• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Labour and Lib Dems discuss ‘non-aggression’ pact to topple Tories

The deal would see Labour step back from the top 30 Lib Dem target seats at the next election.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2022-02-17 09:06
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Labour will fight a threadbare campaign in most of the Liberal Democrats’ top 30 target seats at the next general election as part of an informal plan to topple the Tories.

According to the Financial Times, Sir Keir Starmer has told Labour colleagues that the party must “ruthlessly focus” resources on its target seats, leaving the Lib Dems as the main challengers in many areas.

Starmer’s allies told the newspaper that none of Labour’s top target seats feature on the Lib Dems’ list of 30 target seats. “If both parties put resources into where they are most likely to win, you end up with more Labour seats and more Lib Dem seats,” one said.

‘Blue wall’

Sir Keir remains focussed on winning an outright majority at the next election, which must be held before 2024, but that would require Labour to win over 125 seats after it suffered its worst election result since 1935 two years ago.

And Tory strategists are said to be concerned by the Lib Dem threat in their southern, rural heartlands – the so-called “blue wall” – following shock wins by Sir Ed Davey’s party in the Chesham and Amersham and North Shropshire by-elections last year.

New – Labour to fight only minimal campaign in top 30 Lib Dem target seats as part of "ruthless" targeting of scarce resources by @Keir_Starmer on Lab targets..Blue Wall danger for Tories as informal Lib-Labbery growshttps://t.co/9VpTBSdfc4

— George Parker (@GeorgeWParker) February 17, 2022

The informal pact, if realised, would leave the Lib Dems as the main challenger to the Tories in many southern seats, with Labour increasingly focussed on regaining the “red wall” seats it shed in the north and midlands. 

“If Labour and the Liberal Democrats spend all their time and money trying to beat each other it’s really not good for progressive politics,” one Lib Dem strategist told the FT. “We need to fight in the areas where we can win and that is the overwhelming priority.” 

RelatedPosts

Watch: Anti-Brexit campaigner storms Tory Party conference dinner

Why hasn’t the arrested Tory MP been named in the media?

Bray fights another day as Fabricant’s legal bid flops

Ministers told to snub Sky News following Maclean’s ‘gotcha’ interview

Of the top 30 Lib Dem target seats, 26 are Tory-held, with 22 of them in the south. Labour will reportedly only fight the party in the university constituencies of Cambridge and Sheffield Hallam, both Labour-held seats.

If Davey were to win 15 of their target Conservative seats, it would reduce the current 77-seat Tory majority by 30 – significantly easing Starmer’s road to power.

Labour and Lib Dem shadow ministers are reportedly getting to know each other informally in the event that the parties are forced to work together in a hung parliament.

“We can’t be in a position like we were in 2010 when we barely knew each other,” one Labour shadow cabinet member said.

Covid ‘not going away’

Meanwhile Starmer has said ending free coronavirus testing “is a mistake” which would increase the risk of Covid transmission.

The Labour leader was commenting after reports first emerged on Tuesday that free lateral flow (LFT) and PCR tests are set to be scrapped next week.

The change would mean everyone – including vulnerable people, children and health and care workers – would have to pay to access tests for the virus, in plans first reported by LBC.

On a visit to Birmingham’s Erdington constituency on Wednesday, ahead of a by-election there next month, Sir Keir said: “I think ending free testing is a mistake.

“Covid isn’t going away. Obviously all of us want restrictions to be release, but it’s still important that people test if they’ve got symptoms or if they’re going to see somebody who is particularly vulnerable.

“And if you take away free tests then that will diminish the likelihood of that and make it worse in the long run.”

Related: Prince Andrew agrees not to say he did not rape Virginia Giuffre

Tags: Boris JohnsonheadlineLabour Partyliberal democrats

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Ex Liverpool & Newcastle United striker Owen & Shearer’s argument goes nuclear

From Washington to Sydney: Top 5 Green Offices in the World

Cox up: Tories drop plans to cap MPs’ second job salaries after sleaze row

Increased reliance on grassroots organisations has largely been driven by local authority cuts

‘Hysteria’ is ‘environment you’re in in Glasgow sometimes’ Celtic boss on negativity towards team

Before 2016, only 1% of Brits cared about the EU

How To Make: Bacon and Mushroom Arrabbiata

‘Keep mugging off the country’: Reaction as Boris cans Christmas

New petition urges Government to scrap EPCs

3-D printer builds house for $10,000 – and it will last for 175 years

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.