General election 2017: Could a progressive alliance beat the Tories?

Campaigning is underway for a "progressive alliance" to fight the Tories at next month's general election following a launch event in London last night.

Activists are calling for opposition parties to field one candidate between them in each constituency, with the aim of maximising the anti-Conservative vote and preventing another Tory government.

The Green Party has already agreed to stand aside for Labour or Liberal Democrat candidates in 29 constituencies; in return, they will stand unopposed by the Lib Dems in two seats, The Independent reports.

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Labour candidate Clive Lewis has also backed the scheme, despite his party's official rejection of any alliances.

Speaking at the event last night, he said his support was not an "act of defiance", but simply an extension of Jeremy Corbyn's vision of "doing politics differently", the London Evening Standard reports.

Social shifts meant "other progressive parties now speak to parts of our country where we are no longer heard", he added, telling the audience, which represented parties across the centre and left-wing: "That means that just as you cannot thrive without us, so we cannot thrive without you."

Pressure group Compass has launched a website to inform people which progressive candidate to vote for in their constituency.

They add that progressives "want to see bold change in our country", including "greater equality, democracy and sustainability", and called for the parties to "put aside old tribal politics" and unite to defeat "the regressive right".

What is a progressive party?

Although a strict definition of the term "progressive" is hotly disputed and hard to pin down, broadly speaking it refers to a desire to change society and a passion for modernity and social justice.

Most supporters of the idea believe Labour, the Lib Dems, Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru come under the "progressive" umbrella.

Why would it work?

Together, Labour, the SNP, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the Greens need only 25 more seats to win an effective majority and 29 for a workable majority, says Channel 4.

Analysis from Electoral Calculus shows that had Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP and Green voters coordinated effectively at the last general election, they could have achieved a combined majority.

Why would it not work?

It appears that Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be unable to stand in the way of a Conservative victory even if they joined forces in every seat.

Using data from the latest voter polls, political statistician Martin Baxter, who runs the website Electoral Calculus, concluded that a Tory victory was inevitable.

"Even the most comprehensive and successful alliance" between the three parties, fielding one candidate in every seat, "would still lead to a comfortable Conservative majority of 64", The Guardian reports.

However, Progressive Alliance spokesman Neal Lawson suggested the movement was more about damage control than any expectation of winning a majority.

The near-impossibility of outright victory "does not invalidate the principle for progressives to campaign, work and vote together", he said. "This will reduce the landslide."

Is it likely to happen?

Labour, whose support would be vital for any viable opposition coalition, remains firmly resistant to the idea of joining forces with other parties, despite evidence of support at the grassroots level.

It expelled three activists who brokered a deal with Lib Dems and Greens to back the minor National Health Action party in Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's seat of South-West Surrey.

Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas, who has been a vocal advocate for a progressive alliance, slammed the "intransigent" Labour leadership for their "shameful and shortsighted" reaction.

What about tactical voting then?

There are two ways that tactical voting could theoretically play out at the ballot boxes in June, polling expert Professor John Curtice told Channel 4 News.

"Version one is saying that any Labour, Liberal Democrat or Green winner is preferable to a Conservative winner," he said. "Version Two is that any pro-soft Brexit or Remain is preferable to any hard Brexit MP."

Such tactics could see Labour supporters voting for the pro-EU Tory Ken Clarke, or Conservative voters backing anti-EU Kate Hoey.