Trio want to give Lib Dems better chance of defeating Zac Goldsmith, but others in party argue ‘stitch-up’ would anger voters

Labour frontbenchers have called on the party not to put forward a candidate to run against Zac Goldsmith in the forthcoming Richmond Park byelection, to give the Liberal Democrats a clear path to try to snatch the seat.

Clive Lewis, the shadow business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow City minister, and Lisa Nandy, a former shadow cabinet minister, said Labour should “put the national interest first” by doing what it could to reduce the Conservatives’ majority.

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They also said Goldsmith had run “a nasty, racially divisive campaign” for mayor of London against Labour’s Sadiq Khan. “If there is any chance of kicking Goldsmith out of parliament, the vote against him must not be split. That’s why we think Labour should consider not standing a candidate in this byelection,” the three MPs wrote in an article for Labour List.

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Goldsmith resigned from his seat and from the Conservative party on Tuesday to fight the byelection as an independent in protest at the government’s decision on Heathrow expansion. The Conservatives have said they will not stand a candidate against him. The Lib Dems finished second to Goldsmith in the last election, and Labour third.

Labour does intend to put forward a candidate in the west London constituency and the party’s national executive committee is preparing a timetable to choose a candidate. Other Labour MPs said failure to stand a candidate would be seen as a “stitch-up” by voters, who needed to make their own decisions about whether to vote tactically.

Tom Watson, the party’s deputy leader, is understood to believe it would be a bad idea not to put forward a candidate, and that it was irresponsible of the frontbenchers to float the idea without consulting local party members and councillors. “We’re a national party, we have to be contesting every seat,” a senior source said.

The Lib Dems, who held the seat until 2010, said they planned to throw “not just the kitchen sink but the whole house” at the byelection campaign. The party, which also opposes Heathrow expansion, hopes to put the focus on Brexit, after Goldsmith campaigned for leave despite a high majority of his constituents backing remain.

Nandy, Lewis and Reynolds, who have all previously said they are open to the possibility of progressive alliances in certain seats, said a decision not to put forward a candidate against Goldsmith could bring benefits for Labour in the future.

“Clearly such a decision must have the support of the local CLP [constituency Labour party]. Such a decision must not be imposed from above,” the MPs wrote. “It will also mean the Liberal Democrats understanding this isn’t a free ride. With the upcoming local elections next May there may well be seats where Labour (or possibly the Greens) could be given a clear run against their Tory opponents, with local consent.”

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The trio said Goldsmith was “a hard Brexiteer [who was] willing to throw hard-won environmental and workplace protections down the drain despite all his talk of being green”.

They said progressives in parliament needed to reduce the Conservatives’ 12-seat majority in parliament for crucial votes on grammar schools, the Human Rights Act and welfare. “It may be time for Labour to put the national interest first. Instead of pretending this is a referendum on Heathrow, why not make it a real referendum on Goldsmith?” they said.

However, the Labour MP Wes Streeting said the party should not follow the lead of the Conservatives in denying voters a choice. “Clearly there will be lots of voters in Richmond Park who will see the Lib Dems are the main challengers and wish to vote tactically, but that is a choice for the voters,” he said.

“Political parties should not be engaging in backroom stitch-ups; we should allow grownups to make their own minds up.”

The Green party leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley hinted their party might consider not putting forward a candidate in the byelection, though they stressed it would be a local decision.

A party spokesperson said: “Jonathan and Caroline are longstanding advocates of progressives working together to beat the Conservatives, and they welcome the news that Labour is now having these discussion too. This byelection could be a real chance to reduce the Conservative majority in parliament and replace a candidate disgraced by his racist campaign to be mayor of London.

“At the core of any agreement must be local decision-making, so the Green party leadership will be meeting with the local members to discuss their plans, and it will be those members who have a final say.”