Labour will field a candidate in Richmond Park by-election despite plea to stand aside to help Lib Dems defeat Zac Goldsmith
Shadow Cabinet members see this as a chance to kick the former Tory MP out of Parliament and are urging their party to reconsider
LABOUR has indicated it will fight against Zac Goldsmith in the Richmond Park by-election despite calls from leading Jeremy Corbyn supporters to form an alliance with the Lib Dems.
The seat is vacant after the former London mayoral candidate resigned yesterday in protest over the Government’s decision to give the green light to Heathrow Airport expansion.
Yesterday the Tory Party announced it would not be putting anyone up against Goldsmith and the Green Party is also said to be considering making the same decision.
Speaking about the by-election on BBC’s Daily Politics show the Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey said: “Labour will stand”.
But two of his fellow Shadow Cabinet ministers and the former Shadow Energy Secretary are urging the party to reconsider.
Jeremy Corbyn ally and Shadow Business Secretary Clive Lewis, Shadow City Minister Jonathan Reynolds, and the now backbencher Lisa Nandy argue the best chance of kicking Goldsmith out of Parliament would come from staying out of the “vanity project” by-election.
In an article for they write: “With the Tories not standing against him, the fight will come down to a two way contest between him and the Liberal Democrats, whose vote will be split with the Greens and Labour.
“If there is any chance of kicking Goldsmith out of Parliament, the vote against him must not be split.
“That’s why we think Labour should consider not standing a candidate in this by-election.
“Not only did Goldsmith bring a new low to mainstream politics with his campaign against Sadiq Khan, but he is a hard Brexiteer willing to throw hard won environmental and workplace protections down the drain despite all his talk of being green.
RELATED STORIES
“His claim that this is a referendum on Heathrow is absurd as his chief opponent [Lib Dem Sarah Olney] also opposes a third runway.
“This is nothing but a vanity project and Labour should think carefully about playing a part in it.”
But they are clear any decision by the Labour Party to not field a candidate in the contest would need to have the backing of local party members in Richmond.
During the London mayoral campaign Goldsmith was criticised for using “dog whistle” tactics and highlighting the fact Labour’s candidate Sadiq Khan is a Muslim.
He defended the tactics by saying raising questions over who Khan had associated with in the past was in the public interest.
But in their article the three MPs say his campaign was “nasty and racially divisive”.
They said: “Not only did Goldsmith bring a new low to mainstream politics with his campaign against Sadiq Khan, but he is a hard Brexiteer willing to throw hard won environmental and workplace protections down the drain despite all his talk of being green.
“His claim that this is a referendum on Heathrow is absurd as his chief opponent [Lib Dem Sarah Olney] also opposes a third runway.
“This is nothing but a vanity project and Labour should think carefully about playing a part in it.”
But a Labour spokesman said last night: “The Labour Party will continue to contest every election to Parliament because we are intent on winning power”.
Bookies have widened the Lib Dems’ lead as favourites to take the seat, giving them odds of 4/5, with Zac Goldsmith on 10/11.
Libs leader Tim Farron wasted no time in launching the party’s campaign with a visit to the constituency yesterday.
He urged voters to “send a message” to Mrs May over her “hard Brexit” strategy.