Advice differs on whether Remainers should vote Labour or Lib Dem

With a general election now set for 12 December the candidate list is being drawn up for the contest to replace Justine Greening as MP for Putney.

The constituency has already been identified nationally as a key battleground seat as Labour unexpectedly made major inroads into Ms Greening’s majority in 2017.

She has now stepped down saying the change she wishes to effect, particularly in the area of social mobility, can be more easily made outside parliament. Her early backing of a second referendum on leaving the EU also put her at odds with the Conservative leadership and she has had the party whip taken away from her.

In what is already being described as the Brexit election many voters are primarily concerned to back a party which is most likely to deliver their preferred outcome with regard to our future relationship with the EU. In Putney, where the overwhelming proportion of electors voted to Remain, the majority of votes are likely to go to candidates opposed to Brexit. However, it is feared that splitting the support between pro-Remain candidates might allow the Conservatives to retain the seat.

Various groups are offering advice on tactical voting choices for constituencies across the country. At the moment contradictory advice is being given for Remain voters in Putney with some suggesting Labour have the best chance of winning with others recommending a vote for the Lib Dems.

The web site tactical.vote states that as Labour came in second place in this seat in 2017, and are likely to be the best-placed challenger in 2019. They do qualify this recommendation by say that it is provisional until candidate lists are published.

Source: Best for Britain

On the other hand the Best for Britain campaign is recommending a vote for the Liberal Democrats saying that the Conservatives will retain the seat based on their polling analysis if there is no tactical voting. However, if 30% of Remainers decide to vote tactically then the Liberal Democrats would win.

Source: Best for Britain

A local Labour party member speaking in an unofficial capacity told us, “This has to be Labour’s seat. We would have won it last time if we had understood we had a serious chance of taking it and the Tories had that point had a popular and avidly pro-Remain candidate. Misguided voting for the Lib Dems is the only thing that can stop us winning this time. We need to do a deal at a local level in which they help us in Putney and we help them in Richmond to defeat Zac Goldsmith.’

The Liberal Democrats are pointing to the recent Euro elections in which they topped the poll in Wandsworth borough.

November 1, 2019