Change UK leader offered to quit in ‘tactical unity’ with Lib Dems

HEIDI ALLEN has revealed she threatened to quit Change UK over tactical voting in order to boost the number of Remain MEPS in today’s European elections.

Last night, the leader of the party, which formed in February, said she offered to resign from her position over an argument about whether Remainers ought to back the Liberal Democrats in their strongholds outside of London and the South East.

Speaking to Channel 4 News the MP for South Cambridgeshire said: “Had it been left to me, I would have absolutely advised tactical voting...

“But I have a responsibility – hence your question, are you asking me as Heidi, or as Change UK’S leader,” she said.

“I respect the views of my fellow group members and the majority was that they didn’t want to go that way, but it is something that still troubles me,” she added.

“I have no doubt that the British public will look at the tactical voting Heidi Allen has admitted that she was ready to leave Change UK over tactical voting but changed her mind websites out there and make their own decisions.”

Ms Allen said that while she would have been prepared “to go that far if that’s what I thought would conclude in the right direction”, she ultimately took on the views of her group in order to safeguard their candidates.

Ms Allen added that the voting system for the European elections, was “inherently complex”.

“And putting all the votes in one direction doesn’t always necessarily create the result that you want.”

She added: “If the next party further down in the polls isn’t still big enough to win a seat, you can end up, if you’re not careful, giving more votes to the Brexit parties”.

Her admission comes after Sarah Wollaston, the MP for Totnes, said she was in favour of voters choosing to back candidates who had the most chance of success, rather than strictly supporting Change UK.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour, Ms Wollaston said: “People are making calculations about how to vote tactically and that can then just become a rolling process.

“But we’re trying to maximise the total unequivocal Remain vote as well as maximise the number of MEPS.”