Local Liberal Democrat Candidate Opposed to 'Progressive Alliance'

Joe Bourke says democracy requires that voters be given a choice of parties

Joe Bourke, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Brentford & Isleworth has come out against the idea of candidates stepping aside in order to create a 'Progressive Alliance' against the Conservative Party.

He was commenting in the wake of comments made by Liberal Democrats Vince Cable and Sarah Olney in Richmond, and also in the aftermath of the Green Party candidate standing down as a candidate in B & I following an agreement with Labour's Ruth Cadbury.

Commenting on tactical voting, he said, “Jon Ball was absolutely right to contest the Ealing Central and Acton constituency for the Lib Dems. Our democratic system relies on voters being given a choice of parties. It makes a mockery of voters’ decisions when parties stand aside – as though your party’s voters belong tribally to your own party and should be directed to whichever party you wish. Standing aside as a candidate diminishes the democratic choice in that seat. Yes, you can encourage tactical voting – but that is an individual voting choice not something forced on voters by a candidate withdrawal.

“Many Lib Dem voters consider Labour no better than the Tories. The most likely outcome of a Lib Dem candidate standing down in a constituency is a three way split between not voting at all, voting conservative or voting labour.

“Labour has a leader whose economic policy is probably the one thing that could do more to damage the economy than leaving the single market will. The Labour party has been taken over by the socialists from the 1970s who are as baffled by the modern world as UKIP are afraid of it. Labour and Conservative supporters should recognise that a Liberal Democrat candidate is best placed to take on the Tory brexiteers. Only a revived Liberal Democrat opposition can avert the headlong rush to crashing out of the European Union without a deal worth the paper it is written on or any kind of meaningful parliamentary scrutiny or public consultation.

“Many moderate and reasonable people are planning to vote for the Conservatives – a party that has wrapped itself in the UKIP flag – because of Jeremy Corbyn. But moderate and reasonable people, whether they are naturally Liberal Democrats, or pro-remain Conservatives, or supporters of what the Labour party stood for before it was captured by the Trotskyists see that the Liberal Democrats will represent them far better than either of the others, and should, therefore, have the chance to vote Liberal Democrat.

“The London Borough of Ealing voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union and all three of its Labour MPs, not surprisingly, voted against their party whip on the exercise of Article 50. A handful of MPs not wishing to be seen to be voting against their constituents expressed wishes will have no no impact on a Labour party in terminal decline that is expected by many commentators to split apart post-election.”

Joe Bourke is the Liberal Democrat Party candidate in the Brentford & Isleworth constituency. Other candidates are: Mary Macleod (Conservative Party), and Ruth Cadbury (Labour Party). The Green Party has decided not to field a candidate as Diane Scott has pulled out.

May 11, 2017