Greens’ leader: Labour should join us to oust weak Tories

GREEN leader Caroline Lucas today called on Labour to stand aside in seats it cannot win to help beat the Tories.

The MP, pictured, told the Standard she was disappointed Jeremy Corbyn had so far rejected proposals for a progressive alliance. She believes the Greens are owed a favour after opting not to field a candidate in Ealing Central & Acton, where Labour’s Rupa Huq has a majority of just 274.

Ms Lucas, who has represented Brighton Pavilion since 2010, said: “I’m disappointed Jeremy in particular doesn’t see that it’s in his own interests to have some conversations. He is flying in the face of a lot of strong feeling in his own party about this.”

Last night the Lib

Dems agreed not to stand in Brighton Pavilion. “I hope this is a demonstration of the new way of thinking about the political situation we find ourselves in,” Ms Lucas said.

The Greens are targeting Jeremy Corbyn in Islington North and Sir Keir Starmer in Holborn & St Pancras. But they have asked local parties to consider not fielding a candidate if it looks as though Green votes may stop a Labour or Lib-Dem candidate from toppling the Tories. Tactical discussions have taken place in Surrey, where the local Labour branch said it wanted to back one progressive candidate in an attempt to unseat Jeremy Hunt in South West Surrey. Today Labour said there would be no alliances and that its National Executive Committee would appoint candidates regardless of local branches’ wishes.