will be fascinating to see how they fare.

Their prospects of winning seats in a European poll look good. The UK electorate has often used European elections to cast a protest vote, and if next month’s scheduled vote takes place, it will inevitably be framed as a quasi-referendum on Theresa May’s negotiations.

Remaining relevant in a post-Brexit world will be more of a challenge, but while it has always been assumed that the UK political system makes it almost impossible for new parties to break up the duopoly of Conservative and Labour, these are strange political times.

Ukraine has just elected an actor who played a president as its new president. If that can happen, surely it is conceivable that the UK could enact its own political shake-up?