Tactical voting for candidates who share our values could put Corbyn in No 10

This is the full text of an open letter sent to Jeremy Corbyn by three former members of South West Surrey Labour who were expelled for attempting to negotiate a “progressive alliance” in an attemp to oust Jeremy Hunt, the sitting MP.

Dear Jeremy

We are not writing to you in any sense of anger or resentment about the way in which we have been expelled from the Labour Party for working locally to secure a single, agreed progressive candidate to challenge Jeremy Hunt in his South West Surrey constituency. We shall, of course, appeal against the decision, but that is a separate issue. We should also like you to be aware that we are still as much Labour supporters now, as we were a couple of weeks ago when we were in the party, and each of us has supported you in two leadership elections.

However, you are well aware that there are, up and down the country, a significant number of seats, like South West Surrey, where Labour stands no chance of winning under our current “first past the post” electoral system.

Given that the Tories are propped up by UKIP support in many constituencies around the country, but could be deprived of a majority in the next parliament by Labour working collaboratively with other parties that share many aspects of our philosophy, we are urging you to take up an honest and honourable position of publicly stating that in those constituencies where Labour candidates have no chance of winning, Labour Party members should be encouraged to work in a marginal constituency and Labour Party supporters should consider voting tactically.

We believe that our great party could be significantly strengthened as a result of this move. In South West Surrey, your action could support the highly effective challenge to Jeremy Hunt by Louise Irvine and strike a blow for the NHS, created, as you are well aware, in the post-war period, by one of the greatest figures of the left from Labour history, namely, Nye Bevan. In marginal constituencies up and down the country, your action could ensure that Labour wins some of its key marginal seats and the Tories lose in their marginal seats to candidates who may well end up supporting a Labour or Labour-led government. In other words, tactical voting for candidates who share many Labour values could make the difference between Theresa May and you moving in to number 10 Downing Street after the general election.

We are proposing that you make a public statement to the effect that:

• those who wish to work actively to support the Labour Party should go out and support a Labour candidate in a target constituency in line with advice given by Momentum, through their website.
• Labour Party supporters in seats which Labour cannot win under our current electoral system should consider voting for the progressive candidate best placed to win.

We await your response to this proposal.

With best wishes

Steve Williams

Kate Townsend

Robert Park

(expelled from the Labour Party on 8 May 2017)