Remainers must vote tactically

In the Tory heartlands of the commuter belt, remainers may revolt

While the Tories have been transforming themselves into the nationalist, Pooterish party of hard Brexit, essentially cosmopolitan attitudes – open, internationalist – have been seeping into the formerly Conservative areas of our cities, and the suburbs and towns around them.

Some of this was evident in 2017, in the seats lost by the Tories to both Labour and the Liberal Democrats: Bath, Kingston and Surbiton, Battersea, Enfield Southgate. The same story is reflected in the weakening Conservative presence around Manchester and Bristol – and Lib Dem targets such as St Albans in Hertfordshire. But perhaps the most interesting story lies in Surrey, that traditional signifier of true-blue Tory England.

Until recently, the county had 11 Tory MPs. But by the time the election was called, the Conservatives had expelled Anne Milton, Philip Hammond and Sam Gyimah (now a Lib Dem). In local elections this May, the Tories lost 117 council seats in Surrey and control of four local authorities. Among Surrey’s eight remaining Tory MPs are such Brexiters as Dominic Raab, Michael Gove and Kwasi Kwarteng. But in the borough of Guildford, remain got 56.2% in the 2016 referendum; in Woking, 56.2%; in Elmbridge, which includes Raab’s seat of Esher and Walton, nearly 60%.

I went to Guildford last week. Of late, it may have seemed rock-solid Tory. But way back in 2001, the Lib Dems took it with a majority of 538 – which, combined with an uptick in 2017 and recent gains in local elections, seems to have convinced them they can win again. Two years ago, Labour got close to a not-unreasonable 20% of the vote. Obviously, the Conservatives are still a force to be reckoned with. But now that Milton has been thrown out of the Conservatives and is running a campaign so far based on “a smartphone and a laptop”, there is a clear sense of no one having a clue what will happen: it’s the election in microcosm.

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When I talked to people in the centre of town and observed some Lib Dem canvassing in the upscale neighbourhood of Onslow, one thing was striking: as well as a smattering of staunch and sometimes angry Brexit supporters, there were many people who said that post-2016 Conservatism had left them feeling abandoned. “Labour and the Tories are too extreme,” said one man, who up to now had been a loyal Conservative. “I want a centrist party.” These days, “centrist” is usually thrown around as an insult; he said it with a sense of pained loss. A little earlier, I had met a churchgoing couple in their 60s – he a geologist, she a self-described housewife – who had often voted Conservative down the years, but were also switching. “It feels like we have to vote on Brexit, and we’re remainers,” they said.

John Harris writing in the Guardian

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/10/surrey-commuters-marginal-voters-election-tories-guildford

I fully empathize with those of you who resent being advised to vote tactically but in this election to me it is important to do whatever we can to stop "Brexit". My natural inclination is to vote LibDem though where I live Labour has best chance of winning and probably will win whichever way I choose to vote. Tactical voting goes against democracy but with our electoral system (FPTP) we have to look to the future and in many cases vote against the party we don't want as opposed to for the party we believe in.

I dislike both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn but see Brexit as the most awful mistake in current politics. So as a LibDem this time I may vote Labour as the best hope of denying the Brexiteers unfettered progress to national economic suicide.

See what they do tomorrow, which is the deadline for candidates.

Lib Dem

What are the Lid Dem insiders saying, growstuff? It was all over twitter yesterday.

twitter.com/search?q=canterbury%20lib%20dem&src=typed_query

Exactly Urmstongram. Our FPTP system means that a general election cannot give any government a genuine mandate for Brexit. There needs to be a second referendum.

Where did you read that about the Canterbury LibDem Grany? It's not what LibDem insiders are saying.

Jeremy Corbyn campaigned vigorously for remain. It's not all about Brexit. People need the transformative polices Labour are putting forward in their fantastic manifesto. And I for one would love to see a Labour government for the many.

The Labour Party is not a Remain Party although the vast majority of its former MPs, candidates, members and voters want the UK to remain in the EU, unfortunately Mr Corbyn and those closest to him are Leavers.

It is very hard for Remain voters (who are, after all the majority of voters) to decide whether or not to support a Labour candidate.

