Green MEP says party should stand down in Labour/Tory marginals

A prominent Green Party MEP has said his party should not be fielding candidates in Labour/Tory marginal seats.

Magid Magid, an MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber and former lord mayor of Sheffield, said there are 44 seats where the Greens should stand aside to help Labour.

Despite the Greens entering the Unite to Remain alliance with the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, there was no agreement to work with Labour.

Magid tweeted: "Now that the Brexit Party and the Tories have formed an unholy hard-right pact & Farage helping deliver a parliamentary majority for Boris, we are walking into inevitable disaster.

"That's why I call on all Green Party candidates in Lab/Con marginals to not put yourself forward.

"I appreciate it's difficult and I don't ask this lightly but with so much at stake, our TOP priority should be to stop the Tories by any means necessary.

"We simply cannot afford five more years of Tory rule with a Trumpian Brexit.

"We know what Boris Johnson's deal means - a victory for oil and gas magnates, greedy pharmaceutical conglomerates and the hedgefund-elite, with job security, environmental protections and workers' rights at great risk.

"With this danger at the door, I can't understand the Lib Dems with their "Yesterdays Tories" leadership. Seeking so aggressively to split the vote further. I.e Canterbury - It's almost like they are more concerned with stopping Corbyn than stopping Brexit.

"Yes it's frustrating and arrogant of Labour to not even be willing to discuss the idea of working together to get rid of the tories.

"However, with such little time and no willingness shown by Labour, I'd rather us do the right thing, put the national interest before anything else."

He added: "I understand that we do not have the luxury of time. I urge you to genuinely and honestly consider this step. Yes - we need proportional representation and complete reform of our democracy, from votes at 16 to an elected second chamber where the House of Lords sits now.

"However it makes me sick to my depths to imagine waking up on December 13 to a Tory government, excited to impose five more years of misery on the poor and Trumpism on us all. Thinking we could have done more to stop them.

"I came into politics due to the rise of UKIP. I've found my home in the Green movement, amongst hardworking courageous friends trying to save our world and make it better for everyone and I can't bare to watch it be made worse at the hands of a Farage-Tory government.

"So let's get the Tories out, end austerity, protect our environment, stop Brexit by winning a people's vote and reform our democracy.

"Doing the right thing - with or without- being asked or praised is what we Green activist do best."