Labour supporters have been warned of the dangers of tactical voting if the general election results in a hung parliament, after a high-profile website urged voters to oust a member of the shadow cabinet at the general election.
Tactical.vote, which offers users “your most effective tactical vote” for the general election to “get the Tories out”, encourages voters to vote against Labour shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central, despite her winning by a large margin at the last general election. Boundaries have since been redrawn, however.
Instead, the website urges people to vote for the Green candidate and party co-leader Carla Denyer. Bristol Central is one of the Green Party’s target seats.
An explanation of the decision on the website reads: “This seat is a contest between two progressive parties. However, because tactical voting disadvantages small parties overall, and there is no risk of a Tory win, we are calling for a vote for the Greens here.”
The website is the first search result to appear on Google for “tactical voting”, suggesting many voters considering the best way to get rid of the Conservative government may heed its advice.
Labour First chairman, former South East Labour chair and Rushmoor councillor Keith Dibble warned voters “should not be misled by Lib Dem and Green bar charts” and said the website’s suggestion for Bristol Central “is not tactical voting – it’s an alternative to Labour”.
He said: “Every vote for Labour is an endorsement for Keir Starmer, so we should be maximising the Labour vote in every seat.
“I warn voters of the dangers of tactical voting. There’s no guarantee what the smaller parties would do in a hung parliament.”
Tactical.vote also encourages voters to back the Greens in Brighton Pavilion, as well as endorsing the Liberal Democrats in Hitchin – where Labour’s Mid Bedfordshire by-election winner Alistair Strathern is standing as a candidate.
Tom Gray, Labour’s candidate hoping to oust the Greens in Brighton Pavilion, said that voters should be weary of tactical voting websites going into the general election.
He said: “People should be very careful about where they get their advice from in any aspect of life. Please ignore websites with a nice front, but horrifically rudimentary methodology and out-of-date data.
“The people of Brighton should simply vote with their heads to deliver the change we desperately need.”
Labour was approached for comment.
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