Liberal Democrats 'to step aside' for former Tory Dominic Grieve at next election
2 min read
The Liberal Democrats have agreed to stand aside at the next election to allow Dominic Grieve to hold on to his seat in Beaconsfield, it has been claimed.
The Sunday Times reports that the Lib Dem candidate for Beaconsfield, Rob Castell, has agreed to give way in order to bolster the chances of the former Tory minister being re-elected.
The move will be seen as the first step towards the establishment of a formal "Remain Alliance" of anti-Brexit MPs, who are expected to strike deals in seats across the country in an attempt to secure a swathe of seats at the next general election.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, the former Attorney General said: “If there is going to be a general election prior to Brexit being concluded my view is that, in those circumstances, if I can’t stand as a Conservative candidate I will stand as an independent."
And he added: "It’s up to other political parties to decide whether they wish to put up a candidate. My understanding is that the Liberal Democrats will decide not to do so, for which I am grateful. I believe that will be helpful. I have also had supportive emails from people who voted Labour in 2017.”
According to the paper, the decision came after cross-party talks between Mr Grieve and the Liberal Democrats, with the Green Party expected to follow suit.
The move will improve Mr Grieve's chances of holding out against both Labour and a new Conservative candidate. In 2010 and 2015, the Liberal Democrats were Mr Grieve's closest challengers, while in 2017 they came third behind Labour with 4,448 votes.
The reported pact meanwhile came as former Tory cabinet minister Stephen Dorrell announced he had joined the Lib Dems.
Mr Dorrell, who was health secretary under John Major, urged centerist members from other parties to "break cover from their respective parties and join the Liberal Democrats in a big liberal tent".
The former Tory minister, who previously defected to Change UK, said both main parties had descended into "mean-spirited factionalism" as he warned Brexit had been the "detonator" for a "slow-motion disintigration" of the two-party system.
Writing in the Sunday Times, he added: "Both major parties have lost the urge to build broad-based coalitions and now prefer to retreat into mean-spirited factionalism.
"In doing so, they have lost the right to speak for anyone but themselves. Millions of people hear their so-called leaders speak and say under their breath, 'Not in my name'."
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