Labour’s lack of by-election action smacks of a Lib Dem deal, says MP
Starmer’s frontbench are absent from Tiverton and Honiton – while showing up to Wakefield in spades
LABOUR’S entire shadow cabinet has been absent from the Tiverton and Honiton by-election campaign, analysis by The Daily Telegraph has shown, as Tories accuse them of a “grubby back room deal” with the Lib Dems.
No member of Sir Keir Starmer’s frontbench has visited the Devon constituency or referred to the poll since campaigning started last month, despite the party coming second there in 2019 and beating the Liberal Democrats.
By contrast, all except three Labour MPS with shadow cabinet roles have visited Wakefield since the start of May, with many posting pictures of them with activists on the doorstep.
Both seats will hold by-elections on June 23 after the resignations of Conservative MPS Neil Parish, who admitted watching pornography in the Commons, and Imran Ahmad Khan, who was convicted of child sex offences.
The Liberal Democrats are targeting a win in Tiverton and Honiton, a traditional, rural Tory seat, while Labour is looking to regain Wakefield after losing the Red Wall constituency, which backed Brexit, at the last election.
Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, visited Wakefield on May 19 but neither have been to Tiverton and Honiton or commented publicly on the contest.
The same is true of Angela Rayner – who attended an event at Wakefield College with local candidate Simon Lightwood on Friday – and Ed Miliband, Lisa Nandy and Yvette Cooper.
Only David Lammy, Jonathan Reynolds and Peter Kyle have not been photographed in the Yorkshire city or publicised their campaigning on social media since Khan resigned on May 3.
Last month, Sir Keir denied reports he had told his frontbenchers not to travel to Tiverton and Honiton after suggestions the party was “soft pedalling” the race there.
Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, has yet to visit Wakefield but launched his party’s campaign in Tiverton and Honiton on May 20.
Data from Facebook’s Ad Library shows the Liberal Democrats have targeted six digital advertising campaigns at Tiverton and Honiton voters but none in Wakefield.
Labour ran a paid Facebook survey for Wakefield residents between May 10 and May 19 but has not run any
‘There is no pact and there will be no pact. We are standing candidates in both Wakefield and in Tiverton’
online adverts in Tiverton and Honiton.
The Liberal Democrats published a press release and set up a separate website to promote Richard Foord, its Tiverton and Honiton candidate, but have done neither for Jamie Needle, who is standing for them in Wakefield.
A “Help us win in Devon” fundraiser also takes pride of place on the Liberal Democrat website, but there was no sign of an equivalent fundraiser for the Wakefield campaign.
Oliver Dowden, the Conservative Party chairman, said: “Voters deserve better than this grubby back room deal.”
Hundreds of Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates ran unopposed by the other party in dozens of Conservative target councils at last month’s local elections.
Leaked Conservative analysis showed Sir Keir’s party stood fewer candidates than in May 2018, although both parties have denied allegations of joining forces.
Labour stood candidates in 61 per cent of council seats in contention in the South West, a dramatic drop from the 97 per cent fielded for the same selection of seats four years earlier.
A Labour spokesman said: “We have a brilliant candidate for Tiverton in Liz Pole and we are fighting for every vote there. There are no deals and no pacts.
“We’re in the business of putting forward Labour candidates to promote Labour values and show that only Labour can deliver the security, prosperity and respect that Britain deserves.”
Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, said: “There is no pact and there will be no pact. We are standing candidates in both Wakefield and in Tiverton and Honiton.
“This is another desperate attempt to deflect from Boris Johnson’s lies and law breaking. Lifelong Conservative voters are fed up of being taken for granted and want to send this Government a message they can’t ignore.”