On a picturesque bridge beside Harvey’s brewery in Lewes, Steve Coogan, local resident and lifelong Labour man, stood surrounded by Liberal Democrat campaigners and many Labour supporters. It was the middle of last year’s general election campaign, and supporters of both parties cheered Coogan’s message: “Where the main contenders against the Tories are the Liberal Democrats, that’s what people should vote. Vote tactically to get the Tories out!” Around the country, millions did. John Curtice, still working on the estimates, says he reckons tactical voting may have delivered Labour up to 100 extra seats, and stacks of Lib Dem gains. The spirit of the election was a country determined to punish the Conservatives.
On the bridge that day was Lewes Labour member and film-maker Tony Dowmunt, filming Coogan to put his message on social media, urging progressive voters everywhere to vote tactically to oust the Tories. But Dowmunt and fellow Lewes Labour member Paul Wafer, who was holding the microphone that day, have both been expelled from Labour. “Your membership of the party stands terminated. You are no longer entitled to attend any party meetings or to exercise any other rights associated with membership of the party,” said their letters from Labour HQ, unsigned – merely from the “Disputes Team”.
