Greens urge Lib Dem vote in Bishop's Castle
As the polls open, one candidate is urging the people of a county town to vote for his rival.
Bishop's Castle Green Party members – including the party's own candidate for the town, David Luckhurst – have issued a flyer urging residents to vote for Lib Dem candidate Jonny Keeley, who is the incumbent Shropshire Councillor for the town.
Signed by five prominent Green supporters, including Mr Luckhurst, and previous South Shropshire Green Party candidates Janet Philips and Jim Gaffney, the flyer says the move is part of a drive for left-leaning parties to work as a "progressive alliance" instead of fighting against each other and splitting the vote.
The Green Party has championed such an alliance nationally.
The flyer reads: "The Bishop's Castle Green Party members listed below believe that a progressive alliance approach, as supported by the Green Party, is essential to ensure the Tory party's chances of winning the Bishop's Castle ward in May 4's local election are minimised.
"Whilst we applaud the hard work of the South Shropshire Green Party's executive and Green Party members in their efforts to win our target seats of Church Stretton and Craven Arms, we believe Jonny Keeley is a good representative for Bishop's Castle.
"Consequently, even though David Luckhurst is standing as a paper candidate for the Green Party, we urge those Green Party supporters who believe in a progressive alliance approach to vote for Jonny Keeley on Thursday."
Jonny Keeley was voted in after a by-election in Bishop's Castle last year, after previous Lib Dem councillor Charlotte Barnes stepped down.
In Church Stretton and Craven Arms, South Shropshire Green Party co-ordinator Hilary Wendt is standing for Shropshire councillor.
She has also been announced as the parliamentary candidate to take on Conservative MP Philip Dunne in the Ludlow constituency in the forthcoming general election.
Also standing against Mr Dunne in the general election will be Lib Dem Heather Kidd, currently Shropshire councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, and Labour's Julia Buckley, who is also standing for Bridgnorth East and Astley Abbots in today's local elections.
