Actor Steve Coogan urges crowds in Lewes to ‘vote tactically’

The Alan Partridge star, who is a Labour supporter, appeared alongside Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Oli Henman, who is standing to be Lewes’ next MP in the General Election this Thursday (December 12).

Mr Coogan told the crowd: “I’m here today as a traditional Labour supporter. In this constituency where I live and across the country, we need to defeat the Tories by any means necessary.

“I’ll be voting for Oli on Thursday because that’s the smartest thing to do.

“To defeat the Conservatives in this election we need to box clever and I include in this one nation Conservatives like John Major, Michael Heseltine and Kenneth Clark, who we all know, even if we disagree with them, that they have integrity.

“They themselves have suggested that they are not going to vote Conservative. Even Michael Heseltine has said he will be voting Liberal Democrat because the stakes are so high.

“People who have spent all their lives with one party are looking at their constituency and thinking what’s the best tactical choice and I urge everyone here to vote Liberal.”

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Mr Henman said: “We are fighting a very close battle to take this seat from the Tories. We are fighting for a fairer, more democratic, more sustainable future. I have been incredibly humbled and grateful that so many of you have been out with me over the last few weeks.

“This election here could go down to the wire. So, I’m incredibly grateful that we have Steve Coogan here with us. People in our constituency who are thinking of voting Labour or voting for the Greens, can now see by voting Liberal Democrat, we have a real chance to get Boris Johnson’s Conservatives out on December 12.”

Mr Coogan also appeared alongside Labour candidate Peter Chowney at Sunday’s education rally and Old Town mass canvass in Hastings.

Former Liberal Democrat MPs, Norman Baker and Evan Harris were also in the crowd.