Responding to the Liberal Democrats’ victory in the North Shropshire by-election, Neal Lawson, Director of Compass, said:
‘This is a good day for all progressives. Voters have formed an alliance and are way ahead of the politicians in wanting a change of government and politics.’
‘But what is given in by-elections is often taken away in generals unless progressive parties learn to work more effectively together.’
‘Labour was playing with fire in this by-election. The party locally ignored the quiet deal that Keir Starmer and Ed Davey had clearly done – and could have split the vote to disastrous effect. In a general election, splitting the progressive vote is the Tories best hope of staying in power.’
‘In 1997 Labour and the Liberal Democrats worked successfully together. Today the electoral mountain is much steeper. We need 1997-plus levels of cross-party working, but we are getting 1997-minus.’
‘The electoral map is crystal clear. The Lib Dems are second in 80 Tory seats. They and Labour have no fight with each other.’
‘The two parties need to create a national mood of time for change and then get out of each other’s way.’
Find out more about Compass’ work building a Progressive Alliance.
Both labour standing and achieving 65% of the vote between them, but the tories still win the seat. It’s sheer madness.
Let’s put and end to this madness and candidates step down when their parties don’t have any chance of beating the tories to win the seat. It’s the only way to vote the tories out of office. A non agressive pact in the general election between labour and lib dems can still split the large (even in excess of 60%) anti-tory vote to disastrous effect and let the tories in again. We are desperate to see the tories voted out whenever the election is called.