In certain constituencies Lib Dem candidates have the best chance of defeating a Tory candidate. A vote for Labour might help the Conservatives in those areas.
LONDON — The Conservative lead in the latest YouGov opinion poll has shrunk to just three percentage points. With the race getting closer, every vote becomes more important — and that makes tactical voting more influential.
An analysis of YouGov research shows that 50 Conservative seats are vulnerable to tactical voters, people who vote for a party other than their preferred on in order to maximise opposition against the government.
So-called "progressive alliance" deals have been made in 31 constituencies in which Liberal Democrat or Green Party candidates have stood down in order to maximise the non-Conservative vote. Greens have stood aside in 29 constituencies and the Lib Dems have withdrawn in two, according to The Independent.
The Labour Party officially disapproves of tactical alliances, and has declined to cooperate (even though it is often the beneficiary of tactical voting in such deals). The Conservatives don't like them either, calling it "the coalition of chaos."
But Labour MP Clive Lewis told Business Insider, "I think it [tactical voting] could have a massive effect on the election." He was speaking at the official launch of the "Progressive Alliance" for tactical voting.
Three Labour MPs have called for the party to not stand candidates in two constituencies where the Green Party has a better chance of winning in order to reduce the size of the victory that Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to win in the June 8 general election. Labour, taking a hard line, has expelled some longtime party members who tried to back a pro-NHS independent candidate who has a chance of ousting Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt in a constituency Labour cannot win.
In dozens of marginal constituencies — such as Twickenham, Richmond Park, Bath and Berwick Upon Tweed — Lib Dem candidates have the best chance of defeating a Tory candidate. A vote for Labour might actually help the Conservatives in those areas. Similarly, there's Brighton, currently held by Green MP Caroline Lucas, and the Isle of Wight, where the Green Party is best-placed to defeat the government. Those are two more cases where voting Labour is, in effect, a vote for the government.
Best for Britain's tactical voting website lets you search based on your constituency or your postcode. It looks like this:
Another useful tool is the Tactical2017.com web site.
All you do is find your constituency, and it tells who you need to vote for in order to minimise the number of seats the Conservatives are likely to win, and why. It looks like this:
Now tell us your opinion in our online poll. Are you going to vote tactically in 2017?
In certain constituencies Lib Dem candidates have the best chance of defeating a Tory candidate. A vote for Labour might help the Conservatives in those areas. Read Full Story
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