Categories: NewsPolitics

Tony Blair is wrong about ditching Labour for pro-Remain parties in London. Here’s why

Tony Blair has called on anti-Brexit Labour voters to back pro-Remain parties in the upcoming European Parliament elections to stop Nigel Farage’s party running riot.

The former Prime Minister told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday that it is “important the anti-Brexit side is larger and stronger than the Farage side” in the elections, saying:

“I do come across people who cannot vote for Labour, in which case I say ‘don’t stay at home – vote for any of the other parties’.

“At the end of this there’s going to be a totting up and… it’s important that the Remain side comes out because MPs will be making decisions based on that.”

But his sentiment isn’t necessarily true as far as London is concerned.

According to tactical.vote those looking to back the Remain cause should vote Labour in the upcoming elections because the party is most in danger of losing a seat here and the candidate in the list positions is a Remain supporter.

Indeed, three out of the five candidates put forward by Labour in the election support Remain, with Katy Clarke and Murad Qureshi’s position unknown.

London returns eight MEPs to parliament, currently held by four Labour politicians, two Conservatives, UKIP leader Gerard Batten and Green MEP Jean Lambert.

The Brexit Party and UKIP will field five candidates apiece in the upcoming elections, as will the Conservatives with a full field of Leave-backing representatives.

Chiselling away at Labour’s majority could easily see the constituency fall to one of the Leave-backing parties.

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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