Call for alliance to unseat Nicky Morgan
LOUGHBOROUGH candidates running in the General Election have been urged to form an alliance as it is “the only way to unseat Nicky Morgan”.
Dr Philip Leicester, the Loughborough Green Party candidate, has sent an open letter to Liberal Democrat candidate David Walker and Labour candidate Jewel Miah calling for a “Progressive Alliance”.
Dr Leicester says he is willing to withdraw his formal nomination if progressive left-of-centre parties can agree to get behind the most likely challenger to the Conservative candidate, Nicky Morgan, which he says is most likely to be Labour’s Jewel Miah.
In the letter, Dr Leicester says: “The only way of unseating Nicky Morgan is to work together and pool our votes and explain to the electorate what we are doing.”
The Echo contacted Mr Miah who said: “The Labour Party officially do not go into any alliance with anyone.”
He said: “If they do want to unite behind myself that is to be welcomed.”
Liberal Democrat David Walker told the Echo an alliance may have been a possibility: “if Labour hadn’t said they accept the decision to leave the EU”.
He said: “At the moment this [alliance] is tentative as I’ve not discussed it with the rest of my colleagues.
“I would have been persuadable if the Labour Party had said ‘Brexit is a very bad idea’ and campaigned it but they have said they accept it will happen.
“There’s no way I think the Liberal Democrats should support Labour if it takes that line.”
Mr Walker said an “informal chat” about the alliance is to take place this week but Mr Miah said he doesn’t plan to attend any meetings.
After being told of the letter, Nicky Morgan told the Echo she “will face anyone”.
She said: “It all goes to prove what the Conservative Party is saying, that there’ll be a choice between a strong leadership of Theresa May’s government and a coalition of chaos.
“I will face anyone. It’s about democracy and the people of Loughborough will make their decision.”