Labour loyalist says voting Liberal Democrats on Thursday only way to combat Brexit Party

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 23rd May.

I have studied the local and national polls and other election statistics. It has been grim reading and I have found it impossible to see how voting Labour can stop the Brexit Party winning two seats in the North East.

The Labour vote has collapsed with neither Leavers nor Remainers believing them. Party loyalty will only deliver them enough votes to come second, it will not be enough to come first in the poll on Thursday. This means that Labour can only win one seat: the third seat will be a battle between Lib Dems and the Brexit Party and I believe it is essential that we do not allow the Brexit Party to win a second seat in the region and let them misrepresent us in Europe. The North East is a great region full of wonderful people, they deserve better than these acolytes of Farage who will be just as lazy as he is in delivering what is best for the North East.

If I am wrong (and I so want to be) then the Labour Party will come first and the battle for the third seat will be between Labour and the Lib Dems. Either Paul Brannen or Fiona Hall will get that third seat and to be honest I would be happy with either of them over any Brexit Party candidate.

I am truly sorry for the current Labour MEPs who have served this region well but their Party leadership has let them down with its attempt to hide their true intentions. It has lost them votes that should have returned them comfortably.

I believe that only a vote for Liberal Democrats can stop the Brexit Party winning two seats. As a lifelong Labour voter this is hard to admit but the Labour Leadership only has itself to blame for this.

David Hardman

Editor's note : Our two Labour MEPs' hearts are in the right place, but logic says that they would be prisoners of the Labour manifesto and the regional electoral arithmetic. David has clearly - if personally painfully - identified the problem and the solution, and is acting accordingly. All credit to him and otehrs who come to the same conclusion.