Call for election pacts to defeat Tories in Brighton and Hove

The political picture in Sussex after the 2015 general election

Labour MP for Hove Peter Kyle is defending a majority of 1,236 while Tory MP for Brighton Kemptown Simon Kirby polled just 690 more votes than the Labour candidate back in 2015, while the Conservatives took both Eastbourne and Lewes from the Lib Dems.

Earlier this week Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap election for Thursday June 8,

In response both Sussex Progressives and Brighton and Hove Compass are urgently calling on Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens not to contest unwinnable seats in East Sussex, but instead to agree on a single candidate best-placed to beat the Tories.

The political picture in Sussex before the 2015 general election

A rally has been organised at The Level in Brighton on Saturday April 22, starting at 11am, with speeches from the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas, Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Wealden Chris Bowers, and Labour’s Michael Freedman.

A petition has already been launched here

Georgia Amson-Bradshaw, co-convenor of Sussex Progressives, said: “This is not a normal election. The stakes are too high. Theresa May wants voters to rubber stamp her extreme Brexit and her far-right vision for the UK. Progressives cannot afford to be fighting each other at this critical historical moment.”

Mr Bowers said: “This isn’t just about electoral tactics, though that’s an important consideration - it’s about being smart about putting the compassion back into British politics, and to do that we need to free ourselves from the traditional idea that all parties other than our own are the enemy.”

Mr Freedman added: “As a Labour activist at national and local level for 50 years I am sad that we cannot win in June. The next best thing is to stop the Tories. Supporting the Progressive Alliance is the best way to do this.”

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