Some pro-Europeans think the best way of defeating Brexiter Zac Goldsmith in the upcoming Richmond Park by-election is simply to vote Liberal Democrat. Here are five reasons a primary to choose a common pro-European candidate – as advocated by InFacts and over a dozen civil society organisations – is better.
1. There will be other pro-European candidates in the by-election – the Labour, the Green, an independent Tory, maybe others. All could take part in the primary, but only one would fight Goldsmith. That way, the pro-European vote wouldn’t be split – just as the pro-Brexit vote isn’t being split now that UKIP has decided to endorse Goldsmith and the Tories won’t be putting up an official candidate.
If the anti-hard Brexit vote had united in last month’s Witney by-election, we’d not have a Tory in that seat now. How will we all feel the morning of the result if Goldsmith beats the LibDems by less than the votes cast for Labour and Greens?
2. The successful pro-European candidate wouldn’t just have a party badge. She would be standing under the pro-European banner. This would be an exciting, new brand in the political marketplace. She would therefore probably receive more votes than the LibDems plus the Greens and Labour could get on their own.
3. Some people say it’s obvious that the LibDems are best placed to defeat Goldsmith and that the other parties should just stand down. Be that as it may, it’s not easy to get parties to make way for their rivals even if the national interest is at stake. One advantage of a primary is that all the parties could participate. They wouldn’t just have to withdraw. This makes it psychologically easier to make way and back a common candidate once the voters in the primary have had their say.
4. It’s really hard for members of rival parties to back the LibDems. Their own parties may discipline them if they break ranks. But after a primary that all pro-European parties bought into, members and activists from all parties would be free to swing in behind the winner.
A loyal party supporter will usually want to vote for their side, to express support, not to show disloyalty. This is a good characteristic amongst supporters. A primary allows tribalism to express itself without endangering the wider common good. It amounts to having a restricted two-round voting system, as so many sensible places do – including Scotland, for its by-elections to Holyrood.
5. There’s more at stake than the Richmond Park by-election. If we are to defeat a destructive, hard Brexit, pro-Europeans will need to club together in future electoral contests. Holding a primary in Richmond Park would prove the concept.
Despite these arguments, the LibDems and Labour aren’t interested in backing a primary in Richmond Park – though the Greens probably would if the others played ball. But this doesn’t mean we should stop advocating one. Pro-Europeans have got to stop being satisfied with coming second. We need to start winning. Richmond Park is the place to start.
Sign our petition calling for a primary in Richmond Park
Pro-Europeans are gathering on Richmond Bridge on Saturday, November 5 from 12 noon. Join us there.
Hugo Dixon is co-founder of CommonGround as well as editor-in-chief of InFacts. You can sign up as a supporter here.
Five reasons why this is a ridiculous non-starter:
1. It isn’t going to happen.
2. The LibDem and ‘Tory’ candidates have been chosen and the rules of the various parties would have to be changed to permit this. That would take a long time and ratification at conferences that won’t happen before the vote.
3. A cross-party primary may well be illegal and cause major issues in relation to the law about registration of political parties, as well as people being able to challenge the ability of parties to ignore their own rules and constitutions.
4. It is a dangerous distraction that could further undermine trust in politics. It isn’t fair to encourage people to sign a petition we all know is going to lead nowhere. By all means, encourage groups of residents/voters to decide between themselves who is best to support, but not this. By-elections attract lots of weird and wonderful candidates and there is zero chance of a two-way fight negating the entire purpose of this idea for a primary.
5. The Greens and UKIP have already indicated they will not stand and instead support the LibDem. Labour have refused to stand down and no petition is going to sway their leadership.
While I agree with the first Post by SGS, point 5 is not correct.. I think you’ll find UKIP are definitely NOT supporting the Lib Dems!
A well-intentioned proposal, no doubt, but not feasible nor likely to be realised in the time available. If Labour would agree to a primary, why wouldn’t it just accept that only the Lib Dems have a chance of winning Richmond on this occasion and stand aside? Let’s focus on persuading the local Labour party to do just that.
While the idea of a primary is attractive, it will not actually happen. Pro-European voters should be encouraged to vote for the LibDem candidate. There is nothing to prevent Pro-European Labour party supporters/members from voting LibDem in this bye-election. It is a secret ballot after all.
I entirely agree with sgs. The primary is an unnecessary diversion. I have been a tory for 50 years but will no longer support the party or vote for it until Brexit is buried.
What we need is reliable information on which way to vote to defeat the brexit candidate on an election by election basis.
With Richmond Park the best option is Lib/Dem and it is the Labour voters who need to know this, NOT the labour party.
DEH
Thankfully the Labour Party has rejected this and all ideas of letting the Lib Dems a free go. For many people its about democracy and putting forward a view or vision and allowing the people to decide , democracy is not about manipulating the system so a minority party can get into power look what happened the last time that happened under the Coalition ordinary people suffered and are still suffering from the hideous attacks of the Tory ideological Austerity voted through by the Lib Dems to their eternal shame.
This is a waste of time. The time, effort and logistical support needed to implement this is huge and there are three weeks til polling day. Even if there were the time, any cross party election plan would also have to be agreed nationally across all 650 seats – one party can’t just concede a seat here without promise of a reciprocal concession in another seat – eg in Brentworth where Labour and the Tories are in close competition. In order for this plan to work much more organisation and inter- and intra-party cooperatiok would be required. In trying to set this primary up the organiser is well intentioned but clearly they are not just a complete novice to the political arena (not in itself a bad thing) but also they have not done their research into how political parties operate in practice, as revealed by the fact that a number of statements are either incorrect – eg it is not against any party’s rules for members to vote for another party as is claimed here – or naively deluded – eg the idea that voters should harness their tribalism to vote for a unity candidate.