European elections: Why have anti-Brexit parties failed to agree a joint slate and how much damage will it cause?

Anti-Brexit parties have been licking their lips over the reinstated elections for the European parliament – and the prospect of the new pro-EU mood in some of the nation reaping rewards at the ballot box.

Now those dreams are turning to dust because of the twin combination of their old foe Nigel Farage and infighting reminiscent of a famous scene from Monty Python’s Life of Brian.

They can’t do much about Mr Farage – whose canny decision to name his new outfit the Brexit Party is already a stunning success – but the rest of it looks like a classic own goal.

Rumours of attempts to avoid splitting the Remain vote, by agreeing a joint ticket of Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Change UK, the renamed breakaway Independent Group, were confirmed by Vince Cable.

The questions are why this failed – with echoes of the People's Front of Judea fighting the Judean People's Front – and how much will it matter on 23 May?

On the first issue, the logistical obstacles to joint candidates were clearly formidable, but it also seems likely there was never going to be an agreement anyway.

Sources involved in the talks say an alliance would have to have been formed and formally registered weeks ago – when the elections appeared unlikely to go ahead.

However, from the outset, Change UK had a firm policy of “no alliance and no pacts” and the Green Party, which soared to prominence in the 1989 European elections, has the same stance.

So, what will the damage be? Well, it won’t be as painful as under first past the post used to elect MPs. That was used in 1989, leaving the Greens with no MEPs – despite winning 15 per cent of the vote.

Under the regional proportional voting system now used, a party scoring about 7 per cent in the southeast of England, for example, will gain a seat in Brussels. The Lib Dems are currently on 9 per cent.

But a heavy price will be paid, according to an analysis by The Financial Times, which estimates only 7 seats will be won in England by the three anti-Brexit parties – instead of 16, with a unified slate.

It believes the Lib Dems could grab all 7, so Change UK – a party set up to ride a pro-EU wave – faces the embarrassment of its all-or-nothing gamble leaving it with, well, nothing.

Of course, the three parties could still agree not to stand against each other in certain regions, but time is running out.

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