Bury St Edmunds Liberal Democrat General Election candidate steps aside in pact with Green Party

The Liberal Democrat General Election candidate for Bury St Edmunds has agreed to step aside in a pact with the Green Party.

Helen Korfanty has stepped down from running in the December 12 poll to allow Green candidate Dr Helen Geake to run ‘uncontested by another Remainer’.

In the 2017 General Election, Mrs Korfanty represented the Liberal Democrats and came third with 3,565 votes ahead of Dr Geake who received 2,596.

Mrs Korfanty said: “I’ve campaigned with Helen and we’ve campaigned for a People’s Vote together.

“We agree on the essential things on Europe, the environment and our top priorities so I’m very comfortable to endorse her.

“If the vote is split, people can have a dilemma and get disheartened.”

Dr Geake, who is a Mid Suffolk District councillor for Elmswell and Woolpit, added: “Leaving the EU would be deeply damaging for both our economy and our environment.

“Greens are willing to work with other parties for the common good, and this is the right thing to do for people in this constituency.”

Others who have declared they will run for the Bury St Edmunds constituency are independent Liam Byrne, Conservative Jo Churchill who has won the seat twice, the Brexit Party’s Dr Edmund Fordham, independent Paul Hopfensperger and Labour’s Cliff Waterman.

This week, it was announced youth worker Claire Unwin, from Tuddenham St Mary, will stand in the West Suffolk constituency for Labour.

She said: “The NHS and social care is in crisis, our schools are struggling under the weight of the budget cuts and cuts to police budgets are putting our safety at risk.

“People in West Suffolk need a representative that will put them first.”

Meanwhile, local businessman John Riches is the Brexit Party’s candidate for the seat.

He said: “I have been waiting for a long time in British politics to have a real choice to be able to vote for a party I actually believe in.”

Also contesting for West Suffolk will be the Green Party’s Donald Allwright and Liberal Democrat Elfreda Tealby-Watson.

Conservative Matt Hancock will be defending the seat.

• A full list of candidates standing in the December 12 General Election will be announced on Thursday, November 14 and published on the BFP website.