Cllr Paul Harvey says 'tactical voting' in elections is 'important'

Cllr Paul Harvey made the comments during a conversation with cross-party campaign group Compass on its ‘Local Leaders Spotlight’ series published on YouTube.

The group aims to facilitate greater collaboration between Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Greens in key areas to 'help progressive candidates win power'.

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Cllr Harvey’s comments were made ahead of the local elections on Thursday, May 2, when voters in the borough will go to the polls to elect one third of council members.

When asked about the role of tactical voting in the local elections, he said: “I would encourage people to think about who is actually standing in their ward. In the area you are going to be voting in, who are the challengers to the Conservatives in those wards and how do you best go about achieving what we all want, which is progressive politics?

“Tactical voting is incredibly important, and you will find Liberal Democrats, Labour and independents all of whom are committed to winning seats from the Conservatives, and tactical voting will make a big difference.”

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He added: “I hope we’ve put enough in place that we can keep some of the direction of travel going. I also hope that the national political scene and the way people are feeling means the Conservatives won’t be back in control. But you take nothing for granted.”

Cllr Simon Minas-Bound, group leader for the Conservatives, disagreed with Cllr Harvey's comments and instead urged residents not to vote tactically in the local elections.

“While tempting, [it] is not a strategy I would recommend,” he said, adding: “You could think you were voting for an independent who turns out to be far from independent and just purely focussed on power not our borough's people.”

He urged residents to vote for “someone whose plans align with your vision for what you want to be achieved”, adding: “By choosing to vote for a candidate who are transparent about their objectives and accountable for their promises, upholds the essence of democracy.”

Whether residents decide to vote tactically or not, Cllr Harvey said his focus is to encourage everyone to vote.

He said: “Please go out and vote. These are local elections, they are really important, they will determine the services you receive most, and also they will shape some of the national political message as well.”