There's lots of thinking about a so-called progressive alliance. It is perhaps useful to distinguish between various forms of progressive alliance. Let me set out three versions - there are clearly many varieties within each. 1/12
First, a bottom-up strategy, relying on voters to make the sensible choice, and coalesce behind the candidate most likely to beat the Conservative. This may be accompanied by a non-aggression pact (of sorts) and an absence of campaigning in non-target seats. 2/
Second, a more formal electoral alliance between the opposition parties, with agreements not to stand candidates in particular seats. 3/
Third, a full-throated progressive alliance, with agreements not only as regards the election, but also as regards the policy programme to be pursued post a putative GE win. This is where PR may come in. 4/
These are very different - in at least three respects. First, as regards possible electoral appeal. Second, as regards feasibility. And third, as regards what might happen post this putative GE win. 5/
The arguments in relation to each are finely balanced. 6/
First, it may be, as perhaps shown by Chesham and Amersham, that a weak alliance of the first type will win seats; and that Tory voters may be disinclined to offer their vote to stronger alliances. 7/
And/or it may be that people will only be persuaded to back the 'sensible choice' if they know that it has the (strong) backing of 'their' party's leadership. 8/
Second, is it feasible to expect the opposition to reach agreement, and if so, what limits might there be on that? Any attempt to carve out which candidate sits in which seats and with what support from whom is fraught with difficulty. 9/
And third, it seems obvious that the post-GE landscape would be much easier to navigate if the parties know what they are looking to achieve. (The 2019 GNU foundered around these sorts of questions.) 10/
Of course, agreement would again be difficult... and there may be a desire to work these things out only the other side of the GE. 11/
I'm not at all sure how these arguments might play out - but I think it is useful to distinguish different sorts of progressive alliance, and to think about how they might play out at different stages. 12/12
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