Vote Labour

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

There are any number of reasons to vote Labour tomorrow, and hopefully some of my own reasons have become apparent to readers since I took on the editorship of LabourList – a year ago tonight, on May 5th.

I don’t ever feel my own reasons should be framed in an anti-Tory context – I’ve got too many positive reasons, including seeing the schools I attended and the hospital in which I was born in rebuilt – but I did want to add my voice to a Guardian letter when I was invited to do so, expressing the need to maximise the Labour vote.

The full letter, which was abridged in the Guardian, can be read below:

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Your editorial (1st May) about this week’s general election makes clear that neither a Tory government nor a Tory-Lib Dem partnership would be considered by the Guardian as the best outcome.

We, however, strongly believe that your conclusion – vote Liberal Democrat – is deeply flawed and undermines the possibility of stopping the Tories coming to power. Given the current position of the main political parties in opinion polls, it is clear that the only way to guarantee Cameron does not form a government this week is to maximise the Labour vote. As senior Lib Dems have indicated, they may well support a Tory minority administration or even form a coalition with the Tories, where as Labour would do neither.

Labour’s share of the vote may well be the determining issue on Friday, so it is essential that share is as high as is possible. For that reason, we urge everyone who wants to see a progressive reforming government to think carefully about what is at stake should the Tories come to power and vote Labour.

Colin Burgon

Tony Woodley, Joint-General Secretary of Unite

Paul Kenny, Gen Sec GMB

Billy Hayes, Gen Sec CWU

Bryon Taylor, National Officer, TULO

Steve Davison, Vice-Chair, Executive Council of Unite

Peter Willsman Labour NEC

Christine Quigley, Chair, London Young Labour

Ellie Gellard, blogger @bevaniteellie

Chris McLaughlin, Tribune editor

Alex Smith LabourList editor

Tom Miller, Labour candidate for Woking

Joy Johnson, Compass

Ben Folley, Compass

Cat Smith, Vice Chair, Compass Youth

Tom Copley