Veteran Southport journalist Martin Hovden writes: The Green Party will not fight the Southport constituency in next month’s general election, it was revealed today (Thursday).
They will urge their supporters to vote for Liberal Democrat John Wright (pictured), as part of a Pro-Remain pact, organised by Unite To Remain.
The Lib Dems, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru said they are giving voters just one “Remain choice” in 60 seats across England and Wales – and Southport is on the list.
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson explained: “It is only possible to build a brighter future if we are prepared to work alongside others.”
The Green Party’s Laurence Rankin won 1,230 votes (2.8% of the vote) in the 2015 general election in Southport. The Greens did not stand in the resort in the 2017 election.
Conservative Damien Moore currently has a 2,900 majority over Labour, who pushed the Libs Dems into third place in the 2017 election.
Until then, Southport was seen as a two-horse race between the Tories and Lib Dems.
Now with the increasing support in recent years for Labour’s Liz Savage it has become a three-horse race.
And when voters go to the polls on December 12, they will also have a stark Brexit choice between Pro-Leave and Pro-Remain.
PRO-LEAVE: Tories and Brexit Party
PRO-REMAIN: Lib Dems, Green Party
LABOUR: Say they will negotiate a new deal with Europe and then hold another referendum.
The question is: will the Leave and Remain candidates end up splitting their own vote, allowing Labour to secure the seat?
The race to win Southport just got a lot more interesting.