Clive Lewis endorses tactical voting in the general election

Going against official party policy, Labour MP Clive Lewis endorsed tactical voting on June 8. Lib-Dem or Green candidates have stood down in 31 constituencies in order to maximise the non-Conservative vote. The most useful guide on the web for tactical voting in your area is the Tactical2017.com web site. Open Britain, a pro-Remain tactical alliance, has created this tactical voting guide for people who want to maximise the anti-Brexit vote. There are dozens of marginal constituencies where, if you vote for the “wrong” party, you are essentially helping the Conservatives.

LONDON – So-called “progressive alliance” deals have been made in 31 constituencies in which Liberal Democrat or Green Party candidates have stood down in order to maximise the non-Conservative vote. Greens have stood aside in 29 constituencies and the Lib Dems have withdrawn in two, according to The Independent.

The Labour Party officially disapproves of tactical alliances, and has declined to cooperate (even though it is often the beneficiary of tactical voting in such deals). The Conservatives don’t like them either, calling it “the coalition of chaos.”

But Labour MP Clive Lewis told Business Insider last night, “I think it [tactical voting] could have a massive effect on the election.” He was speaking at the official launch of the “Progressive Alliance” for tactical voting.

Three Labour MPs have called for the party to not stand candidates in two constituencies where the Green Party has a better chance of winning in order to reduce the size of the victory that Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to win in the June 8 general election. Labour, taking a hard line, has expelled some longtime party members who tried to back a pro-NHS independent candidate who has a chance of ousting Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt in a constituency Labour cannot win.

The pro-Remain group Open Britain has published this tactical voting guide for people who want to maximise the anti-Brexit vote. (It has a list of candidates and constituency voting records to help you.)

Underneath the tide – currently flowing in the Conservatives’ direction – there are some other interesting cross-currents. The Tories seem to be stealing votes from Labour, which is unusual. The UKIP threat appears to have been neutralised by May. Other than the Tories, only the Green Party and Plaid Cymru gained seats in the May local elections.

In dozens of marginal constituencies – such as Twickenham, Richmond Park, Bath and Berwick Upon Tweed – Lib Dem candidates have the best chance of defeating a Tory candidate. A vote for Labour might actually help the Conservatives in those areas. Similarly, there’s Brighton, currently held by Green MP Caroline Lucas, and the Isle of Wight, where the Green Party is best-placed to defeat the government. Those are two more cases where voting Labour is, in effect, a vote for the government.

But the most useful tool on the web so far is the Tactical2017.com web site.

All you do is find your constituency, and it tells who you need to vote for in order to minimise the number of seats the Conservatives are likely to win, and why. It looks like this:

Now tell us your opinion in our online poll. Are you going to vote tactically in 2017?