'Remain pact' targets just one West Midlands seat
A 'Remain alliance' will aim to land 60 seats for anti-Brexit parties in the election – but only one West Midlands constituency has been targeted.
The Green Party will not be challenged by the Lib Dems in Cannock Chase as part of the pact, which is intended to maximise the chances of anti-Brexit MPs at the December 12 poll.
The 'Unite to Remain' agreement between the two parties, as well as Plaid Cymru, in Wales, covers 60 constituencies.
It means that in Cannock Chase, Green Party candidate Paul Woodhead will be the only Remainer standing after the Lib Dem candidate agreed to step down.
He is aiming to oust Tory Amanda Milling from the seat she retained in 2017 with a majority of 8,391.
At that election both the Lib Dems and the Greens lost their deposits, both parties receiving just 1.7 per cent of the vote each.
Mr Woodhead, the Green group's leader on Cannock Chase District Council, said: "Westminster needs a shake-up, it needs new energy and it needs fresh ideas from people working together for the common good.
"We have shown through our work on the District and Town Councils how we work together to solve issues of disagreement to be doing the right thing for local residents and neighbours."
The Greens are entering the election on the back of huge gains across England and Wales in the past year. In May Ellie Chowns became the party's first MEP in the West Midlands.
Tactical voting is set to be a key feature of the election, with the People's Vote calling on campaigners to back Remain candidates in dozens of seats.
They include Wolverhampton South West, where Labour's Eleanor Smith has previously voiced concerns about the prospect of a second referendum, and Telford.
