European elections: tactical voting and strategic thinking for remainers

Jonathan Freedland does the country and the pro-EU cause a great disservice by advocating an anti-Labour protest vote (Remainers have no option but to ignore Labour next week, 18 May). Leave won the referendum campaign partly because of the dominance of reactionary, pro-status-quo voices and a failure to engage with policies and political influence within the EU. Mr Freedland falls into the same trap.

Better advice is firstly to vote for a party with an EU manifesto and for MEPs who won’t disrupt the EU parliament. This leaves Labour, Greens, Tories (just) and Lib Dems.

Then, vote for parties best placed to fight austerity and the climate emergency. This rules out Tories and Lib Dems on austerity and for the classification of their EU groupings as “dinosaurs” or “delayers” on climate emergency action, according to Climate Action Network Europe.

Next, vote for candidates who will be good pro-EU MEPs in the EU and the UK (though they cannot revoke article 50 or vote in parliament).

Finally, consider the influence of the EU grouping the party belongs to. Unlike Greens, Labour MEPs have a prospect of electing the president (through the Socialists & Democrats group), with the associated power and influence over EU policies, direction and narrative.

We need passionate and influential Labour MEPs to help make the socialist case that we are all better off in the EU and to help us remain. This is why Europhiles like me are ignoring Jonathan Freedland’s advice, voting Labour, and urging others to do the same.
Magi Young
Exeter

• After nearly 30 years as a Labour activist and the last few as a Labour councillor, I have with a heavy heart decided I will be voting Liberal Democrat in the European election on Thursday. A study of the regional and national polls makes for grim reading, and I find it impossible to see how voting Labour can stop Nigel Farage’s party winning two seats in the north-east.

Labour’s vote is collapsing. Party loyalty will only deliver them enough votes to come second. This means Labour can only win one seat, and the third north-east seat will be a battle between the Lib Dems and the Brexit party. It is essential we do not allow the Brexit party to win a second seat in the region. I am truly sorry for the current Labour MEPs, who have served this region well, but their party leadership has let them down badly. It has lost them votes that should have returned them comfortably.

If I am wrong – and I want to be – then Labour will come top and the third seat will go to Labour’s Paul Brannen or the Lib Dems’ Fiona Hall. I would be happy with either over any Brexit party candidate. Many of my former Labour colleagues are joining me in voting tactically for the Liberal Democrats on Thursday. I urge fellow remain-minded voters to do so too, to stop Nigel Farage getting a second MEP in the north-east.
David Hardman
Newcastle upon Tyne

• Jonathan Freedland urges remainers in England to vote Green, which is all very well if they want to uphold a noble principle, but it’s bad politics. If Farage’s “party” wins a clear plurality of the votes, a Johnson victory in the Tory leadership contest would be likely, and so would a hard Brexit. A strong Labour vote, on the other hand, could open the way at least to a customs union, at best to a referendum. And a customs union, though not ideal, could be a relatively attractive option. Leo Varadkar has suggested a sui generis arrangement involving a consultation process with the UK on the EU’s future trade deals. This would keep open the option of a return to full membership in the future, which a Johnson-Farage-led Brexit would not. Remainers – think strategically, think long term!
Bill Myers
Leicester

• I want to elect Labour MEPs, but I don’t want my vote to be misrepresented as pro-Brexit. So I think I will vote, not with a cross, but with a ring of 12 dots like the EU flag. That will count, as long as it isn’t regarded as “a mark by which the voter could be identified”. To avoid that, would others please do so too?
Robert Dimmick
Caversham, Reading

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