Comments on: Heathrow and Richmond

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 16:02:32 +0000

And the latest development is UKIP declaring they’re not putting up a candidate and telling their supporters to vote for Zac Goldsmith.

By: David Meadows

David Meadows — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 09:18:44 +0000

I think it’s true that a Tory candidate would split the Conservative vote and almost certainly give the seat the the Lib Dems. May will be thinking, better to have a Tory-leaning independent in the house who will vote with her on everything (except Heathrow) than a Lib Dem voting (mostly) in opposition.

There was talk by Labour yesterday that they wouldn’t field a candidate for similar reasons — to avoid splitting the vote and maximise the chance of a Lib Dem victory. But it’s now looking like that won’t happen, which is a shame — as a Labour supporter, I would much rather have a Lib Dem in the house than Zac Goldsmith.

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 16:37:22 +0000

That’s a good point; if the official Tory candidate comes a very poor third, it won’t look good.

By: ard sloc

ard sloc — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 16:31:29 +0000

I believe, and presumably May believes, that the local Tories are united behind Goldsmith so that an “official” Conservative flown-in would get derisive support This makes Richmond a rather special case. But it does, as you say, set a precedent.