Like it or not, it’s a fact that in a first-past-the-post election, there are usually only two parties that have a chance of winning. That means voting for a smaller party is a wasted vote.

We know some voters are uncertain about the situation in Hitchin and Harpenden.

Past election results are the most concrete evidence we have. In the past two general elections, Labour have been clearly in second place in Hitchin and Harpenden. At the last General Election in 2017, more than 19,000 people voted Labour here. This was 12,000 votes more than the next largest party.

Fewer than 3% of seats saw any party increase their vote by more than 12,000 between 2015 and 2017. So it seems very unlikely that any other party could overtake Labour, let alone beat the Conservatives, in Hitchin and Harpenden.

Since the last General Election, Labour has continued to make progress in local elections. After the Local Elections in 2019, Labour’s Martin Stears-Handscomb became leader of North Herts District Council (which covers Hitchin).

Although this year’s European Election results were disappointing for us, history suggests European election results are not a good guide to general election performance. In 2014, UKIP were the largest party, taking more than a quarter of the vote, but they achieved less than half that in the 2015 General Election.

All-in-all, the Labour Party is the best choice for voters in Hitchin and Harpenden who want to:

• Protect the climate with a Green New Deal
• Get Brexit sorted by giving the people the final say between remain and a credible leave option
• See our schools and hospitals fully funded
• Take back control of our trains and buses

You can read more about our fantastic local candidate, Kay Tart, here.