Even if the candidate supports our remaining in the EU, the LP leadership seems to want to negotiate a Labour Brexit.

If you vote Liberal Democrat you will vote for Remaining in the EU.

Your vote cannot be misinterpreted.

Research has found that 30% of remainers would need to vote tactically in order to form a Remain coalition. That feels like an uphill battle!

The Commons has no seats for plucky second-placed candidates with their numbers swelled by tactical voting.

With 63% of constituencies voting leave in 2016, our winner-takes-all system may this time return a Brexit Parliament!

Lib Dem rift as local members refuse to help replace candidate who stood down to stop a Tory

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson was facing a swingeing attack today – from her own party, as she moved to replace an election candidate who has withdrawn in order to allow a ‘Remain’-supporting Labour representative a stronger chance to beat a Brexiteer Tory.

432,189 Reasons to Vote Tactically
@MrHickmott
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The Germans are cock-a-hoop about the 10,000 jobs Tesla is creating near Berlin because Brexit made it too risky to build a factory in the UK.

Former Tory minister David Gauke is standing as an independent but says Remainers in most seats should vote LibDem

Lots of information out there now if anyone is interested in using their vote intelligently if they are a remainer.

I am a remainer and the advise for my constituency is to vote for Peter Kyle. I will do that very happily as he is a marvellous constituent MP.

Remaining in the EU would give Britain a £50 billion remain bonus. We might then be able to afford to invest in infrastructure and public services.

This needs to be spelled out to voters but neither Johnson nor Corbyn will do that. Jo Swinson should be included in the TV debates to express the views of the majority who want to remain in the EU.

twitter.com/LibDems/status/1194321963818205185?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

The million "new" low income voters appear (not surprisingly) to be more interested in other issues, such as housing, index linked benefits, childcare and decent training. They'd be bonkers if they think the Conservatives would deliver any of that.

varian you can read the full article here www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/10/low-income-missing-million-voters-return-leave-swing-seats There’s a number of issues which are likely to influence their vote. Remember it’s also set against one country within the UK that I predict won’t be returning any Tory MPs and a whole new set of young voters who are more likely to vote to remain.

It’s impossible to call - although we all have our own hopes.

These low income voters would be hurt most by brexit so we must hope they are not deceived into supporting the bre it or Tory parties. It would be tragic to see more self inflicted suffering. Let's hope they vote to stop brexit and ensure a better future.

‘Remainers must vote tactically’

They may have to!

More than a million low-income voters who did not cast their ballot in the last election are planning to do so this time, in a sign they could play a crucial role in deciding the result.

I shall have to agree to disagree with you on that varian!

There are obviously many different kinds of brexiter, from the no-deal extremists to the BJ dealers, TM dealers, Corbyn soft brexiters and many others who really have not got a clue what type of brexit they want because they are waiting for the Daily Mail to tell them, but there is no such thing as an "ultra remainer", just normal sensible well informed people who would prefer that our country remains in the EU.

If Caroline Lucas believes that we are heading for a hung parliament, then she has a serious disconnect with reality:

But, she is disconnected from reality. And so are all the Ultra-Remainers in the last parliament. She doesn't understand the issues of Brexit, the democratic imperative to deliver it, as promised; or the huge anger of the working class for those patricians who who have sought to block it.

I'm predicting a Tory victory, with a majority of 60 seats. And, further, that all the Switcher/Defector MPs are going to be electorally anihillated.

The campaign reminds me a lot of the 1983 GE. This time, due to the extra political parties, Labour cannot suffer a landslide defeat. But, it will be a defeat. And Caroline Lucas is in cloud-cuckoo land.

My heart says vote Green as I believe the environment is the most critical issue facing us. Brexit is just a shitty sideshow, however,Green won’t have a chance of winning in my constituency so I’m voting for the remain candidate who has the best chance of winning.

Are any of them really up to the job?

When you are pondering who best to vote for, please remember that there is more to this election than Brexit. You might vote for the LibDems and stop Brexit...but what then? Think about all the other issues facing this country. Is Jo Swinson really up to the job?