Election 2019: Could Tactical Voting Change the Fate of the North-East?

After the General Election of 2017, it was estimated by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) that 6.5 million votes were cast tactically against the Conservatives, who failed to gain a majority - a majority the ERS says could have been achieved if just 0.0016 of the electorate had voted otherwise.

At the tail end of an election like none other in recent history but somewhat identical to the one which played out two years ago, pollsters predict that tactical voting could again serve the tories a viscous blow, not the least of which in Scotland. This week the Guardian encouraged readers to utilise tactical voting in order to avoid the majority Conservative government that polls are currently predicting. In a list of top 10 Scottish tory seats most vulnerable to the SNP, four are North-East constituencies (Aberdeen South, Banff and Buchan, Gordon and Moray).

These are key battlegrounds for the SNP, who previously held all four constituencies, but it is these seats where the balance could be held by a small number of votes; the last few days of the campaign are now looking to squeeze both Lib Dem and Labour voters in the North East to vote tactically against the Conservatives.

Both parties have brought in the assistance of some top brass for the final few days on the trail. Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, joined the Conservative's Banff and Buchan candidate David Duigid in Fraserburgh.

Meanwhile, Scottish Finance Secretary Derek Mackay attended an event on small businesses in Turriff with the SNP's candidate challenging Mr Duguid in the seat.