James Forsyth James Forsyth

Tactical voting and the race for second

Compass, a pressure group on the left of the Labour party, has today endorsed tactical voting after its members backed it overwhelmingly in a poll. The Compass endorsement of tactical vote fits with a pattern where Labour supporters in Lib Dem Tory seats will vote for the Lib Dems to try and keep the Tories out. But, interestingly, I hear that Lib Dem supporters tactically voting in Labour in Labour-Tory marginals is unwinding.

Lib Dem supporters who have voted tactically in the past are now conscious of how significant it would be if the Liberal Democrats finished second in the popular vote and so are backing their own party. (There are, obviously, other reasons revolving around Labour’s failures for Lib Dem supporters not being prepared to vote Labour in these seats).

The ideal result for the Tories is for them to win a majority with the Lib Dems coming second in the popular vote. This would hand Prime Minister Cameron one of Thatcher’s great advantages, a divided anti-government vote.
 

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