Pro-Remain pact announce 60 seats they will stand in to "stop Brexit."

7 November 2019, 10:20

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson says she will stop Brexit if elected Prime Minister
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson says she will stop Brexit if elected Prime Minister. Picture: PA
EJ Ward

By EJ Ward

Lib Dems announce "Unite to Remain" parties will work together in seats to try to deliver 60 pro-Remain MPs

The Liberal Democrats have made an arrangement with The Green Party and Plaid Cymru to step aside for pro-Remain candidates in seats across England and Wales.

As part of the pact, the Lib Dems will stand in 43 constituencies, the Greens will stand in 10 and Plaid Cymru will stand in seven.

The Lib Dems said this was an attempt to "put the national interest above party politics."

Remaining in the European Union is the party's key election pledge, with Jo Swinson promising to revoke Article 50 on her first day in office if elected Prime Minister.

Ms Swinson, the Lib Dem leader said: “I am delighted that this arrangement will help elect more pro-remain MPs in the next Parliament.

“In the 43 seats agreed today, as well as hundreds more across the country, it is clear that the Liberal Democrats are the strongest party of Remain.

“A vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to stop Brexit, so that we can invest the £50bn Remain bonuses in our public services and build a brighter future.”

Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville-Roberts said she hopes the parties coming together gives "some credibility" to politics.

"Our message is clear. This is what matters to us and this is why we're acting this way," she told the Unite to Remain press conference.

Liberal Democrat President Sal Brinton added: “Labour’s failure to engage in this process could be fundamental, but we are confident that in these 60 seats, we can make a real difference, and we can stop Brexit and build a brighter future for this country.”

The seats the pact will campaign for are:

England

Green Party: Brighton, Pavilion, Isle of Wight, Bristol West, Bury St Edmunds, Stroud, Dulwich and West Norwood, Forest of Dean, Cannock Chase, Exeter (9)

Liberal Democrats: Bath, Bermondsey and Old Southwark, Buckingham, Cheadle, Chelmsford, Chelsea and Fulham, Cheltenham, Chippenham, Esher and Walton, Finchley and Golders Green, Guildford, Harrogate and Knaresborough, Hazel Grove, Hitchin and Harpenden, North Cornwall, North Norfolk, Oxford West and Abingdon, Penistone and Stocksbridge, Portsmouth South, Richmond Park, Romsey and Southampton, North Rushcliffe, South Cambridgeshire, South East Cambridgeshire, South West Surrey, Southport, Taunton Deane, Thornbury and Yate, Totnes, Tunbridge Wells, Twickenham, Wantage, Warrington South, Watford, Wells, Westmorland and Lonsdale, Wimbledon, Winchester, Witney ,York.

Wales

Green Party: Vale of Glamorgan.

Liberal Democrats: Brecon and Radnorshire, Cardiff Central, Montgomeryshire.

Plaid Cymru: Arfon, Caerphilly, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Dwyfor, Meirionnydd, Llanelli, Pontypridd, Ynys Môn

In addition to these arrangements, we can confirm that we are also stepping aside in three further seats: Beaconsfield, Broxtowe, Luton South