Inside the constituency where Labour members are campaigning against their own party

In South West Surrey, the constituency where the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt became MP with a 60% majority in 2015, Labour party members are campaigning hard – against Labour.

Lifelong party members and former Labour candidates are banding together in support of Louise Irvine, a National Health Action Party member who is hoping to unseat Mr Hunt.

Kate Townsend, a Labour member, former local Labour candidate and Labour party local secretary pledged her support to Ms Irvine, rather than Labour’s candidate David Black.

‘I personally will be backing Louise Irvine,’ said Ms Townsend at a meeting organised by SW Surrey Compass group, an organisation campaigning for a single progressive alliance candidate in the area.

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She explained her decision to Radio 4’s Today programme, saying: ‘It’s not easy to not support Labour and it really is a hard decision to make. But what sort of long-term damage can we do in South West Surrey that doesn’t already exist?

‘We never win, we’ve never got any hope of winning, so we might as well fight to make it so that next time I vote my vote actually matters.’

At the meeting, a fundraising effort was carried out by senior Labour activists to pay for a campaign against their own party.

Steve Williams, a member of his local Labour party executive committee, is campaigning for cross-party alliances to battle the Tories. He is supporting NHAP’s Louise Irvine.

He said: ‘I have no doubt whatsoever that the majority of local Labour party members in South West Surrey in the next election will be supporting Louise Irvine, and will be knocking on doors.’

The Green Party has been a major driver of the progressive alliance movement, which encourages voters to vote tactically to defeat Conservative candidates.

Co-leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley wrote to other centre-left parties urging co-operation.

The party has stood down in a number of areas so as not to take votes from Labour or Liberal Democrat.

Jeremy Corbyn has ruled out a progressive alliance at a national level – a move that is being roundly ignored lower down the chain.

The Labour leader told his National Executive Committee that he would not support working with other parties on the left.

Tim Farron has also refused to support the movement, telling an event in Richmond, South West London: ‘I very much enjoyed working with Caroline Lucas during the referendum campaign, she is someone I’ve got a very high regard for. She’s been a very powerful voice in parliament.

‘But it’s worth saying that the only plausible route of any kind towards the Conservatives not winning a majority is a Liberal Democrat group.’