Lib Dem says he feels ‘guilty’ for letting Tory ‘scrape in’ up against Labour

Hugh Lanham and Chloe Smith alongside the election candidates in Norwich North in 2017. Photograph: Nick Butcher. - Credit: Nick Butcher

A 2017 general election candidate for the Lib Dems has said he feels ‘guilty’ for running against a Labour candidate and allowing the Tories to ‘scrape in’.

In 2017 the Conservatives beat Labour by just 500 votes while Hugh Lanham, the Liberal Democrat candidate, picked up 1,500 voters and the Greens got 800 votes.

This time, in a warning to anti-Tory voters in the constituency of Norwich North, Hugh Lanham is advising Liberal Democrat supporters to vote tactically to stop Chloe Smith winning again.

Both the Lib Dems and Greens are standing again, but with a different Lib Dem candidate, so have the potential of repeating the result at the ballot box in 2019.

Langham tweeted that voters should back Labour’s Karen Davis.

He said: “Voters of Norwich North. In 2017 I was your Lib Dem candidate. Still feeling guilty for dividing the opposition vote and letting Chloe scrape in. This time I suggest strongly that you must vote Labour. This is a great chance. Lib Dem or Green vote helps Tories win.”

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The Lib Dems and Greens formed a “Remain Alliance” at the start of the election campaign, but it did not factor in Labour seats in the bid to stop a Tory majority.

After criticism from some candidates and supporters the Liberal Democrats have moved their focus on to Tory/Lib Dem marginals in recent days, but both the Greens and Lib Dems are still campaigning in seats where Labour could win.

Chris Jarvis, editor of Green Party blog Bright Green, echoed Lanham’s sentiments by telling supporters to vote Labour in Labour-Tory maginals.