Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair has urged voters to mobilise against Brexit, giving rise to speculation that he may campaign with the Liberal Democrats.
Theresa May announced her surprise decision to hold a snap June election on Tuesday, with the view of securing a mandate to pursue her vision for Brexit as negotiations commence.
After David Cameron’s resignation last June, May as an individual remains unelected and other parties have consistently argued that she lacks the legitimacy to govern democratically. Whilst the Conservatives managed to secure an unexpected majority in 2015, it remains to be seen whether May will indeed be able to increase or maintain a majority come June.
Following the surprise announcement, Mr Blair penned a statement highlighting the importance for voters to use their power as a means to hold the government to account over Brexit.
The former Labour leader’s statement read:
“We risk a Parliament which is lop-sided in its make-up; which has a big Tory majority – in part delivered not because of the intrinsic merits of Brexit or the Tories themselves but because of the state of Labour; where they will claim a mandate to take us wherever they will; when we desperately need representatives who will at least keep an open mind.
“This requires the electorate in every constituency to know where the candidates stand; and the mobilisation of the thousands in each constituency to make it clear that for them this issue counts when it comes to their vote.”
Thus far the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Liberal Democrats are the only parties that have stood on a clear anti-Brexit platform, leading to speculation that Blair may in fact campaign for the latter.
The recently updated official Liberal Democrat website says:
“If you want to avoid a disastrous Hard Brexit. If you want to keep Britain in the Single Market. If you want a Britain that is open, tolerant and united, this is your chance.”
This may prove a considerable blow to the Labour party, who continue to struggle with internal divisions, and given that Mr Blair remains their most electorally successful leader having won an unprecedented three consecutive elections with the party.
Nonetheless, current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has welcomed May’s decision to hold an election, having repeatedly called upon the government to do so. However, insiders within the party remain concerned over his weak electoral pull among voters.
In the 2015 election, Labour was almost wiped out by Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP party in Scotland and challenged by the unprecedented surge in UKIP support, as both nationalist and populist sentiment across the country threatened Labour’s waning influence.
The latest Times/YouGov poll placed the Conservatives on 44 percent and Labour on 23 percent, giving May a sizeable 21-point lead.