Keir Starmer Accused of Plotting Lib Dem Pact as List Reveals Low Priority Seats

Labour Leader Keir Starmer Accused of Secret Pact

Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, is facing accusations of plotting a pact with the Liberal Democrats. This comes as a leaked list of Labour's low priority election seats reveals that the party will leave many seats in the so-called Blue Wall for the Lib Dems to contest.

211 Constituencies Marked as "Non-Battleground" Areas

The leaked document identifies 211 constituencies as "non-battleground" areas, including six seats currently held by Lib Dem MPs and 205 traditionally Conservative seats. Some of these Conservative seats have recently been won by Lib Dems in by-elections.

Tory MP Claims "Lib-Lab Pact" in Action

Tory MP Jonathan Gullis has accused Labour of engaging in a secret pact with the Lib Dems, despite their denials. He argues that this list shows Labour cannot be trusted to be honest with the public.

Labour to Focus on Other Seats

The leaked list suggests that Labour will not actively campaign in certain high profile Tory seats, such as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Godalming and Ash constituency and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk's Cheltenham seat. Polling indicates that these seats are likely to be won by the Liberal Democrats in the next election.

Labour Strategists Eyeing Other Seats

The leaked document also suggests that Labour strategists believe they have a chance in the 439 seats that have been left off the low-priority list. This indicates that the party may be targeting these seats as potential gains from the Conservatives.

Lib Dems React with Excitement

The Lib Dems in Windsor expressed their delight over the leaked list, stating that it confirms it will be a two-way race between them and the Conservatives in the constituency. They see this as validation of their position as a strong contender in the area.

Tactical Voting and the General Election

Pollster Luke Tryl suggests that the tendency for either the Lib Dems or Labour to put in less effort in by-elections sends a clear signal to voters about who is best placed to defeat the Tories. This could lead to significant tactical voting in the General Election, even without a formal pact between the parties. This could further complicate matters for the Conservative Party.

No Official Labour Election Pact

A Labour source denies the existence of any election pact with "any party". They argue that the Tories have been spreading misinformation to distract from their own problems, and point to recent by-election wins as evidence that Labour is focused on securing a majority in the next election without the need for coalitions or pacts.

Lib Dems Reiterate No Pacts or Deals

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats emphasizes that their leader, Ed Davey, has been clear that there will be no pacts or deals. Like all parties, they will concentrate their resources where they believe they have the best chance of victory.