Calls mounting for anti-Tory alliance involving Remain parties and Labour

With accusations that the Remain alliance “won’t stop Brexit without Labour” and that Labour are predicted to not get enough votes to form a majority government, many believe the only possibility of delivering a second referendum or even stopping Brexit is for Labour to urgently ditch it’s “utterly bizarre” policy of not forming pacts.

There have also been cries for the Liberal Democrats, the most supported party within the Remain alliance, to “stop splitting the Remain vote” and work with Jeremy Corbyn.

After Nigel Farage created an informal Leave alliance with the Conservatives by standing 317 of his candidates down to massive support from the Tories, some pundits have claimed an ‘anti-Tory alliance’ is the only way forward.

The Green Party have already shown some support to such an alliance, with their candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green John Tyne tactically withdrawing to help Labour unseat Iain Duncan Smith.

Im told the Remain Alliance, which includes @LibDems approached Labour & were rebuffed. Farage U-Turn has to be a game changer? #RemainAlliance https://t.co/qdT7UpjSw5
— Baroness Hussein-Ece  (@meralhece) November 11, 2019
 

Ash Sarkar, contributing editor of Novara Media, tweeted: “This is a critical moment for Jo Swinson. Does she want to continue splitting the Remain vote for a dozen extra seats, or work with Corbyn to prevent a hard Brexit backed by Trump, Farage and Johnson?”

While Labour were contacted by Unite to Remain – who brokered the Remain alliance deal – turning down their offer, the Lib Dem’s Baroness Hussein-Ece says “‘Farage’s U-Turn’ has to be a game changer”.

According to Election Maps UK, because of Farage’s decision, “the chances of a Tory majority have just gone up significantly” and “the ball is now in Swinson and Corbyn’s court.

“They could still stop a large Conservative majority by forming a pact in some seats but it looks like both sides may be too stubborn to do so.”

The ball is now in Swinson & Corbyns court. They *could* still stop a large Conservative majority by forming a pact in some seats but it looks like both sides may be too stubborn to do so.

This is election just got a whole lot crazier.
— Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) November 11, 2019
 

Much of the reluctance for the parties to form a pact stems from Labour’s policy of not forming pacts, as well as from the Lib Dems staunch position on revoking Article 50 compared to Labour’s desire for a second and final referendum.

Mike Galsworthy, the founder of Scientists for EU, said: “It’s adapt-or-die time now.

“Labour needs to urgently ditch its utterly bizarre policy of ‘no pacts’. Sod this bizarre convention. Labour [already] broke it in 1997.”

Sky News political correspondent Lewis Goodall appeared to be in agreement, writing: “What Farage has done is be honest that he doesn’t get Brexit without the Tories. The problem for the remain alliance is they haven’t accepted they won’t stop Brexit without Labour.

This is a halfway house for Farage. BXP thinks standing down in the south guarantees Tories status as largest party, kills a referendum so he can't be blamed for stopping Brexit. But it still keeps him relevant.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) November 11, 2019
 

“This is a halfway house for Farage. [The Brexit Party] thinks standing down in the south guarantees Tories status as largest party, kills a referendum so he can’t be blamed for stopping Brexit. But it still keeps him relevant.”